I like the idea for using a blog to foster student collaboration on novels. Will Richardson (2009) in his book Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms briefly explained that he used blogs to have students create chapter study guides. I plan to use blogs to have my English 10 students respond to the novel we will read, The Giver. I want them to have a place to ask each other as well as a larger web audience about topics in the book. I use journals to have the students write about assigned topics that are related to daily lessons. I can use this blog as their journals for the novel.
I just finished grading journals and I wrote notes to my students in them. Some notes are for improvement of writing, some are personal responses to their thoughts. I know that many of them will not look at the notes at all, and the response is not timely. I collect journals once a grading period, so a comment might be about an entry that is weeks old. Blogging seems to be a tool that I can use to create a more responsive, interactive journal between my students and me. It will allow me to give more timely feedback. The blogs will also allow the students to seek feedback on their thoughts from a larger audience. This can provide a forum for them to expand their views.
Logistics might prove difficult. I have a blog on a site built to add students, but how do I do that? I think I'll need to take them to the computer lab to set things up. Then I will have to sign passes to the library during study halls for them to access the blogs throughout the unit. Some students can access them at home, but certainly not all of my students can do that. Maybe I can set aside one day each week during the unit in the lab for work on the blogs. Please give me feedback on how this idea sounds and suggestions for logistics.
-Shannon
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Hello Shannon -
ReplyDeleteI think you have a great idea with using a blog as a chapter study guide and for journal entries. This sounds a lot like what I am hoping to implement within my own classroom. As you mentioned, student do not always look at the comments left, and sometimes they are from past assignments. The use of a blog would definitely allow for students to receive immediate feedback as well as an opportunity to respond to the comments.
I currently have access to our computer lab once a week. Not sure if your school allows you to set up a lab rotation, but that might help to provide your students with time to access your blog.
Shannon,
ReplyDeleteGreat idea! I think your students would like blogging as a way of collaborating about an assigned chapter in a book and responding to each other instead of using a journal. I think being able to give immediate feedback on responses or comments is very important to the students so they will know how they are doing.
Kevin,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the idea about a lab rotation. My school has an online lab sign up that is on a first come, first served basis. using it weekly while my students read the novel sounds like a good way to accomplish the goals I mentioned.