Blogging in the Classroom
'I like the fact that we are making stuff that people in Japan could read if they have a computer. It's like we're making ourselves famous in our little, out-of-the-way town!' -- Megan, Age 10.
'Our student is genuinely excited to come home and show us what's going on at school. To read his own words and listen to his own voice on the Internet makes it all more real and fascinating for him. This knowledge will help him to better utilize these resources, increase his understanding and awareness of the technologies, and keep us parents in the loop :-)'—Jim, Parent
What are we doing?
In collaboration with my colleague Mike Hutchinson, I have begun to introduce the tools of the Read/Write web to my students. Specifically, my class is now blogging and podcasting. Blogging and podcasting has allowed me to create a forum where my students discuss current events connected to our social studies curriculum while developing language arts skills like critical thinking and persuasive dialogue. It has also given my students the opportunity to be creators—rather than simply consumers—of online content. Finally, blogging and podcasting have given my students an audience for their ideas, which has increased levels of interest and motivation.
How Do We Do It?
- We used the book Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools by Will Richardson as our technical manual.
- We use a program called Audacity (http://audacity.sourceforge.net) to record our students. Audacity allows users to covert recorded files into MP3s. It is a very simple program that our children are quickly beginning to master. We are also planning to switch to Gcast (http://www.gcast.com) or Gabcast (http://www.gabcast.com) for recordings in the future because they require nothing but a cell phone to make and post recordings online.
- Once students have written a script for a podcast episode, production takes approximately 15-20 minutes. Much of this work is done during a school-wide "working lunch" period.
- To protect their anonymity, students come up with pseudonyms for themselves. This is one of their favorite parts of podcasting. "Melvin the Chicken Hunter" and "Smokey the Cat" are quickly becoming stars in our digital universe!
- When the MP3 has been recorded and saved, we post it—along with a written summary—on our classroom blog. To teach students about the importance of verifying online information, we require that each entry include a link to online source material—allowing listeners to form their own opinions about our topic of study.
- We use Typepad (www.typepad.com)—a subscription service—to host our blogs because it allows for easy upload of MP3 files. Many free blogging services do not allow enclosures.
Why It Matters?
- Technology will always be a carrot in middle school classrooms: In a recent survey, 92% of our students described blogging and podcasting as one of their favorite parts of social studies, 86% wished we spent more time on blogging and podcasting, and 81% wished other teachers started blogging and podcasting. This level of motivation allows for unparalleled engagement in our classrooms.
- Technology has provided students with a new audience for their ideas: All too often, the use of technology in classrooms is limited to presentation tools or document production. The collaboration and communication elements of the Read/Write web are often overlooked. Blogging and podcasting provides students with wide audiences for their ideas—we've had 50,000 page views from 123 countries in just over 15 months of writing)—and 98% of our students find it exciting that we are creating information that other people can read online. Allowing students to become a part of the dissemination of information in a new frontier is a valuable lesson for 21st Century learners.
- Technology has generated increased interest in classroom content: In our digital world, it has become increasingly difficult to engage children in meaningful studies of content. Technology, however, has made that possible for us. 91% of our students agree that blogging and podcasting have made them more interested in current events and classroom content. Interestingly enough, podcasting has engaged children beyond our classrooms as well—100% of parents surveyed report that their children seem interested in online current events and 71% report that their children often explore their classroom blog and podcasts while at home.
Most importantly, podcasting matters because digital media and the tools of the 21st Century are rapidly becoming the primary method of communication and influence in the world. It is estimated that over 100,000 new blogs are created each day. Roughly 54,000 new articles are posted by bloggers each hour. Understanding how to become a contributing member and a critical consumer of information in this digital universe is essential to the success of our students.
As eSchool News recently wrote, "Educators, economists, and forecasters all agree on the growing importance of so-called "21st-century skills" in the workplace. While reading, writing, and arithmetic will always form the foundation of any solid education, digital communication and media literacy are on the verge of being elevated to the same level of importance. In addition to requiring advanced skills in reading and math, the employers of tomorrow are going to require a high degree of digital and multimedia fluency."
Parent and Student Quotes about Blogging and Podcasting:
Parents
"I think it is so interesting and creative to hear each child's discussion on current events with the podcasts. I enjoy hearing their opinions on different topics. They really seem to be having fun while learning so much, which I think is important."
"I believe that podcasts are a great opportunity for the kids to share their work with others and broaden their horizons while learning more about technology. They are a good way to get the kids to interact with each other about class subjects they normally wouldn't discuss. It is also a great way for the kids to retain what they have learned."
"I believe these Internet tools are the way of the future, and that they are being incorporated into the classroom curricula is great. My child is very comfortable using the system and often asks us to check it out with him."
"In today's information age, it is very important to keep up with the ever changing technology to enhance our learning capabilities. I think your effort in guiding our children into the new world of high tech is encouraging."
Students
"I have never done anything in school with podcasts and wikis, and before this class, I didn't even know what they were. I think that it is one of the best resources I have ever used in a classroom, and it is very interesting and exciting that we can share it with other people. I think that I would be proudest of the podcasts, though, because anyone all over the world can look at our work, and hear our opinions. Altogether, I think using technology in the classroom is a great, and fun idea."
"I am proud about our wiki and podcasts. They prove that kids can do work without getting asked and that is cool. I like the podcasts the most though because you can hear what us, the kids, think about diffrent current events."
"I think the most radical thing about the podcasts is that you put them on iTunes!! That is so cool! Then people can hear us on their MP3 player or I-pod. The other cool thing is that people can subscribe to us in our podcasting, so whenever we make a new podcast it can go directly to them! This makes me feel like we are teaching people."
Blogs Worth Exploring
Educator Blogs
2 Cents Worth
http://davidwarlick.com/2cents/
David Warlick—a native North Carolinian and hometown hero to me—has become an internationally recognized expert on instructional technology and the changing nature of teaching and learning. His blog--subtitled "Believing that learning about the world can be as exciting as the world really is"--is regarded as one of the prime sources for provocative thinking about classroom technology. A testament to its value, it has drawn the attention of almost 800 regular subscribers!
Weblogg-ed: The Read/Write Web in the Classroom
Will Richardson, author of Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts and other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms has also earned great acclaim for being able to translate Web 2.0 skills into classroom instruction. His writing is approachable and interesting--and on the cutting edge of today's technology. With over 400 subscribers, Richardson has also proven to be a valuable read for teachers.
Remote Access
http://remoteaccess.typepad.com/remote_access/
Remote Access is a blog kept by Canadian 8th grade teacher Clarence Fisher. Here's how Clarence describes himself: "I teach full time and enjoy being involved with research to improve what we do in our classrooms. I am involved with efforts to redefine literacy and what it means to be literate in our twenty-first century, technologically advanced society."
EduBlogs.Com
http://edu.blogs.com/edublogs/
Edu.Blogs.Com is the blog of Ewan McIntosh, a leading instructional technology expert from the United Kingdom. Ewan's blog is always a good read because it shares a wide collection of free resources and provocative thoughts about what education in the 21st Century should look like.
The Blog of Proximal Development
http://www.teachandlearn.ca/blog/
The Blog of Proximal Development is a blog maintained by Konrad Golgowski—a middle school teacher and PhD student in Toronto, Canada. While Konrad describes his blog as "an attempt to vocalize some of my thoughts on [blogging] and comment on the impact that blogging and blogging communities have on my classroom and my students," you'll also find deep thinking about the true nature of teaching and learning here.
Beyond School
Beyond School is one of the more interesting blogs that you'll find in cyberspace. Written by Clay Burell—an expat teacher currently working in a South Korean high school—Beyond School contains posts tackling topics from technology to educational philosophy. This one is sure to leave you thinking!
Student Blogs
The Blurb
http://guysread.typepad.com/theblurb
The Blurb is one of the best examples of a middle grades classroom blog because it tackles a wide range of interesting content, primarily focusing on world events. Notice how the student writers of The Blurb make use of embedded content to add interest to their writing. Also notice that entries are broken into categories to allow users to search content by continent.
Plug Me In
Plug Me In is the collective work of a group of middle school techaholics who are interested in exploring digital tools together. Their work is often focused on providing student reviews of digital tools that may be of interest to teachers or to other students.
Students 2.0
Students 2.0 is one of the most incredible student blogging projects online. It is the collaborative effort of a group of tech-driven high school kids that describe themselves as, “the ones who come to school every day, raise our hands with safe questions, and keep our heads down. Except, now we have a voice—a strong voice—to share our ideas through a global network.” I love Students 2.0 because it provides my middle grade students with a vision for what accomplished reflective writing looks like.
Extreme Biology
http://missbakersbiologyclass.com/blog/
While the content on this high school biology blog may seem to be far beyond the reading level of my middle grades students, the topics are definitely highly interesting—which means that my students are willing to tackle Extreme Biology with amazing regularity! Every time that I see them sifting through posts about the human genome or biodiversity, I’m blown away.
Sargent Park Math Zone
http://sargentparkmathzone.blogspot.com/
One of the more interesting examples of blogging in a middle school math classroom, the Sargent Park Math Zone is an incredible destination for my students because every entry is content-heavy. Visitors can watch streaming video of classroom presentations and access collections of materials on content ranging from fractions to Pythagoras. Visitors can also see a wide range of Web 2.0 tools in action.
Collaboration Nation
Collaboration Nation is the home-base for a group of middle school language arts students. Teachers use this site to post provocative questions for students to answer and assignments for students to complete. Most interesting, however, are the list of student blogs available on Collaboration Nation. My kids love to poke through each of these blogs, looking for student writers tackling topics of interest and commenting when appropriate.
Mr. Brune’s Blog
http://classblogmeister.com/blog.php?blog_id=281647
Presentation Blogs
The following blogs will be used in today's presentation:
The Tempered Radical
http://teacherleaders.typepad.com/the_tempered_radical
The Tempered Radical is the professional blog of Bill Ferriter. It tackles topics ranging from Web 2.0 tools to life in schools. Ferriter's stated goal is to bridge the gap between policymakers and the classroom.
Decidely Average
http://decidedlyaverage.blogspot.com
Decidedly Average is another part time project for Bill Ferriter. It is a collective blog being kept with two other teachers on his hallway and dedicated to exploring the impact that blogging can have on instruction and professional development. Ferriter will use Decidedly Average to demonstrate Gabcast as a podcasting tool.
Using Feed Readers
By using feed readers, you can simplify your online life. No longer do you have to regularly visit dozens of websites to find out what’s new. Instead, just check in with your feed reader! In fact, RSS stands for “Really Simple Syndication.” Like television programs created by major networks, content at sites that have website feeds is delivered directly to you.
Feed readers have proven to be invaluable in my work with blogging in the classroom primarily because I can provide my students with ready access to sites of interest that are age-appropriate and/or connected to our curriculum. By collecting sites in advance and organizing them within a feed reader, I’ve been able to make accessing information manageable for my kids. Currently, my students explore the following feed lists—which I maintain and update regularly:
Student Blogs
http://www.pageflakes.com/wferriter/20982438
This feed list includes several elementary, middle and high school blogs that my students explore during silent reading or while online at home.
Current Events
http://www.pageflakes.com/wferriter/16714925
This feed list includes links to several news websites that cover topics that are a part of our required social studies curriculum.
While there are literally dozens of different feed reader programs to choose from (Bloglines and Google Reader are two biggies), Pageflakes is my favorite primarily because it has a visual layout that I find easy to read and interesting to look at. It is also free and web-based. That means that I can check my account from any computer with an Internet connection. Finally, Pageflakes makes it quick and easy to add new websites to my feed list—and to get rid of any websites that I’m no longer interested in.
For more information on using feed readers, check out this handout:
Choosing a Blog Service
(The following description of blog services was created by Bill Ferriter for a course on blogging for Pearson Education.)
One of the first decisions that teachers interested in blogging with students must make is which blog service to use...and you'll quickly learn that not all blog services are “created equally.” Some are primarily designed as tools for schools, providing greater levels of security for both teachers and students. Others make it easy to embed a wide range of audio and video content--making blogs more interesting and engaging. While all include the same basic features---easy editing, publishing and commenting---you've still gprovide greater levels of security for teachers and students because they are primarily designed as tools for schools. Others allow users to upload and embed different kinds of media files, making content more creative and engaging. While all will include the same basic features—easy editing, publishing and commenting—you’ve still got do a bit of thinking about blog services before diving in!
Three common blog services used by teachers and students are listed below. Spend some time using page 16 of your participant workbook to explore each and decide which will meet your needs the best:
1. Blogger (http://www.blogger.com): Blogger is one of the most widely embraced blogging applications primarily because it is a Google product—providing a level of synchronicity to users who already have a Google account for other services such as Gmail or Google Video. Creating your blog with Google also provides a measure of comfort—you know you’ll never lose years worth of writing and reflection because your blog provider closes unexpectedly one day!
Blogger provides many of the most common features to its users. You’ll be able to edit and post reflections without any troubles at all while logged in to Blogger. The Blogger toolbar looks nearly identical to the toolbar you’d see in any word processing program.
What’s more, you’ll be able to select from a range of different comment moderation settings. You might decide to open commenting up to anyone who finds your site…or to leave commenting closed completely. You might also choose a popular middle ground for school blogs: Leaving commenting open, but requiring that comments be moderated before making their way onto your blog.
Perhaps the greatest drawback to Blogger is that it is sometimes blocked by school and district firewalls! Blogger also does not allow users to upload documents directly to their blogs. While content can be posted in other places and linked in Blogger, there is no storage space available to users for files.
Interested in seeing how Blogger looks in action? Then check out The Fisch Bowl, a professional development blog being maintained by Karl Fisch and the teachers of Arapahoe High School: http://thefischbowl.blogspot.com/
2. Edublogs (http://edublogs.org): Edublogs is rapidly becoming one of the most popular blog services for teachers and students because of its slick templates and “school-friendly” feel.
Over 100,000 educators have already taken the Edublogs plunge—and each has access to an incredibly friendly editing and publishing tools as well as opportunities to set different levels of comment moderation. Users are also given storage space for files of any kind—perfect for uploading handouts or classroom recordings.
Many users also love the fact that Edublogs is made “by educators, for educators.” Constant conversations on how to make blogging a permanent and productive part of teaching and learning take place in forums that include some of the world’s most tech-savvy teachers. Edublogs is equal parts pedagogy and product—a combination that many other blog services simply can’t offer.
The greatest challenge that Edublogs faces is keeping up with demand! Thousands of users mean that Edublog servers are pretty busy places—and that accessing your blog can sometimes be a slow and frustrating process.
Interested in seeing how Edublogs looks in action? Then check out Weblogg-ed, the blog of one of the most famous Edublog users: Instructional Tech Guru Will Richardson: http://weblogg-ed.com/
3. Class Blogmeister (http://classblogmeister.com/): Class Blogmeister is, perhaps, one of the most unique free blogging services available to teachers and students primarily because it makes blogging by students incredibly easy.
On Blogmeister, teachers create a main page and enroll students as users who can post selections to the classroom blog automatically. This eliminates the need for students to have their own accounts or blogs—something that many teachers and parents are uncomfortable with.
Blogmeister also works to create a “community feel” by providing links to other classroom blogs and a list of entries recently created by users. This makes reading and responding to blogs easy for educators and students. Quick access to age-appropriate content is almost always available.
Perhaps the greatest drawback to Blogmeister is that their blog templates are decidedly low-tech. While users can post entries, links and files easily, the final product is not visually impressive—which can turn off students who are used to far more engaging websites.
Interested in seeing how Blogmeister looks in action? Then check out this classroom blog being created and maintained by a fifth grade classroom in New York: http://classblogmeister.com/blog.php?blog_id=281647
Adding Jazz to Your Blog
Half the battle for teachers that tackle blogging is keeping the content interesting for students. While text only entries on curriculuar related topics allow students to practice reflective writing, today's kids are driven by multimedia. The following tools may help you to keep your posts engaging and to allow your students to show what they're learning in new and i
Gabcast
Gabcast makes podcasting easy! After setting up a free account, teachers and students can make audio recordings for their blog with nothing more than access to a phone. Gabcast literally walks users step-by-step through the process of recording, stores files automatically on their site and provides embeddable text that you can use to include your recordings in posts on any blog service. If you’re using Blogger, you can even have Gabcast post your new recordings directly in your blog!
Here’s a post from The Tempered Radical introducing Gabcast. It also includes an embedded Gabcast recording that the Radical made while driving across Raleigh:
http://teacherleaders.typepad.com/the_tempered_radical/2008/01/random-babbling.html
Gcast
Gcast is a service that functions much like Gabcast. Users can create a free account allowing them to make recordings by phone. Gcast then provides users with embeddable text for including recordings in blog posts.
So why do you need to know about Gcast if you’ve already discovered Gabcast?
Because one of the two is bound to be blocked by your district’s server!
Voki
Voki is a free service that is bound to appeal to middle grades students everywhere because it allows users to create talking avatars using nothing but a phone. After setting up an account—which are limited to people 16 years of age and older, so you’ll likely have to create a classroom account and supervise student use—your kids will be able to record one minute messages and attach them to talking hot dogs, blood-sucking vampires, afro-sporting athletes or famous figures from history.
Vokis are great for introducing or responding to blog posts. They are also great for short public service announcements on topics of interest.
Here’s a post from The Blurb that includes a Voki. It is a public service announcement designed to introduce viewers to the genocide occurring in Darfur:
http://guysread.typepad.com/theblurb/2008/02/ac_voki_embed20.html
Animoto
Animoto is a simple tool that allows users to quickly create interesting photo montages that resemble MTV music videos. The advantage of using Animoto is that users need absolutely no video editing skills at all. To create a video, simply upload images, select a music track from Animoto’s podsafe music collection and hit the “Produce” button. Within minutes, you’ll have a short, engaging video complete with flashy transitions that you can embed as a hook for a blog post.
Here’s a post from The Blurb that includes an Animoto. It spotlights the flags of the EU member nations:
http://guysread.typepad.com/theblurb/2008/01/lets-get-our-an.html
Teacher Tube
Few content elements are as engaging to students as embedded videos. With the advent of YouTube and affordable hand-held video cameras, almost everyone has jumped into digital moviemaking. Teacher Tube makes sharing those videos through your blog easy and approachable. After creating a free account, you’ll be able to upload video files that you’ve created and then get embeddable code to include in your blog posts.
Here’s a post from the Plug Me In crew that includes a Papercraft Tutorial on the International Space Station that is stored at Teacher Tube:
http://plugmein.edublogs.org/archives/42
And here’s a similar post from The Blurb that includes a Papercraft Tutorial on giant snowmen taking over the North Pole that is also stored at Teacher Tube:
http://guysread.typepad.com/theblurb/2007/12/giant-snowmen-t.html
Garageband
One of the greatest challenges for students and teachers who tackle podcasting or digital moviemaking is finding what is known as “podsafe” music. Podsafe music includes tracks artists have licensed for free use without copyright restrictions. Garageband makes tackling that challenge easy, providing thousands of tracks across genres from up-and-coming musicians that can be downloaded and used in a range of digital applications—including podcast programs and videos created by your students.
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