Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Using Blogs in the Classroom
As an English teacher, I immediately thought that using a blog in my classroom could be a very handy, and motivational, instructional tool. The first idea that I had upon learning more about blogs, was to use it as an alternative to exit slips. I have used exit slips in the classroom before and I like the way that they help students reinforce what was learned in the classroom that day. They also give students the chance to ask me any questions that they might not have had the chance to during class. Using a blog in the same manner could be very useful and a lot of fun for the students. Students could use the blog to respond to a question or comment that I would pose about the learning they have been doing in the classroom. They would be able to share their thoughts with me and with the members of their class. Being a high school teacher, I usually have five or six different classes. This would give each class the opportunity to interact with one another and not just the students that are in their individual class. This could lead to a lot more discussion and deeper thinking about the material we are studying. I think that blogging would enhance the students learning because it opens the door to listen to four or five times as many ideas as they would get in their own class and it would give them the opportunity to share their thoughts with that many more students. I also think that my students would be more willing to have these discussions because they are using the internet and get to discuss it with their peers and not just their teacher.
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I think the exit slip idea is a great way to use a blog. I also agree that this would be a great way to have the students interact with other students from other classes. One challenge I thought of was how are you going to get students who typically don't "participate" in class to participate in the blog? Do you think that a blog will motivate them more? I think that one way you may be able to get the students who tradiationally don't participate would be to offer some kind of positive reinforcement if they post the required amount of times. I really do think that the blog will motivate students to discuss more openly and this may not be a problem. Most students do like using the computer better than they like participating in class.
ReplyDeleteI think that you are going to find that there is a lot more open discussion with a blog,especially from students who are shy. This also may be useful when you have those classes that run out of time and students still have questions.
Trisha,
ReplyDeleteI know my students would be excited to use the blog. My Form Four literature class is a very animated group of students, who are always involved in lively discussions about characters in texts, so I intend to have them create character blogs to discuss important issues that arise from their readings. I think the insights that will be gained will be tremendous, and the idea of sharing with a wider audience would increase their motivation and a feeling of empowerment.
Pauline Branker
Your idea of using the blog as an exit slip is interesting; I particularly like the fact that it allows students from classes to intermingle. Although all of my classes generally cover the same information, discussion varies significantly from class to class. If the ideas that arise in one class carry over into the blog, all students will benefit. Those who weren’t engaged initially might find a fresh thought that sparks interest.
ReplyDeleteHow will you track your students’ responses? If students are actively using the blog as a forum for discussion, the number of posts could quickly become overwhelming. On the positive side, a large number of posts means that students are comfortable with the medium and are actively using it. On the negative side, though, it means that you have a great deal of information to sift through. If you plan to grade blogging, it might make sense to have your students submit a link to their best post during a given time period. That would involve them in critical evaluation of their own writing, prevent your inundation by an unmanageable amount of information, and allows you to provide feedback where it will be most effective.
I LOVE the idea of using a blog as an alternative to exit slips. I use exit slips, as well. Soon I find myself fighting with little piles of slips of paper. I then get all overwhelmed with all of it and then get grouchy. I also agree that it would be a great way to get your students interacting with all the classes you teach.
ReplyDeleteThe thing about exit slips is teachers have feedback of students' learning immediately. With a blog, it would take a bit longer. I guess if need be, traditional exit slips could be used when immediate feedback is necessary.
Great thinking!
Debb
I think that getting students to participate in this blog would be easier than getting them to participate in a class discussion. I have found that it is easier for people to write their feelings than to say them out loud in front of people. Also, since students are accustomed to the use of blogs, I think it would be more engaging for them and would encourage more participation. I think that monitoring the blogs and grading them wouldn't be too difficult. I think about this class we are all taking and the fact that our professor has to grade all of our blogging. There has to be an easy way to sift through all of the information that we are writing. I just don't know it... yet! Thank you all for your ideas and comments! They are much appreciated and very helpful!
ReplyDelete