Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Using Blogs

I am currently facilitating an Intel Essentials course and am using blogs with my adult learners. They are responding positively, and I've been really impressed by their input. They are using the blog to process their learning and activate their metacognition.

As for using a blog with students, I have no real concerns. I think it would go fairly smoothly. Like the teacher who commented that stressing to students and parents that what they put on the net, stays on the net ... I think students have a decent idea of what is appropriate for their school environment blog. In the beginning, there may be a few glitches and kids testing the waters, but they do that with whatever we do.

If I were in a classroom again, I most likely would use my blog as a website with discussion board. A place to post assignments with links (instead of putting a word doc on each computer); a place to remind them of upcoming dates and events. A place to post rubrics and the like to cut down on paper use. I also particularly liked the blog we looked at the embedded the Voice Thread. What a great way to cut down on the kids going hither and yon to find things we want them to find ... just link or embed.

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