I blog, you blog, (we)blog

Welcome to the blogosphere

What is a blog?!?!?! Blog= web log –Traditionally used as an online diary Blogging

Why do I want a blog?!?!?! Motivation –Watch this, and then think how your pupils, colleagues and the parents will react… Blogging

The last 100 visitors to the Spanish blog

Why use blogs? Motivation- make the world your classroom wall –Learning no longer confined to exercise books Who is the audience for work which goes into an exercise book? - Truly global perspective Blogging

Why use blogs? Assessment for Learning –Comment function allows peer assessment using “Two Stars and a Wish formula” = 2 positive elements + 1 element to work at next time –Self-assessment as pupils comment on their own work and thus self target set. Blogging

Why use blogs? Enhances all 4 skill areas - listening, speaking reading and writing Blogging

Why use blogs? Writing –Increased motivation- will be viewed by more than just the teacher –Very obvious to all when their peers’ work is missing from the blog Blogging

Why use blogs? Reading –Principal skill gain- pupils constantly reading each other’s work –Allows free choice of which sections to read –Aids pupil independence Blogging

Why use blogs? Speaking –Oral vocab lists to aid pronunciation –Pupil and teacher generated podcasts –Speaking tests / exercises =learning opportunity rather than just an assessment opportunity –Provides a platform for pupil-made videos Blogging

- Pupils write scripts -Peer assess -Practise -Record -High level of enjoyment

Blogging Year 2 and 3- same rules apply 1)Wrote scripts 2)Peer-assessed and improved by adding conjunctions 3)Practised together 4)RecordedRecorded 5)Listened to each other’s and gave a mark out of 5 for accent and detail

Why use blogs? Listening –To podcasts –To videos (pupil created, music, adverts, football commentaries etc) –To peers’ work Blogging

On the blog this is a listening exercise, but... Pupils had to write scripts Peer-assessment Pupils read the script out and record itit

Blogging Music video - great cultural input - an interesting homework to end topic of body parts - Year 8 pupils were mostly humming the song round school for next few days

Who provides the blog facility? TypePad - –Easiest for inserting fun stuff (provider that I use) Blogger- Edublogs- Wordpress- Many, many more… Blogging

How to find out new ideas? -keep reading other blogs! Blogging

Google Reader - Uses RSS feeds to update you when your favourite blogs have changed

Why use blogs? Providing access to other resources –Easy to access links to useful websites –Resources such as PowerPoint or Word documents can be made available –Motivation –Assessment for learning –Safe, monitored conditions for work on the web Blogging

Objectives During the following session, you will be able to; 1)Adapt the design of your blog 2)Make your first post 3)Set up Comment Moderation 4)Create a link to another site 5)Investigate other tools to use with your blog

If in doubt, ask...