I know we have brought up the subject, several times, of incorporating social networking into the classroom, but I really like that we had a whole chapter to read about it! Can you believe I still like reading at this point in the “school game”?! Personally, I have become quite a fan of blogging. I was always sooooooooo resistant to the idea of it (I cannot tell you why), but after being required to do so in Rick Beach’s class last semester, I learned that, like most writing, I loved expressing my voice in a new and alternative fashion! If I, at this point in my education, can learn a new way to love writing… it’s very possible it will be relevant to my resistant-writing students… here’s hoping!
One part of the article that was extremely relevant to me and my philosophy of teaching was how the author explained the importance of why he “de-emphasized the importance of [his] evaluation” and never graded on what the student wrote, but rather how many times they posted. I know we have been going back and forth on the merits of rubrics and grades (especially when it comes to writing), and personally, I am a fan of grades (for myself as a teacher and as a student). However, in this instance, in reference to blogging or other forms of social networking in the classroom, I feel that it would be wrong to grade based on what I deemed “quality”… in this case it would definitely have to be quantity over quality and effort over mechanics. In my opinion, if we assign activities that incorporate blogging or Facebook or what-have-you, we cannot grade on what the student writes. In reality, social networking is not a traditional form of writing; people do not use proper grammar and the author often writes in a specific manner intended for a specific audience in order to achieve a desired reaction from said audience. I think if we incorporate things such as blogging into our classrooms, we have to stay true to the nature of blogging.
My opinion aside, I liked how the author offered suggestions for blogging curriculum - there were so many suggestions besides the obvious “students write a blog”. I like the idea, and had never really thought, about assigning students another blog to read and follow (and respond to… the options are endless!). It would be fun to provide a list of “school appropriate” blogs for them to follow so they do not just have to read about the lives of their classmates. It could really expand their ideas of the powerful expanse of social networking and the unlimited voices they can access from the click of a button.
I also like the idea of making podcasts and videos in the classroom. I am thinking of doing something similar at Northeast with my unit (which is exploring “who they are, who they want to be, and their integral part in their communities”). I am thinking of having the students upload a picture of themselves now and recording a little about who they are. Then I want them to upload an image that represents who they would like to be in 20 years (such as an occupation or someone they admire), and how they plan on achieving that (in relation to school hopefully!). Finally, I want them to upload an image that represents their community (or family or school) and how they are an integral part of it (both now and in the future). I will most likely use VoiceThread or iMovie. Hopefully they can figure it out and I can figure out how to piece it together for them into a class movie!
This link is great and shows a plan on how to not only incorporate iMovie into curriculum design and the classroom, but how to actually teach the students how to use it and the pace to teach them at. Hazaah! I am definitely using this as a guide point when trying to pull out the technology with the kiddies in the classroom.
Well hello my little ray of sunshine!
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness, I am glad that you read this chapter. I decided to skip it this week because I feel like we have been hammered in the head like 20 million times about blogging in the classroom...Like really, how many ways are there to go about doing it? Clearly I did not think outside the box! I love the idea of creating a class list of all the different blogs people are following. I kind of want to do an adult version of this! While we are on the subject...have you ever heard of the blog smittenkitchen? Check it out, they have super good recipes, and step by step ways how to make them! Yippee! But anyways, I think that students need good examples of what a blog looks like before they venture out into the cyberworld of blogging and feel confident about it. All this social networking and creating identities really blows my mind. I love thinking of ways that we can incorporate technology that students are the expert on (and when I say 'love' I actually mean slightly nervous, but in a good sort of way). Time for ol' Nicole to let loose on the reigns a little!
I like the photo lesson that you are thinking about doing with your students at Northeast. It is kind of like the photo philosophy that Tracey had us do. I had a lot of fun with that, and I can only imagine how much fun 6th graders would have with it.
Bodacious blog, buttercup.
(I am just going to keep making up nicknames for you until you tell me to stop)
Hey Leigh,
ReplyDeleteYour post made me smile. I was always resistant to the idea of using blogs in the classroom but, like you, my opinion has shifted significantly. Anyway, I don't know if I have (or ever will) read an opinion that is SO in favor of blogs and SO excited to start incorporating them into the classroom--which is why it made me smile.
I do think your points are spot on. I also really liked the idea of assigning students to follow other blogs and I think it would be a great idea to have them select a blog that deviates from who they are as a person. So instead of being a heterosexual white boy who plays varsity basketball from Edina who wants to follow his friend, a heterosexual white boy who plays varsity basketball from Wayzata, I think having students find someone completely different from them (such as a bisexual inner city Hmong girl who works two jobs to support her family) could be an excellent learning opportunity.
Anyway, I think your idea for incorporating blogs into your unit lesson sounds great. I think students will be very engaged in blogging (especially those who may have only limited access to computers) and will enjoy sharing who they are on a site that their friends can access. I think they will love it.
Corrie