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Connecting with Comments

March 7, 2013 by Amber Leave a Comment

The training schedule for next semester will be added to the intranet this week. One of the new classes that we’ll be offering will be on blogs and having your own classroom blog. I’m going to be doing several posts about blogs and why/how I think they are such an easy way to not only integrate technology into your classroom, but also provide you with an opportunity to extend your classroom beyond your four walls and your 8 to 3 time slot.
Since I know I have some readers (lurkers!) that already are blogging, I wanted to start with commenting and how to lead your students in the right directions when teaching them to comment. Just like with any other tool, modeling what you expect from your students is VERY important. Show them other blogs that have great comments and the comments you find lacking. Discuss with your students why each example is good or what is missing from those you’d rather not see.
One of the most important pieces to show students is that you want each comment to be meaningful and actually contribute to the post. Simply saying ” I agree” or “This class rocks” does not count. I wanted my students to either give a strong opinion on what I was writing about or to agree or disagree with another students comments. I taught them to use the “@” for their reply discussions. For example, @Icantu…I agree with what you said but what about…@Jaliefen, remember in class when Mrs. Teamann said….
This helped everyone keep up. Many posts I required my students to comment and then address someone’s comment as well. Conversations would begin, and I would simply try to keep up, 🙂
Keeping in mind that I taught math and science, one point of controversy is whether or not I counted off for spelling or if I released comments that had misspelled words. Yes, I did. I wasn’t using my blog to teach writing, grammar or spelling. I wanted discussions about the content of our classes to be the focus. An added bonus was that the students policed themselves. MY fourth graders were MUCH harsher than I could have been when their peers misspelled words like “friend” than I could have been. Getting called out on the playground for such a thing only happened a couple of times before I noticed students taking their writing SO much more seriously.
From Twitter (8Amber8,) I was directed to a great blog, The Langwitches Blog where this teacher recommended these reminders to her students in regards to how to comment on their class blog.
  • Acknowledge the author of the blog post.
  • Let the author know if you agree with him/her and why.
  • It is also ok to disagree with something, just let the author know why you feel that way.
  • One word comments are not very useful. Writing just “cool” or “nice” are not very
  • helpful and don’t let the author of the blog post really know what you are thinking.
  • Always make sure you follow “netiquette”. Think if it is appropriate BEFORE you hit
  • the submit button.
  • Always be polite . It does not matter if you agree or disagree with what you are reading in a blog. Don’t write anything you would be ashamed of saying to someone’s face.
  • Don’t hurt somebody’s feelings.
I thought this was a great place to start!
Commentingly,
Amber

Filed Under: Uncategorized

a techno Teamann tip

March 7, 2013 by Amber Leave a Comment

How very misleading that title is, because I actually have TWO techno tips for you! (bonus!)

First, I came across via Twitter (8Amber8) a this list of iPhone apps for education. This may be for you and your personal phone, or for your students if you have an iTouch center in your classroom. I know my daughter loves to “play” on my phone so some of these will be much more beneficial for her than the Pacman I installed, 🙂

www.amazon.com
Second, in this months “Tech and Learning” magazine, I came across a GREAT web 2.0 idea. An idea I think is so profound I will be adding it to my Techno Infusion class we’ll be offering at the Tech center this semester. As an alternative to writing a book report, what if you had your students go to Amazon.com and review the books there? Give them several guidelines, show them some good examples, but then let them review the book in a way that will actually help others as opposed to earn just a grade. I know that my former 4th graders would have LOVED to do something like this and would have given it much more of their attention, knowing it was for the big wide world to see. If that terrifies you, do you have a blog? Let them be guest posters and write a book review blog, encouraging other students to read a certain book and why.

Since I mentioned blogs, I’ll also mention that we are having gBlog classes at the technology center ONCE a month for the rest of the school year. If these fill up, we’ll offer more. A blog is a great communication & learning tool that can seamlessly correlate with whatever subject or grade level that you teach. My daughter was blogging in the first grade and I do have a kindergarten teacher that blogs as well. I know that this is TAKS season and that you already have a ton of to-do’s on your list. Consider coming to the class and let me show you how easy a blog can be and how much it can add to your classroom!

my blog-y best,
Amber

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Seriously Skype!

March 7, 2013 by Amber Leave a Comment

I have had a lot of teachers talk about finding a virtual field trip or an author to Skype with. After much searching and PLN discussing, here is a list of what we’ve come up with. I already have a rockstar teacher at Ethridge skyping with a teacher from Canada this week! Yea Andrea! If you come across any other resources let me know and we’ll add them to our list!

http://skypeanauthor.wetpaint.com/

http://skypeinschools.pbworks.com/Want-Ads
http://skypeinschools.pbworks.com/Other-Directories
http://skypeintheclassroom.wordpress.com/
http://eduwikius.wikispaces.com/Who%27s+Who
http://aroundtheworldwith80schools.wikispaces.com/Your+Journey
http://www.skypeforeducators.com/educators.htm
http://www.skypeforeducators.com/educators.htm
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6673572.html
http://theedublogger.com/want-to-connect-with-other-classrooms/

digitally yours,
Amber

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Blogging for parents

March 7, 2013 by Amber Leave a Comment

Here is the letter that I’ve used and modified throughout the year to introduce blogging to the students and their parents. Feel free to modify and adjust as you see fit.

Letter

 

informR,

Amber

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized

gooooooooooooooood joooooooooob!

March 7, 2013 by Amber Leave a Comment

One of the strategies we’ve worked so hard to integrate into our trainings were the cheers that we’ve now seen at a couple of different places. The facilitator’s first saw these at the fabulous ASCD conference we went to on peer coaching with Robin Fogarty and Brian Pete. (Who, btw, are incredible! Check them out when you can!)

I wish I’d been thinking this week throughout the staff developments we’ve done to get ONE of the fabulous volunteers who did a cheer on camera, but alas, I didn’t. Rest assured, the memories will still make me giggle!

Click, click, weeeee’ing,
Amber

Filed Under: Uncategorized

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