I just recently tried blogging with my 5th grade language students. I have set up an account through kidblog.org. It is a site that is very user-friendly as well as kid-friendly. It allows me to change the settings so that I can approve of all posts and comments before they are posted on the web. The only people that can see the blogs are the students in my class, they must login with a password.
My first attempt at using http://www.kidblog.org/ involved giving the students a prompt on my own blog and then asking them to respond or “comment”. My prompt asked them, “What is blogging and what rules should there be?" It was a great way to get an idea of what they already know about blogging as well as a way to help them get comfortable using the website. I learned right away that although most students had heard of blogging, they had no idea how to respond correctly, much like what the teacher in the video mentioned (Laureate DVD, 2008). Following this first attempt we engaged in many conversations while I modeled how to comment on a blog. On our second attempt, I had students post a favorite poem they had written. They were asked to read two other poems and leave appropriate feedback. Students were quick to catch on and looked forward to checking back to see what others had written.
Another idea I would like to try with my students would involve using their blog as a place to gather and post information about their favorite author. I would like to have them engage in posting their favorite author as well as information about them. This might include pictures, book lists, and links to sites that contain information they found useful. I would then like others to respond to the information by reading a book by the same author and giving feedback about what book they chose to read and why. I think it would be a great way to create a sort of reading circle that would not only inspire students to read, but would be a way generate enthusiasm about a new author while utilizing the conversation to help gain stronger comprehension skills.
DVD: Understanding the Impact of Technology on Education, Work, and Society. Laureate Education, Inc. 2008
