Blogging for Learning: Using student blogs to replace

traditional homeworkKelly A. Swindlehurst, PhD

Presentation Overview

Setting and Inspiration

Background research and literature

Project overview

Project conclusions

How you can do it too!

Questions and discussion

My Role

Special Education professor at Plymouth

State University

Teach a three course sequence in special

education and classroom management

Integrate technology into the classroom

Setting and Inspiration

Want to increase student engagement,

especially with reading

Increase volume of technology practice

Simplify, simplify, simplify

Related to a move to Open Educational

Resources and $ saving

Background

Pre-service teachers who use technology

are more prepared to teach with it

Use of weblogs in K-12 and higher

education settings has exploded

Phenomenon has been studied extensively

Research says that blogs can. .

Increase student reflection

Help continue class discussion

Allow instructors to support learning

Encourage reluctant learners

Create personal learning space for students

Identify points of confusion and misunderstanding early and often

Project Overview

Be clear on purpose

Choosing a blogging platform

Developing a system

Implementing

Evaluating and adjusting

Choosing a Blogging PlatformOption Pros Cons

Blogger (through google) • Can link to google classroom • If you don’t have a school

gmail, you must use your

personal account

• Same for students

Wordpress • Easy to navigate

• Can set up multiple blogs

under the same website (i.e.

different sections or classes)

• Largely free

• Can be cumbersome to learn

to use

Edublogs • Might be really great for a K-

12 classroom teacher

• Can easily organize and track

a class of students

• Can create multiple classes

• Many features are paid

Developing a System

Creating a class blog

Developing a System

Student blogs

Developing a System

Questions posed each day

Developing a System

Students answer question

Implementation

Give students overview

Class time to create blog and write first

post

Practice commenting

Easy initial post

Important

Teach and model independent problem

solving

Be flexible

Be flexible

Be open to new ideas and suggestions

Problems I solved that I didn’t

know I hadDifferentiating

Addressing student confusion

Connecting and relationship building with

students

Conclusions

What it can do

What it cannot do

When it doesn’t work

For Further Exploration

Questions

Discussion