Our Blogging journeys

Our blogs

Put simply by the people at Commoncraft:

Blogs in plain English

Rachel Boyd, a teacher from Nelson, NZ, sums it up in this video

Why let our students blog?

• Students from our classes• Students from our classes• Parents & family members• Students’ extended family• Colleagues at school• Students from other schools• Educators from around the globe

• Sharing news & events• Sharing work• Students’ ideas/opinions• Accessing information, e.g. spelling

lists, homework• Linking to other student/class blogs• Links for projects via our diigo site • Feedback on what’s happening at

school• Parent information• Sharing/reviewing tools

• Authentic audience• Familiar form of communication• Student voice• Multimedia capabilities – sharing of

digital work• Global communication –collaborative

work with other classes in Australia & overseas, comments from all over world, networking with classes in NZ, UK & USA

• Feedback from others

• New skills• Consider new ways of doing things,

e.g. podcasts, videos, web2.0 tools - Picturetrail, slideshare, voicethread, audioboo

• Contact with other educators, both in Australia & overseas

• Opportunity for shared, collaborative learning experiences with others

• Student engagement

• Not blocked in schools, unlike some others• Easy to use• App available • Ability to moderate comments• Registering students or other users at

different levels – contributor, author, editor, administrator

• Ease of uploading files, media etc• Edublogs forum• Free, but with - no ads & more facilities

when you become a supporter – small annual fee & bulk upgrades very reasonable

• The edublogger – great support & info

• Blocked in schools - but can be easily unblocked

• Easy to use• Multiple templates• Ability to moderate comments• Multiple contributors• Ease of uploading files, media etc• Automatic tags and search engines• FREE!

• Easy to use• App available for both Apple &

Android• Multiple templates• Ability to moderate comments• Multiple contributors• Ease of uploading files, media etc• Automatic tags and search engines• FREE!

• Moderation of comments to avoid inappropriate content

• Student anonymity & privacy• Class blog with student posts or

individual blogs?• Blogging is about reading as well as

writing – which blogs will you add to your blogroll?

• Consider subscribing to a blog reader for updates on favourite blogs, e.g Google Reader, feedly, iGoogle

• Comments – relevant & appropriate

• Interviewing parents about a particular topic – can be written report or recorded as mp3

• PMI about school or a school event – can use wallwisher or linoit

• Recounts of activities, e.g. buddy classes

• Reflections on learning• Videos of talks, drama, assemblies,

visitors• Podcasts• Book reviews

Great opportunity to connect & network with others when new to blogging

Quadblogging set up and managed by David Mitchell in UK

• Clairvaux Connects• Room 6 Cyberkids – Year 3• Little Voices Little Scholars – Year 2• Room 2 All Stars – Reception & Year 1 • Mr Webb (NZ) • Mr C's Class (USA)• Allstars – Library • Room 102 – 1st grade• Room 6 St Mary’s (NZ)• 4KM & 4KJ

• What Ed Said• Blogging through the Fourth Dimensio

n• Spencer’s Scratch Pad• For the love of learning• The Wejr Board• On an e-journey with Generation Y• Cool Tools for 21st century learning• The Principal of Change• A view from the middle• Life is not a race to be finished first

• Clustrmaps – see where your visitors are coming from

• Widgetbox – lots of widgets, e.g. clocks, games

• Counters – how many visitors are you getting?

• Vokis – record a welcome message for your visitors

• Avatars – use an avatar instead of a photo – great for students to have identity but stay anonymous

• More avatars

• Promote your blog• Keep it up to date• The blogging community • Comments work both ways!• Start simple

• Pam Thompson @pam_thompsonthompsonpam@gmail.com

• Jarrod Lamshed @jlamshedjglamshed@gmail.com