Over the last few weeks or more our ECMP (computers) class was asked to mentor and comment on two classroom blog sites. We were able to make view and make comments on a senior maths class’s blog or a grade 4 classrooms blog. Initially I wasn’t very enthusiastic about the idea and found it hard to make comments to the class. I was unsure about the actual benefit students would get from working with a blog and was a little concerned about how I would use this idea in my future classroom and school without other teachers and parents having a problem with it.
However, that all changed once I started to view the blog sites more and read the comments students had posted about the lessons they had just learnt. It made me realize how beneficial having a class blog is. Students are able to clarify their learning by posting on their blog. They practice the terminology of topics but also learn how to put ideas in their own words which increases their understanding and there is a better chance that knowledge and understanding will go into their longterm memory. Blogging is like an online journal except better. I think the fact that it is an interactive tool that people can discuss topics, ask questions, make comments, give praise, and show off their skills makes it more education for each student and more relevant to students because it uses the internet which we are all we are all involved in now.
The saying is so true, what you don’t understand you are afraid of. This project and these blogs changed my view of blogging and interacting with people on the internet. I realise everyone still needs to be very careful but I am not afraid of implementing this idea into my classroom anymore. These blogs model great structure and content that any teacher could build a something off. Its fun and gives children a great sense of pride to know that you, their teacher thinks their thoughts and knowledge is good enough to share with others and it gives them independence that is so important to learning and critical thinking.
Here are the two blogs that we have been looking at. Check them out if you haven’t already.
http://cm20sf07.blogspot.com/ Darren Kuroputwa’s maths class
http://classblogmeister.com/blog.php?blogger_id=64830 – This it Mrs Bechards Grade 4 class.
