Critical Inquiry and Collaboration: Training Teachers to Join the Blogoshere

Council on English Leadership Full Workshop Title: “New Tools or New Practices?: (Re) Inventing the Future of English Classroom Spaces,” Session F.14, National Teachers of English ConventionSaturday 11/23/2013, 8:00 am – 9:15 am

Presenter for session: “Training Teachers to Join the Blogosphere”Judy Arzt, Ph.D.University of Saint Joseph West Hartford, CT

A little bit about me:Professor for School of Education, University of Saint Joseph, West Hartford, CT Some courses I teach: Integrating Technology & Literacy, Computer Education, Education Research, First Year Composition. Former high school English teacher

jarzt@usj.edujudyarzt1@gmail.com

@judyarzthttps://twitter.com/JudyArzt

Overview for Session

• Training teachers to blog: course project

• Content and format of blogs

• Sample blogs and posts• Reading others’ blogs

and responding• Blogging with students

in the classroom• Additional resources

Getting Started:First Class

Students access a course blog and select any post to write a comment.

Students open their own account, write a post, and reply to a peer’s post.

Directions for course blogging project reviewed.

Course blog: Integrating Technology and Literacy http://education584.blogspot.com/

Class blog is gateway to find blogs from prior and former students; see Class Blog tabs.

The Course Blog: Integrating Technology and Literacy

http://bit.ly/1fvyyRt

Example: Class Lists, hyperlinks to blogs

Project requires 8 posts and 8 replies, “Labels”used to categorize posts.

View in Haiku Deck online:

For quick information about some course project, check this Haiku Deck: Course Projects

http://bit.ly/1fvyIZ0

Early Course Project: Create & Embed Animoto (5% of course grade)

One Animoto required. Most students create more.

View online: “Benefits of Graphic Novels”

View online: “Out of My Mind” (book trailer)

View online related Animoto: “Communication Board Project Idea”

http://bit.ly/1fvyIZ0 http://bit.ly/1fvz6GV http://bit.ly/1fwlFHZ

Course Projects: submitted via blogsEach student creates an Animoto to 1) use with student, and 2) gain introduction to digital storytelling before using iMovie or MovieMaker

http://mrssimonsaysblog.blogspot.com/search/label/Animoto

Once introduced to Animoto, most students continue to use it with their students to support topics in the curriculum.

http://mrssimonsaysblog.blogspot.com/2013/09/presenting-my-animoto-project.html

Digital Story Project (20% of course grade) Screen captures of 2 replies

View blog post online: “Torrington Flood”http://bit.ly/1fvzGok

Digital Stories Created with iMovie or Movie Make (this sample done with iPhone)

http://bit.ly/17jto5S

http://bit.ly/1i1SNID

Embed a Survey into Blog Post, Sharing Results in Another Post

http://bit.ly/1i1TzWi

Embedding Products Created with Web 2.0 Tools (e.g., Go Animate)

http://goanimate.com/videos/0qIFjmRmNL48

Blog post: http://bit.ly/1i1UNRa

Other Tools: Voki, Storybird, VoiceThread, Popplet, PadletStoryKit app; see below slide presentation for an overview

http://slidesha.re/1i1VF8y

http://kidblog.org/MrBoylens2013-14LA/

Interacting with Student Bloggers, 8th Grade Blogging Partners

http://kidblog.org/MrBoylens2013-14LitClass/

Interacting with Student Bloggers (7th Graders)

Sample of some of the classes that are blogging together.

Excellent teacher training to see extent of the audience for student blogs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRvWogyol9g

Final Course Reflections: View Example on You Tube

http://mykindergartencuties.blogspot.com/

Implementing Blogging with Students (Kindergarten)

Implementing Blogging with Students (3rd Grade)

http://newsfromroom15.blogspot.com/

Note varied features added on sidebars.

Using Course Blog to Start Classroom Blog (1st Grade)

Blog Posts Include Photos of Students at Work in the Classroom

Implementation of Student Blogs in Classroom Announced in Classroom Blog: Using KidBlog (1st Graders)

Classroom Website Also Has Link to Students’ KidBlog Site

2 weeks after course ends: use of blog to embed a video about 4th grade class’s Mystery Skype with another 4th grade class: connecting students in CT with students in SC:

Another Example of Teacher Continuing to Blog

http://bit.ly/1i2mN7o

http://stumpedstudentsbookshelf.com/

Starting a Blog for Sharing Books to Read, 2 years after course ends in preparation for teaching abroad

Additional Information about Blogging

http://bit.ly/1i2hSTV

http://bit.ly/1i2i4CK

cc licensed ( BY NC ) flickr photo by Derek K. Miller: http://flickr.com/photos/penmachine/2282807007/

Thanks for Stopping ByQuestions: find me on Twitter or email mejarzt@usj.eduJudyarzt1@gmail.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/JudyArzt