1.65 InterestingIdeas* for Class BlogPosts*and tipsBlogging Research Wordle by Kristina BThis work is licensed uknder a Creative Commons AttributionNoncommercial Share Alike 3.0 License.

2. #1 - Share a Photo of your ClassroomExplain about the differentparts of it and how it is beingused. Invite other teachers andclasses to write a similar blogpost explaining about theirclassrooms.Encourage children from yourclass to leave comments aboutwhat they like about it or evensuggestions for changes theywould like to see. 3. #2 - Publish childrens workDont just post work that isflawless but also invitecomments and suggestions onwork that can be improved. 4. #3 - Publish your shared writingAs you produce writing with the class in your lessons, post it toyour blog.Invite the class or blog visitors to improve something and tocomment. 5. #4 - Share your classroom agreementThis can be done at thebeginning of the year and is agood way to share your classagreement with the widercommunity. 6. #5 - Share a photo of a class display 7. #6 - Post a math video from the IWBFor example the written methods for multiplication areincluded, the children can use it as a revision aid.The parents get to see how the school wants it set out ANDthe children get to comment on their favoured method. 8. #7 - Post imagesfrom your digitalmicroscope"What is under ourmicroscope?" - or evenasking for people toguess what the image isand to comment on thesuggestions.Flies eye by MuseumWales 9. #13 TutorialsCreate screencast tutorials,or still image shots forthings that you want yourstudents to know.(ie: how to log into specificsites, or how to play a mathgame)If your students are older,have them create thetutorials or screenshots.@nzchrissy 10. #16 - Post a Glog (edu.glogster.com).glogster.com/catwho/Have students use Tagxedo or Wordleto create a survey question, and havethe students rotate computers toanswer several of their classmatessurvey questions, open-endedquestions, or opinion questions. Theblog post can be used to upload andinterpret the image. *Note - Tagxedoword clouds also come with Embedcode which can be copied and pastedinto a blog post to show a moreinteractive word cloud. 11. #18 Create a Top ListCrowd source the class forthe top reasons for....Or individual blogs of top list... Reasons my homework isnot done Best things about myschool Reasons the govt did... @jenclevette Criteria for good video 12. #17 Embed a Voki Talking AvatarHave students useVoki.com to create andthen embed a talkingavitar onto a blog post.This can be aneffective way forstudents to narrate a @dannymaaspiece of work, enhancelanguage skills, andalso take in informationin a non-textual way. 13. #14 Ask an interesting maths questionGive the children achance to ask theirquestions. Beforesomeone tries to answerit, value the question andstick it on the blog.Then the whole world canhave a go. When theanswers come in usethem as a discussionpoint for more maths. 14. #15 Create and Interpret a Word Cloud@dannymaas 15. #19 Use Wallwisher to... @surreallyno- get feedback from your students on a certain topic (e.g. What wasdifficult in this task?)- get students to brainstorm ideas (e.g.we brainstormed titles for a classstory we had created collaboratively)- get students express an opinion, a prediction, a hypothesis etc 16. #20 Use online free polls to...allow students to giveauthentic feedback@surreallyno 17. #29 Use a blog to share poetry and songs thestudents are learning.Give the students achance to see theirperformance andperhaps inspiresomeone else tolearn the poem orsong too!Example post@lisagallin 18. #30 Use a blog to describe classroomprocedures and why you do them. Make a post to explain some of your everyday classroom routines and procedures and point out what the kids are learning from them. Example post @lisagallin 19. #31 Use a blog tosummarise informationlearned fromguest speakers.Record information learnedfrom guest speakers so it canbe reviewed by the classlater.Example post@lisagallin 20. #32 Create digital stories with myebook andembed these in a blog. Also useful forshowing good work.http://bit.ly/fcXn9l http://bit.ly/cqIPnm 21. #33 Create a class list of library books orbooks which "teacher used to read" with aShelfari blog widget http://www.shelfari.com/ 22. #34 Create a "pupil of the week" on the blogusing an avatar creation app like face yourmanga. Or reward several studentswith various titles. e.g. "Most hepful". 23. #35 Post an introduction to a text or topic andask students to create or answer a series ofquestions in the comments section. "There was once a shepherd-boy who kept his flock at a little distance from the village. Once he thought he would play a trick on the villagers and have some fun at their expense. So he ran toward the village crying out, with all his might, Wolf! Wolf! Come and help! The wolves are at my lambs! The kind villagers left their work and ran to the field to help him. But when they got there the boy laughed at them for their pains; there was no wolf there." 24. #36 Put a "Who is visiting us?" clustr map in awidget on your blog. "Whos.amung us?" hassome great statistics which can enthusestudents when they see the number of peopleand the different countries visiting. 25. #37 - Question ChainIn any content area: (This works super well with a book study)Teacher posts a question.First student answers it and poses a new question.Second student answers that question and poses a third.And so forth........Questions cannot be repeated. @hcarver (idea compliments of Dan Frew) 26. #38 - Student Learning JournalsHave students summarize what theyve learned thatweek, questions that came up, and questions movingforward.Each student could write his/her own post or you canassign a rotation of "bloggers of the week." @rmbyrne 27. #39 - Invite Parents to ShareHave a sharing week with parents bringing their gifts to yourblog, with art work, writing, poetry and encouraging stories.Students will love seeing their parents as co- contributors andpart of the learning community. 28. #40 - Group problem solvingPost a real-life school-based issue (being cautious aboutprivacy, of course) and have the students in the commentssection brainstorm ways to solve it. We did this on the subjectof students posting inappropriate things on the blog!@MzMollyTL 29. #41 - Learning styles revealed!Students (and teachers) create posts about their favouriteways of learning (intrapersonal or interpersonal, through trialand error or modelled work, etc.) The grade 5-6s werefascinated and surprised to hear that their class teacherwasnt a big non-fiction reading fan when she was younger.@MzMollyTL 30. #42 - Literature questionsMany of our teachers use blogging in the classroom forliterature responses (Posting questions about a text). In eachquestion, they identify the skill being addressed in eachquestion. (i.e. analysis, comprehension, evaluation,application, etc.)Mary Rizzo 31. #43 - Class PetBlog about the activities of a class pet or class mascot,especially if the pet/mascot travels home with students.We have a school blog where we post photos and storiesabout the adventures of our school mascots. Students takethem on vacation and then email photos and a story that Ithen put on the blog.http://parsleypatriotkids.blogspot.com/Mary Rizzo 32. #44 - Embed Vocaroo recordings 33. #45 - Use AnswerGardenUse Answer Garden http://answergarden.ch/create/. It is an amazing web app!Write a question, embed the link in the blog and kids start writing! You and theyview in REAL-TIME what answers/words others write.In addition to this, the application lets you export ALL the answers automaticallyin Wordle!My students brainstormed adjectives (they are 2nd graders, 2nd lang. learners) Guesshow many they could in 10 minutes? 120 adjectives! That would be impossible in aregular paper-pen class.You can use a PASSWORD to protect the link (it was specially designed forclassroom use).get@surreallynoJust for fun - check this link and lets write together!http://answergarden.ch/view/9266 :) 34. #46 - Use iNudgeUse iNudge http://www.inudge.net/index.en.html# It is a web app that allows kidsto create own music and then embed it in class blog.It is way too simple! They have 8 instruments to choose from; they combinethem, change the tempo etc. Then ...simple: share through blog!You can use the songs in your WRITING class - as story prompts, in yourLANGUAGE class - what adjectives/adverbs come to your mind when listeningto this? etc.The uses are, again, up to you and your creativity. :)@surreallyno 35. #47 - Use Max My DreamUse Max My Dream http://www.maxmydream.com/ (elementary students).Basically, kids use 140 words starting from the given I dreamed that.. and whenthey finish, click Play.The application basically creates a visual representation of their dream (e.g. ifthe dream involves "butterflies"they would appear flying in the window).You can use it for practicing writing skills. Students embed the dream into theblog and challenge others to actually guess -by writing a sentence ("I think youdreamed about...who was...and...").I always loved to combine the written wordswith the arts because that stirs creativity.@surreallyno 36. #48 - Embed a Toondoo. Use Toondoo (www.toondoo.com) to create a comic strip. Toondoo has a number of different options for embedding. -There are loads of possible uses for Toondoo. We have used them to plan new chapters for The Iron Man and will be using them this term for some persuasive writing about saving water. -You could use Toondoo to create your own science Concept Cartoon and embed it on your blog. @mdcrow 37. #49 - Post Unit-Based CriticalInquiry QuestionsPost the driving inquiry question (pre-unit and post-unit) andhave students answer (in the comment section) .Provides:Diagnostic assessment of student "prior knowledge"about theunit content.Summative assessment of student knowledge gained as aresult of the instruction and learning activities of the unit.@WendyGoodman 38. #50 - Integrate quizzesI embedded a quiz for kids and they figured out (bythemselves !) how to create one :)) (and they are 2ndgraders!)At the end of the quiz kids click Submit and get theirscore.The tool is Quiz Box http://www.quizbox.com/builder/(see sample below)@surreallyno 39. #51- Family Blogging MonthStudents encourage family members to leave comments on theclass blog. Winners earn a free post on the blog!Click here to see the post. @lindayollis 40. #52 - ClustrMap IdeasUse the ClustrMap topractice place value. standard form expanded form word formDo a post on a specialnumber like a palindrome!@lindayollis 41. #53 - Digital Camera/Math/LanguageUse a digital camera to document math arrays on campus. Write a sentence to match the image. @lindayollis 42. #54 - Student created word problem Students wrote sampleused for reviewword problems like theone on this post. Theysubmitted their wordproblems in thecomment section.Student word problemswere used for review thefollowing day.See the commentsection for wordproblems about Lincoln,Washington, and DrewBrees. @lindayollis 43. # 55 - Have a grandparent be a guestblogger!@lindayollis 44. # 56 - Rain Forest animal CommentsStudents researcha rain forest animaland then leave acomment as if theyare the animal.Click here to readsome samplecomments.@lindayollis 45. # 57 - 365 ProjectDaily Digital DocumentationStudents and/or teacher contribute a photo a day.Comments: What do you like about the photo? Make up a storyabout this photo.@lindayollis 46. # 58 - Help the ParentsPut helpful hints on the blog to get the parents up-skilled!e.g.How to Make a Comment on a Blog PostStep 1: Go the blog and read the blog post for your child, or for the day. At the bottom ofthe blog post it says comments (sometimes it might say 2 comments - this means twopeople have commented on the post).Click on comments.Step 2: This will take you to a page with the post at the top and a comment box like this atthe bottom:Click here for the rest of the post we did on this. 47. # 59 - Flash GamesUse this amazing linkhttp://classtools.net/to create flash games andembed them in the blog.Kids love them!You customize content and canchoose from a wide variety of graphics.@surreallyno 48. # 60 - SlideshowsUse thislink http://www.slide.com/arrange studentscan create slideshows in 3 easy steps.No signup required.They can embed the photos in the blogand peers can leave comments.The photos can be customized (kidsplay with colors, styles, skins etc).*Check our class wiki for Photo toolsand resourceshttp://thebunnies.wikispaces.com/PHOTO+tools@surreallyno 49. # 61 - MessagesUse the blog to send messages to kidswho are absent.Practice writing and editing usingKeerPoof http://www.kerpoof.com/#(kids can create cards, books etc).@surreallyno 50. # 62 - ConferencesHelp kids prepare for the student-led conferences with parents.Have PDFs embedded in the blogso they can review the activitiesand reflect on their progress.Create your accountat http://embedit.in/ and uploadPDFs, PPTs etc. that can beembedded in any blog/website.@surreallyno 51. # 63 - Using VoiceThreadEduIf you dont use VoiceThreadEdu http://voicethread.com/products/k12/ yet, youshould! Its an app that allows for globalcollaboration.Create threads (using photos, videos,doodling etc) and have kids all over theworld contribute; embed in class blog.@surreallyno 52. #64 - Embed YouTubeEmbed a YouTube video to help parents learn how to use aspecific technology: cthornton 53. #65 So students can practice theirSecond Language SkillsStudents have anopportunity topractice theirwritten secondlanguage skillswith one another.Or shareinteresting secondlanguage pieces.For instance,videos orcartoons. 54. If you would like to: Contribute your ideas and tips to the presentation. Let me know how you have used the resource. Get in touch.You can email me or I am @tombarrett on TwitterIf you add a tip (or evenif you dont) pleasetweet about it and thelink so more people cancontribute.I have created a page for all Image: Sharingof the Interesting Wayspresentations on my blog.Thanks for helping Tom BarrettThe whole family in oneplace :-) Have you seen Maths Mapsyet?