Parents and educators alike are always looking for that next great piece of Children’s Literature to help foster our kids’ love of reading. Not to mention, these books are fun to read regardless of age! That’s why I’m so pleased to have found many wonderful blogs dedicated to Children’s Literature. In fact, the popularity of these blogs has even garnered the creation of a new book award, the Cybils, that is specifically devoted to Children’s and YA literature being recognized by bloggers.
There is a veritable treasure trove of Children Lit Blogs, many of which are maintained by teachers or librarians who are very passionate (and in my opinion, knowledgeable) about this topic. I chose to include three of my favorite blogs (Just One More Book!!!, A Year of Reading, and Read, Read, Read) in my RSS feed because they are fun, informative, and updated on a regular basis. This world of Children’s Literature is a big one and these blogs make it easier to stay updated on some great reads. Plus, the RSS feed keeps the information organized and updated with the single click of the mouse.
Although the topic I chose for my RSS feed might be geared more towards parents and educators, I certainly believe that RSS has a place for student use as well. Students who are posting work on blogs can stay current with peers who are doing the same. It is so much more convenient than flipping through 20 different blogs checking for new content. Similarly, students can use the same type of RSS widget on their own blogs to keep up to speed on topics that pertain to what they are blogging about. It just one more way to get students reading and thinking about other bloggers’ thoughts and ideas.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Blogging in the Classroom
Let me just start off with this proclamation: I like blogs. I’ve kept personal blogs in the past, I am a pretty avid blog reader, and I have completed blog-based projects for other classes here at MSU. Depending on the age range, socio-economic makeup, and access to technology that my future students have, I’d imagine that many students will already have acquired a similar level of comfort with technology that can then be parlayed into classroom blog use.
After poking around in the so called “blogosphere”, it is quite clear that blogs can serve many different purposes. There are three main ways that that I would like to tailor blog use to function in my classroom. First, I’d like to have my students create blogs, either individually or in groups, depending on the technology available to the students. Blogs are a novel medium for student students to complete written work, and I feel that kids would enjoy this change of pace from the typical “pencil and paper” type report. Additionally, blogs serve as an organized and efficient way for peers (and possible “outsiders”) to read and respond to student ideas.
I’d also like to set up a classroom blog that would serve as a communication tool for the parents and families of the students in my classroom. All too often, parents get one word responses to questions like “What did you learn at school today?” A classroom blog would provide a stable means of communication that cannot be lost in a backpack or dropped on the school bus floor.
Finally, I envision myself using blogs as a means of communication with other educators, be it across the hall or across the country. Other teachers can be incredible resources, and I’ve seen many blogs in which teachers share great ideas that can adapted for use in my future classroom.
Blog Write provides a great model in how to get students involved in blogging. Mrs. Meeler creates a space where students learn about the process of blogging right alongside the process of writing. The blog is well organized, providing links to student work and to student resources. This blog was used during the 2005-2006 academic year and it is really interesting to browse through the posts to see the evolution of this project from start to finish. Write Blog also attracted comments from readers from all over the globe. Everyone from college professors to local new reporters showed support and interest in the comments left on Blog Write, which seemed to get Mrs. Meeler and her students pretty excited!
Bit by Bit is a blog for teachers written by Bob Sprankle, an elementary teacher from Wells, ME. Not only is Bit by Bit an entertaining read, it is also quite informative. Mr. Sprankle gives some great ideas for teachers --like this post about the many different possibilities of using the inexpensive “Flip Camera” in your classroom. Bit by Bit also has a plethora of links to other useful teaching resources as well as a a collection of Bit by Bit podcasts.
After poking around in the so called “blogosphere”, it is quite clear that blogs can serve many different purposes. There are three main ways that that I would like to tailor blog use to function in my classroom. First, I’d like to have my students create blogs, either individually or in groups, depending on the technology available to the students. Blogs are a novel medium for student students to complete written work, and I feel that kids would enjoy this change of pace from the typical “pencil and paper” type report. Additionally, blogs serve as an organized and efficient way for peers (and possible “outsiders”) to read and respond to student ideas.
I’d also like to set up a classroom blog that would serve as a communication tool for the parents and families of the students in my classroom. All too often, parents get one word responses to questions like “What did you learn at school today?” A classroom blog would provide a stable means of communication that cannot be lost in a backpack or dropped on the school bus floor.
Finally, I envision myself using blogs as a means of communication with other educators, be it across the hall or across the country. Other teachers can be incredible resources, and I’ve seen many blogs in which teachers share great ideas that can adapted for use in my future classroom.
Blog Write provides a great model in how to get students involved in blogging. Mrs. Meeler creates a space where students learn about the process of blogging right alongside the process of writing. The blog is well organized, providing links to student work and to student resources. This blog was used during the 2005-2006 academic year and it is really interesting to browse through the posts to see the evolution of this project from start to finish. Write Blog also attracted comments from readers from all over the globe. Everyone from college professors to local new reporters showed support and interest in the comments left on Blog Write, which seemed to get Mrs. Meeler and her students pretty excited!
Bit by Bit is a blog for teachers written by Bob Sprankle, an elementary teacher from Wells, ME. Not only is Bit by Bit an entertaining read, it is also quite informative. Mr. Sprankle gives some great ideas for teachers --like this post about the many different possibilities of using the inexpensive “Flip Camera” in your classroom. Bit by Bit also has a plethora of links to other useful teaching resources as well as a a collection of Bit by Bit podcasts.
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