Blogging

=Blogging as a Reflective Practice = I feel that blogging was an essential component of my class. As future teachers I want them to be comfortable with reflective practice, but I also want them to see the benefits of putting this reflection in the public arena. There were several times during the semester where I was worried my students just, "weren't getting it." Yet, through reading their blog posts I was able to see how they had connected to the material. I ask my students to blog on a weekly basis, below is my Blogging assignment and information. I encourage my students to use the Google Blogger platform for their blogs since we are a Google campus, but I will accept a Wordpress, Tumblr, or other blogging platform that has the same features.

I especially like what George Couros has to say about why students should blog:
 * 1) Open Reflection
 * 2) Developing Literacy with Different Mediums
 * 3) Student Voice
 * 4) Creating an Open Archive for Learning
 * 5) Developing a Positive Digital Footprint

=Blogging Assignment : =

In this weeks reading you will begin to explore the benefits of blogging as an educator with and for your students. We will be using blogging as a way to reflect throughout the semester as well as illustrate the importance of teacher presence online.

You are asked to create a PUBLIC blog for the entire semester. Included in this "Moodle Book" are tutorials on creating a blog using the Google Blogger platform and the Edublogs (based on Wordpress) platform. If you are familiar with a different blogging platform, please discuss pre-approval with your instructor.

It is important that you consider the public nature of the blog when posting your reflections. A blog prompt will be posted weekly with guided questions for your reflection. A blogging rubric is posted in the Moodle and can be used as a guideline for writing your posts.

Blogging Rubric
I have adapted a blogging rubric from Silvia Rosenthal Tolisano- Langwitches-Globally Connected Learning Learning About Blogs FOR your Students: Quality Writing--- Rubric based on Kim Cofino’s & University of Wisconsin’s Blogging Rubric & Steve Peha’s Traits for Quality Writing



<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">I like this rubric because it enforces that blogging is more than just writing, students have to include multimedia and resources from other websites and blogs.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Sample Blogging Topics and Prompts:
<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Why should technology exist in schools? What is the purpose of technology in education? What are your experiences with technology in school? Are they positive or negative? How would you change that?
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Week1: Why Technology **

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Why do you feel integrating technology effectively is important? What does good technology integration look like? Which was your favorite of the technology integration models? Have you had a teacher that integrated technology effectively? What did it look like? What happens when we don’t integrate technology effectively?
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Week 2: Integrating Technology Effectively **

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">What is a PLN? Why do teachers need them? How can teachers use Twitter for educational purposes? Who are some teachers you have discovered that use Twitter and other social networks effectively? What was your experience like during the Twitter Chat? Was it hard to keep up with everything? Do you think you would use Twitter as a teacher? Would you use a different technology to build your PLN?
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Week 6: Twitter PLN **

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">This week we started exploring the uses of Digital Photography and Digital Video in the classroom. What do you think the role of photography and video will play in your own classroom. Do you plan on using already made videos? Creating your own videos? Having your students create videos or take photos? Find some examples of teacher and/or student created videos that you would either use or model with your own students.
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Week 11: The Use of Video in Education **


 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Week 13: Gaming in Education **

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">What are your thoughts about gaming in education? Would you use video games in your classroom? What are some good examples of how to use video games in the classroom? Remember to provide links to other teachers that are using games in the classroom or other data sources.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">[|Click to view additional blogging prompts]used by Dr. Jayme Linton.

Example Student Blogs:
Taylor W. @http://tmwinnix.blogspot.com/ Anne http://anneteachthefuture.blogspot.com/ Tacey http://etwheneducationandtechnologymeet.blogspot.com/ Alex http://teachingwithtechnology296.blogspot.com/ Rebecca http://pathwaytotech.blogspot.com/

**Dean Mantz's preservice students:**
Future Teachers Education Surveys


 * Keep in mind this advice from Karl Fisch (Colorado educator) "What's the purpose of your comment? What do you want to happen next? Frame comment accordingly.
 * Review Mrs. Yolli's 3rd grade page addressing "How to Compose a Quality Comment."