Blogging Begins at RMS

I’m ready to start kids blogging in class. I’ve chosen TypePad as my Blogger. It costs ($14.95/mo. For unlimited blogs and users) but allows for passwords. I got the go ahead from the Asst. Supt., Mr. Hemingway, and our Principal, Mr. Helliesen.

I would like to start with one class, probably Ms.McCarthy’s reading class on the Jaguar team. We’ve talked about this and she is interested. She’s even come up with a name for her blog, “The Chronicles of Jaguar”. The advice at the blogging workshop I attended said to set the tone well in advance: talk about netiquette, have students devise rules and standards. For the first day the students will look up “netiquette” and “blog” on the internet, define them, give examples and tell us what they think.

I’ve been searching for educational blogs to use in the classroom. Here are a few:

-Blog a sentence with many mechanical errors & have them retype the sentence correctly. (Like D.O.L. Daily Oral Language) The sentence to be corrected will serve another purpose; it will be a journal prompt; - kids being rude, etc.
-Students blog about what they learned in science... some cool facts they are learning.
-Have students explore a website such as Discovery.com. Then have them to blog an interesting fact about something they'd learned. .
- blog lunch/hall/dismissal problems/teasing /bullying
- vacation plans
- status of the class: what's your topic? Fascinating fact? ...
- blog to long-term sick student
- blog to a student who moved away
- Explore news sites - opinions on current events
- story/ book predictions
- Daily Oral Language
- ask questions to check for understanding, monitor progress on a project.
- express opinions using 1st Person Narrative point-of-view
- Debate sides of an argument to make blogging more interactive.
- Lit. Circles
-Word Wizard
- post a new vocabulary word you learned in your book.

-Historical characters….”My Dear Countrymen, it is with a heavy heart that I tell you both good news and bad news. We have signed the Declaration of Independence. THis means we will be going to war. Tell me what you think about this. How will this effect your family? You? Your friends?”
General Washington

-“Yo Colonial Dudes & Dudettes! How do you feel about the way of King George III is taxing the colonists? Are you a Patriot or a Loyalist? I know you guys disagree about the fairness of his taxes. Do you think they're fair? Can you live with them? Will you continue to pay them? How are all of these taxes effecting you & your family? What's the scuttlebut in town?”