Welcome to our Sunset Classroom Blogger!
As the Internet becomes an increasingly common and persistent influence in people's lives, the phenomenon of the blog stands out as a fine example of the way in which the Web enables individual participation in the marketplace of ideas.
Teachers have picked up on the creative use of this Internet technology and put the blog to work in the classroom. The education blog can be a powerful and effective technology tool for students and teachers alike. Blogs are set-up like conventional Web sites, with navigation links, and other standard Web site features.
Your Sunset Teachers will post assignments and projects here to work on during class and/or for homework. All assignments are numbered, so make sure you write in your planner the NUMBER of the assignment you need to visit.
If your teacher posts an assignment specifically for you and your classmates ONLY, you will find your ROOM number stated in the posting as well.
Some of the assignments are REVIEW of topics and standards that you and your teacher already covered in class. This means that you can use these postings as enrichment activities. Each of you will create your own blog to respond to questions from my blog and to post your work on. In most of our exercises, you will be required to respond to at least 2 of your classmates blogs. For each specific assignment, I will give you exact instructions for what you are required to complete and what I am looking for.
Remember, you are not to create a Blogger of your own until directed by your homeroom teacher. This will be up to your homeroom teacher.
You will need your parents to create an email account for you in order to become a MEMBER of this Blogger. This will allow you to post any comments in this Blogger (under your Grade Page) to communicate with your homeroom teacher and/or write any comments regarding the assignments.
When you become a MEMBER of this Blogger, you will be allowed to choose a picture and a name. Make sure you witre your first and last name, and that your picture is an appropiate one.
Educational Benefits of Blogs
In addition to providing teachers with an excellent tool for communicating with students, there are numerous educational benefits of blogs. Blogs are:
- Highly motivating to students, especially those who otherwise might not become participants in classrooms.
- Excellent opportunities for students to read and write.
- Effective forums for collaboration and discussion.
- Powerful tools to enable scaffolded learning or mentoring to occur.
As an educational tool, blogs may be integrated in a multi-faceted manner to accommodate all learners. Blogs can serve at least four basic functions.
- Classroom Management
Class blogs can serve as a portal to foster a community of learners. As they are easy to create and update efficiently, they can be used to inform students of class requirements, post handouts, notices, and homework assignments, or act as a question and answer board. - Collaboration
Blogs provide a space where teachers and students can work to further develop writing or other skills with the advantage of an instant audience. Teachers can offer instructional tips, and students can practice and benefit from peer review. They also make online mentoring possible. For example, a class of older students can help a class of younger students develop more confidence in their writing skills. Students can also participate in cooperative learning activities that require them to relay research findings, ideas, or suggestions. - Discussions
A class blog opens the opportunity for students to discuss topics outside of the classroom. With a blog, every person has an equal opportunity to share their thoughts and opinions. Students have time to be reactive to one another and reflective. Teachers can also bring together a group of knowledgeable individuals for a given unit of study for students to network and conference with on a blog. - Student Portfolios
Blogs present, organize, and protect student work as digital portfolios (Students create their own Blogger to post their individual assignments). As older entries are archived, developing skills and progress may be analyzed more conveniently. Additionally, as students realize their efforts will be published, they are typically more motivated to produce better writing. Teachers and peers may conference with a student individually on a developing work, and expert or peer mentoring advice can be easily kept for future reference.
