Blogging: A Portal to the Future

ACTFL 2006 Presentation

NCLRC

Jill Robbins & Laura Liu

Index of Materials

I.   ACTFL 2006 Presentation Agenda

II.    Interactive Technology Discussion

III.   Technology Resources

a.   Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms by Will Richardson (2006)

i. The Toolbox
ii. Sample Blog Letter for Parents
iii. Classroom Use of Weblogs
iv. Standards for the English Language Arts – NCTE & IRA
v. Positive Impact of Blogs on Students
vi.  Good Educator Blogs
vii.  The Big Shifts

b.  Web Logs links from about.com

IV.    Model Lesson Plan Ideas & Methods

V.     Template for Creating Your Own Lesson Plan

Online: http://jillrobbins.com/nclrc/blogging.html

ACTFL Presentation
Agenda

I.      Introduction (3:15-3:25)

a.  Language group cards on tables and on display screen
b.  Teachers sit in their language groups as enter room
c.  NCLRC & background
d.  Introduction of presenters
e.  Personal background in teaching & technology use

II. Technology standards (3:25-3:40)

a.  CA state framework on technology
b.  Interactive technology and culture!

i. Small group discussion
ii. Large group discussion

III.     Technology Resources (3:40-3:50)

a.  Web Logs Software
b. Web Log Resources
c. Intercultural exchanges
d.  Equipment availability – audio/video recorders

IV.   Lesson plan ideas & methods (3:50-4:00)

a.  Lesson plan ideas
b.  Lesson plan methods

V.   Teachers create lesson plan in language groups (4:00-4:15)

a.  Focus: Use blogging as a tool to engage students in personally meaningful communication in the target language
b.  Challenge Focus: Use blogging as a tool to engage students in personally meaningful communication with native speakers in the target language

VI.   Teachers share lesson plans (4:15-4:30)

Interactive Technology Discussion!

CA State FL Framework: Extended Learning Opportunities (p. 38-39)
http://www.cde.ca.gov/re/pn/fd/documents/foreign-language.pdf

The foreign language teacher structures extended learning opportunities beyond the classroom. Examples of extended learning opportunities are engaging in service learning activities, completing homework, using the Internet, interacting with businesses and the community, and participating in exchanges … Teachers assign projects for finding information on the Internet, either as a part of a lesson or as research at home. Examples of such projects are connecting with classrooms around the world in which the target language is spoken; comparing the use of technology in California with its use in another country in which the target language is spoken; writing a story in the target language; using audiovisual technologies to correct or enhance pronunciation of words in the target language; and conducting research online about the target culture. Teachers arrange for students to intern for local agencies or businesses whose clientele speaks the target language, thereby improving students’ language skills. Teachers assign research projects in the communities in which the target language is spoken. They arrange exchanges of messages in the target language through the Internet.

Interactive Technology (IT): Technology used to enhance interpersonal interaction, such as blogs, wikis, podcasts, or Web (2.0).

Small group discussion:

1. Communication: How does technology use inhibit or enhance interpersonal communication and cross-cultural understanding?

Notes:

2. Responsibility: What are responsibilities that come with technology use? What particular responsibility concerns may arise as students use IT to engage in cross-cultural interactions?

Notes:

3. Purpose: Is interactive technology use an end or a means to an end? How can IT be a useful tool for cross-cultural interactions?

Notes:

4. Legalities: What are basic legal requirements, social concerns, and cultural concerns related to interactive technology use?

Notes:

5. Transfer: How can the development of IT skills in the FL classroom benefit students in other cultural contexts or academic pursuits?

Notes:

Technology Resources

1. Web Logs Software

a.  Blogger: http://www.blogger.com/start
b.  Xanga: http:://www.xanga.com/
c.  My Space: http:://www.myspace.com/

2.  Web Log Resources

a.  Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms by Will Richardson
b.  Web Logs links from about.com

3.  Intercultural exchanges

a.  Epal: http:://www.epals.com/
b.  iEARN: http:://www.iearn.org/
c.  iEARN Projects: http:://www.iearn.org/projects/index.html
d.  Intercultural E-Mail Classroom Connections: http:://www.iecc.org/

4.  Equipment availability – audio/video recorders

a.  Skype Internet phone calls: http:://www.skype.com
b.  Camfrog webcam chat: http://videochat.camfrog.com/
c.  Interviews at school
d.  College campus resources

The Toolbox

1. Weblogs: Thousands of teachers and students have already incorporated Weblogs into their classrooms and into their practice. Blogs, as they are known, are easily created, easily updateable Websites that allow an author (or authors) to publish instantly to the Internet from any Internet connection. They can also be interactive, allowing teachers and students to begin conversations or add to the information published there. Weblogs are the most widely adopted tool of the Read/Write Web so far.

2. Wikis: A wiki is a collaborative Webspace where anyone can add content and anyone can edit content that has already been published. In schools, teachers and students have begun using password protected wikis to create their own textbooks and resource sites.

3. Rich Site Summary/Real Simple Syndication (RSS): RSS is a technology that allows educators to subscribe to “feeds” of the content that is created on the Internet, whether it’s written in a Weblog or in a more traditional space such as newspapers or magazines. In other words, just as in traditional models of syndication, content comes to the reader instead of the reader retrieving the content. From a research and information management standpoint, RSS may be the new “killer app” (extremely useful application) for education.

4. Aggregators: An aggregator collects and organizes the content generated via the RSS feed.

5. Social Bookmarking: Bookmarking sites allow users to not just save the Web addresses of interesting content. They allow readers to save and archive entire pages, thus producing a form of searchable, “personal Internet.” In addition, social bookmarking sites like Furl.net and del.icio.us allow teachers and students to build subject specific resource lists that they can easily share when using RSS. This in turn creates a community of information gatherers who extend the reach of any one person.

6. Online Photo Galleries: Publishing digital photos to the Web not only means sharing pictures with family and friends. It means becoming a part of a community of photographers sharing ideas and experiences. And, as we’ll see, it means adding another dimension to what students and teacher can do with digital images in the classroom.

7. Audio/Video-casting: New technologies make it easy to not only produce digital voice and video files, they also make it easy to publish and distribute them to wide Internet audiences. Students can now easily “write” in many different media, a fact that opens up all sorts of possibilities for the classroom.

Richardson, W. (2006). Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms. Corwin Press: Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. p. 8-9

Sample Blogging Letter to Parents

http:://www.budtheteacher.com/wiki/index.php?title=Blogging_letter
(or Download Word Document)

Sample Permission to Blog Letter

Dear Families:

From now to the end of the year, Ms. Tammy’s class will be taking part in a pilot writing program designed to help them to develop their writing and explore their interests by sharing their writing with a real audience. Students will be using personal weblogs to post their writing to the internet.

A weblog, or blog as they are commonly called, is a special type of web page that can be created and easily updated using a web browser. Each new entry has it’s own date stamp. Each entry has a comments section where visitors to the blog may leave comments for the author.

How it Works

Each week Ms. Tammy will teach a writing lesson using the 6-Trait writing model. After the lesson, students will write an entry for their blog. They may choose the topic, but they need to make use of the skills taught in the lesson to help the craft their writing. The emphasis is on the quality, not the quantity of what they write. When students are done polishing their writing, they have it reviewed by a teacher before it is published to the web.

Students will have two extra computer sessions most weeks to provide them with the time needed to complete their weekly blogging assignment. Students may also work from home. All that is required is an internet connection and a web browser. Students are able to save their work as drafts before publishing it to their blog. Directions for working from home will be provided.

Having a real audience is one of the key components to this program. In addition to receiving comments from their classmates, Ms. Tammy’s students will receive comments from other fourth and fifth grade classes who visit their blogs. We are arranging for students in other parts of the world visit our blogs and comment on the writing. Parents are also invited to visit the blogs and respond to the writing. Potentially, anyone on the internet could respond to our blogs, however, it is not likely that the world at large will stumble across them.

Security

This blogging project is designed to minimize risk to your child. The only personally identifying information included in the blog will be their first name. There will be no mention of our school name or our location. Students are allowed to post their interests and opinions, but not their age, email address, photographs of themselves, or other sensitive information.

Assessment

The weekly blog assignments will be part of your child’s language arts grade this term. As with other projects they have completed this year, students will receive a scoring rubric that explains the expectations for these assignments. The rubric will include a section for the comments they leave in other students’ blogs.

Resources

- Blogs created by fifth grade students in the USA

http:://itc.blogs.com/marcos/

- BBC News article about blogging in a school in the UK

http:://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/3804773.stm

Permission

Before your child may start posting to their blog, we are asking for you and your child to discuss and sign the following form. Please return the form to Ms. Tammy.

Blogging Terms and Conditions

1. Students using blogs are expected to act safely by keeping personal information out of their posts. You agree to not post or give out your family name, password, user name, email address, home address, school name, city, country or other information that could help someone locate or contact you in person. You may share your interests, ideas and preferences.

2. Students using blogs agree to not share their user name or password with anyone besides their teachers and parents. You agree to never log in as another student.

3. Students using blogs are expected to treat blogspaces as classroom spaces. Speech that is inappropriate for class is not appropriate for your blog. While we encourage you to engage in debate and conversation with other bloggers, we also expect that you will conduct yourself in a manner reflective of a representative of this school.

4. Student blogs are to be a forum for student expression. However, they are first and foremost a tool for learning, and as such will sometimes be constrained by the various requirements and rules of classroom teachers. Students are welcome to post on any school-appropriate subject.

5. Students blogs are to be a vehicle for sharing student writing with real audiences. Most visitors to your blog who leave comments will leave respectful, helpful messages. If you receive a comment that makes you feel uncomfortable or is not respectful, tell your teacher right away. Do not respond to the comment.

6. Students using blogs take good care of the computers by not downloading or installing any software without permission, and not clicking on ads or competitions.

7. Students who do not abide by these terms and conditions may lose their opportunity to take part in this project.

I have read and understood these blogging terms and conditions. I agree to uphold them.

student’s signature:_____________________________ date: ________________

parent’s signature: _____________________________ date: ________________

Retrieved from "http:://www.budtheteacher.com/wiki/index.php?title=Blogging_letter"

Richardson, W. (2006). Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms. Corwin Press: Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. p. 13-15.

(This page used with permission of Susan Sedro.)

Classroom Use of Weblogs

You might like to create a reflective journal-type blog to …

• reflect on your teaching experiences
• keep a log of teacher-training experiences
• write a description of a specific teaching unit
• describe what worked for you in the classroom or what didn’t work
• provide some teaching tips for other teachers
• write about something you learned from another teacher
• explain teaching insights you gain from what happens in your classes
• share ideas for teaching activities or language games to use in the classroom
• provide some how-to’s on using specific technology in the class, describing how you used this technology in your own class
• explore important teaching and learning issues

You might like to start a class blog to …

• post class-related information such as calendars, events, homework assignments, and other pertinent class information
• post assignments based on literature readings and have students respond on their own Weblogs, creating a kind of portfolio of their work
• communicate with parents if you are teaching elementary school students
• post prompts for writing
• provide examples of classwork, vocabulary activities, or grammar games
• provide online readings for your students to read and react to
• gather and organize Internet resources for a specific course, providing links to appropriate sites and annotating the links as to what is relevant about them
• post photos and comment on class activities
• invite student comments or postings on issues in order to give them a writing voice
• publish examples of good student writing done in class
• showcase student art, poetry, and creative stories
• create a dynamic teaching site, posting not only class-related information, but also activities, discussion topics, links to additional information about topics they are studying in class, and readings to inspire learning
• create a literature circle (where groups of students read and discuss the same book)
• create an online book club
• make use of the commenting feature to have students publish messages on topics being used to develop language skills
• ask students to create their own individual course blogs, where they can post their own ideas, reactions, and written work
• post tasks to carry out project-based learning tasks with students
• build a class newsletter, using student-written articles and photos they take
• link your class with another class somewhere else in the world

You can encourage your students (either on your Weblog using the comments feature or on their own Weblogs) to blog …

• their reactions to thought-provoking questions
• their reactions to photos you post
• journal entries
• results of surveys they carry out as part of a class unit
• their ideas and opinions about topics discussed in class

You can have your students create their own Weblogs to …

• learn how to blog
• complete class writing assignments
• create an ongoing portfolio of samples of their writing
• express their opinions on topics you are studying in class
• write comments, opinions, or questions on daily news items or issues of interest
• discuss activities they did in class and tell what they think about them (You, the teacher, can learn a lot this way!)
• write about class topics, using newly learned vocabulary words and idioms
• showcase their best writing pieces

You can also ask your class to create a shared Weblog to …

• complete project work in small groups, assigning each group a different task
• showcase products of project-based learning
• complete a WebQuest (an online, structured research activity)

Share ideas have you have for using Weblogs in education.

(http://anne.teachesme.com/2004/10/05)

Richardson, W. (2006). Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms. Corwin Press: Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. p. 40-42.

Standards for the English Language Arts Sponsored by NCTE and IRA

1. Students read a wide range of print and nonprint texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.
2. Students read a wide range of literature from many periods in many genres to build an understanding of the many dimensions (e.g., philosophical, ethical, aesthetic) of human experience.
3. Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).
4. Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences for a variety of purposes.
5. Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and nonprint texts.
6. Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and nonprint texts.
7. Students conduct research on issues and interests by generating ideas and questions and by posing problems. They gather, evaluate, and synthesize data from a variety of sources (e.g., print and nonprint texts, artifacts, people) to communicate their discoveries in ways that suit their purpose and audience.
8. Students use a variety of technological and information resources (e.g., libraries, databases, computer networks, video) to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge.
9. Students develop an understanding of and respect for diversity in language use, patterns, and dialects across cultures, ethnic groups, geographic regions, and social roles.
10. Students whose first language is not English make use of their first language to develop competency in the English language arts and to develop understanding of content across the curriculum.
11. Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety of literacy communities.
12. Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).

(http://www.ncte.org/about/over/standards/110846.htm)

Richardson, W. (2006). Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms. Corwin Press: Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. p. 42-44.

Positive Impact of Blogs on Students

Research by Fernette and Brock Eide

They found that blogs can:

• Promote critical and analytical thinking
• Be a powerful promoter of creative, intuitive, and associational thinking
• Promote analogical thinking
• Be a powerful medium for increasing access and exposure to quality information
• Combine the best of solitary reflection and social interaction

(Eide Neurolearning Blog, 2005)

Good Educator Blogs to Read

Alan Levine (http:://jade.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/cdb)

Barbara Ganley (http:://mt.middlebury.edu/middblogs/ganley/bgblogging)

Anne Davis (http:://anne.teachesme.com/)

David Warlick (http:://davidwarlick.com/2cents/)

James Farmer (http:://incsub.org/blog)

Stephen Downes (http:://www.downes.ca/news/OLDaily.htm)

Tim Lauer (http:://tim.lauer.name/)

Tim Wilson (http:://technosavvy.org/)

Tom Hoffman (http:://tuttlesvc.teacherhosting.com/blog/blosxom.cgi)

Jenny Levine (http:://www.theshiftedlibrarian.com/)

Konrad Glogowski (http:://www.teachandlearn.ca/blog)

Clarence Fisher (http:://remoteaccess.typead.com/remote_access/)

The Big Shifts

1. Big Shift #1: Open Content
2. Big Shift #2: Many, Many Teachers and 24/7 Learning
3. Big Shift #3: The Social, Collaborative Construction of Meaningful Knowledge
4. Big Shift #4: Teaching is Conversation, Not Lecture
5. Big Shift #5: Know “Where” Learning
6. Big Shift #6: Readers Are No Longer Just Readers
7. Big Shift #7: The Web as Notebook
8. Big Shift #8: Writing No Longer Limited to Text
9. Big Shift #9: Mastery Is the Product, Not the Test

Richardson, W. (2006). Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for

Classrooms. Corwin Press: Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. p. 20.

Web Blog Resources from about.com

1.  Top 10 Questions on Basic Blogging
http:://weblogs.about.com/od/weblogsbasics/a/Top10FAQs.htm

2.  Web Logs 101: Blogging for Beginners (a free mini course)
http:://weblogs.about.com/c/ec/2.htm

3.  5-Point Criteria for Best Blogging Software for Beginners
http:://weblogs.about.com/od/weblogsoftwareandhosts/a/5ptcriteriablog.htm

4.  Top 10 Questions on Basic Blogging
http:://weblogs.about.com/od/weblogsbasics/a/Top10FAQs.htm

5.  Learning the Uses and Roles of Blogs
http:://weblogs.about.com/od/usesandrolesofblogs/

6.  Writing and Content for Web Logs
http:://weblogs.about.com/od/writingandcontent/

7.  12 Tips and Ideas on Becoming a Better Blogger
http:://weblogs.about.com/od/weblogsbasics/a/TheGoodBlogger.htm

8.  How to Find Web Logs: Web Log Search
http:://weblogs.about.com/od/weblogsbasics/a/FindBlogs.htm

9.  Take Part in the Blogging Community
http:://weblogs.about.com/od/bloggingcommunity/

10.Podcasting and Audio Blogging
http:://weblogs.about.com/od/podcastingaudioblogging/

©2006 About, Inc., A part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.

Lesson plan ideas & methods

1.   Lesson plan ideas

a.  Chinese: A student is interested in how Olympics impacting people of Beijing, China.
Interview Q: How do you feel about the Olympics coming to Beijing? What changes have you seen?

b.   Arabic: A student is interested in how practicing Muslims in Saudi Arabia vs. practicing Muslims in Morocco observe Ramadan.
Interview Q: How do you observe Ramadan? What customs or practices do you follow?

c.  Spanish: A student is interested in comparing coming of age ceremonies in Latin America.
Interview Q: How do girls celebrate coming of age ceremonies (ie. their 15th birthdays) in your country? How do boys celebrate coming of age ceremonies?

2.   Lesson plan methods

a.  Match students with an Epal. Each student maintains a reflective blog on key issues of personal interest. The students both offer feedback to one another monthly.
b.   Email interview via Epals, IEARN, etc. and post interview results on blog to share with interviewees!
c.  Blog Quest: Students search blogs in Chinese for feelings about the Olympics. Students post their findings in their own blog.

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