Blogging with Students supports Common Core Writing Standards (Part 1 of 2)

It appears that the Common Core ramped up our expectation in regards to writing, so how can we embrace technology, specifically blogs, to our advantage when teaching Common Core Writing standards.  Here are some key points for using blogging to support the common core writing standards.

For basic information about blogs, please go to the Tech PD website.

On that site, there are a few links to sample blog rubrics.  Scholastic also has a sample rubric as well as rules for student's blogging.

The key to successful blogging by students is the questions you ask them to respond to.  Blogging will not be as powerful if the questions you ask are not thinking questions.  The questions need to take students deeper into the content and make them think and reflect.

How can I get this started in my classroom?  Click here for Part 2 of this blog series.

How are you using or wanting to use blogs in your classroom?  
What subjects have you
used them in?

What are you blogging about?
Share your ideas and what you have tried.

How to Get Started with Blogging (Part 2 of 2)

So, how do I get started with blogging?
 

1. It is not about the tool, however, you will need a tool.  I suggest one of the following: Kid Blog, Weebly, Moodle Blogs, or Blogger

2.  Define you purpose for blogging.  What will you have students do?

3.  Preparing students to be bloggers and understand how to write this way and be an appropriate digital citizen.   How will students comment on the blog?
Example 1 & Example 2 

4.  Prepare your nearest audience (parents, grandparents).  This may be new to them.  How will you educate them?  Think bigger. This opens yourself and students up to a global audience.

5.  Jump and give it a try.....

Resources to help you get started:

• Tech PD Tools for Blogging  
• Langwitches Blog:  Check out this great blog post for more information about implementing blogging in your classroom

Explore Blogging in the Content Areas

• Sample Math Blog Post
• Sample Science Blog Post
• Sample Social Studies Blog Post

Reader's Response Blog Samples

• Mr. Purdon's Class Blog ~ Reading Response
• Our Class Reads Sample Blog Post

Class Dojo ~ Fun for Tracking Classroom Management

Many teacher K-8 have been having fun using Class Dojo to monitor their classroom student behaviors.  If you are interested in giving it a try, click here!







Here is a video that will give you the basic idea of how Class Dojo works in the classroom.

and a Prezi with even more information....

Resources to Help You Learn More:

• For more video tutorials about how to setup and use Class Dojo in the classroom, check out the ClassDojo channel on YouTube.

• An article from Edutopia about Class Dojo

• Class Dojo Blog ~ Teachers using Class Dojo

• Introducing Class Dojo Messaging

Have you used Class Dojo in your classroom? Share your experiences with others. Click on Post a Comment to Share your thoughts....

Keyboarding Skills Critical for Common Core and Smarter Balanced

I believe that the Common Core Standards have ramped up the necessity and importance of keyboarding instruction in the elementary grades.  As of Grade 3, Writing Standard W.CCR.6 states that with guidance and support from adults, students will use technology to produce and publish writing (using keyboarding skills).... It ramps up in 4th grade to add the phrase "demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of one page in a single sitting.  Then, 5th grade, change that to "...a minimum of two pages in a single setting."  And then, 6th grade, change it to "...a minimum of three pages in a single sitting."   Yikes!

Now, let me add another dimension to this conversation.  The Smarter Balanced assessment will require students starting in Grade 4 to type Constructed Responses and Performance Tasks.  It is the expectation that the students have a good handle on their technology skills so that doesn't impeded their work.  Are we ready?

DPI recommends that students type 5 words per minute (wpm) x grade level... so you do the math at your grade level....

So, what does this mean in regards to keyboarding and writing? First of all, we need to understand the importance of strong keyboarding skills at an early grade. If students are to be expected to keyboard responses to test questions in a single sitting, then we need to empower them with that ability. Keyboarding skills just became more critical, but it is even bigger than that. How do we build up their ability to type well and also their stamina at this young age? It is becoming the pressing question....

Check out these links for resources:

LabLinks : Keyboarding Links

 What strategies have you used for Keyboarding that you feel have been successful?  

What ideas do you have or would you like to try?

Integrating Web 2.0 Into the Common Core

I came upon these awesome videos today that gave some fabulous ideas for using technology to support common core standards.  The English / Language Arts video is a high school English teacher, but I think most if not all of her ideas are transferable to middle and upper elementary and middle grades.

Here is the ELA video:

I am really wanting to dig into these ideas and adapt them for our K-8 curriculum.  Stay tuned for more on that.  

Here also is the using technology to support Math common core standards. Again, while her students are high school aged, these ideas are relevant for younger students as well. 

What technology applications did you learn in these videos or do you use that support the Common Core Standards?