Sunday, January 13, 2019

Thing 2: Student Blogging and Writing

Blogging......when I think about that word, I always pictured a long, boring rant that somebody was having about a topic I didn't really care to read......that was until I read some blogs on technology tools and how students could blog to show their work!
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The curriculum I teacher is considered project-based learning. Students work through a module learning about aspects that will help them in the final problem that is posed. Last year was my first year teaching this program called, Project Lead the Way. Students work in engineering notebooks to record their data. I saw the struggle some had, especially those who hated to write. The assignments took certain students a long time and didn't seem to have meaning to them. I worked over the summer to recreate the logs so they were fill in the blank guided notes. So far, the reaction from the students is a positive one. I am still missing something! Students need to reflect on their final project, but some hate writing it! Writing is "boring" they tell me. I was looking for a fun, technology-based, free tool for having students record themselves. I heard about a fun website called Flipgrid and gave it a try with my third graders. The result.......SO MUCH FUN and loads better than writing paragraphs in a log that students didn't seem to enjoy. This new form of reflection is giving students a voice.

Video blogging, or Vlogging, is something I want to include in my curriculum with students as young as Kindergarten. After reading articles about Vlogging, I see the positives in doing so. Wondering whether you should Vlog? Check out these articles that I learned from:

How Vlogging Can Increase Your Speaking Skills (Top 2 things I learned)

  • Let's students share their passion! How cool would it be to see the student's expressions in their explanations? Facial expressions can tell a lot about how much the students are enjoying, or not enjoying, the topic they are presenting. I had my third grade students explain their glider designs. The excitement that showed thinking that somebody was listening to them was fun to watch. We watched the Flipgrid as a class. It took the edge off having to present in front of the class, but gave students the chance to explain themselves. 
  • Help students gain confidence! Public speaking does not come easy to everyone. Giving students the chance to show their project or speak their thoughts on camera instead of in front of a class allows some students the chance to open up and share more than they would have panicking in front of a group. 
I love using YouTube! I use it to search for supplemental videos to help my students learn a topic we are discussing in class. I have a YouTube channel where I upload quick training videos as a resource for the teachers I work with at school. I am a big Twitter user, who follows many people on Growth Mindset, technology, project-based learning, etc. I subscribe to channels on YouTube for exercise, etc, but not many teachers who Vlog. Why?? I am not quite sure? After watching the sample videos from the Vloggers introduced on the link above, I plan to subscribe to people who would help with my curriculum. 



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As cool as video blogging is, I don't always have time or the space to have students record privately. I think that even though not all students enjoy writing, it is a life-long skill. People have to write - notes, essays, letters, etc. There are many tools I learned about reading articles about Blogging.




 
After reading Nathan Hall's post about Padlet, I am considering sharing this tool with teachers and recommending they use it as a reflection piece. We have used Padlet as a tool for students to share their completed digital project, but never as a spot where students can reflect and blog. Such a neat idea!

Eric Curts has a great article on how to use Google Slides to Blog!  I follow Eric Curts on Twitter (@ericcurts) and know he has great resources.  Google Slides is a great way for students to work together collaboratively on a topic, make comments on each other's work, give feedback, and so much more! We think of using Google Docs first to write, but Google Slides is easier to use (in my opinion) and allows every student to be on the same "page."  There is a lesson or two that needs to be taught before turning students loose on Slides, especially when they are all editing the same file. 

Emojis! Who doesn't love them! I know kids are using them for everything now, so why not let them use them to help them write? Fun, right?! Check out this new tool I learned about called Emoji Prompts.  Students would love to write and blog using these fun prompts. I love how it gives the AND THEN...button. Students can go on and on and on and on...........I liked this so much I just shared it in my school's Google Classroom! 


There are many more resources floating around the internet about Blogging and Vlogging. Each have their place in the classroom to enhance student voice and reflection. Allowing students to explain themselves in formats other than essays will give them the variety they need and crave to stay excited about learning. Tests are ok, but not always the best at seeing what students have learned throughout a topic. Why not let students Blog or Vlog!? Give it a try--your students will thank you!


 
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1 comment:

  1. So many great ideas! Love hearing that your students got really excited about vlogging.

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