As I continue taking steps meeting my goals for my personal GAME plan, I am getting access to the information and resources I need. The biggest hurdle so far has been having unrestricted access for my students to computers and their Web cites that they need to access. With time though, this will become less of an issue.
Reading and responding to my students' blogs has led me to modifications I do need to make to my plan. At first, I thought monitoring digital citizenship and responsibility would be easy. I also thought eventually I could back out of the picture. This may happen for some students, but it is naive to think it will happen for all of them. I found it will take constant interaction with many of the students throughout the school year. Students will need to know that what they put on the internet is out there for everyone. Some of my students have stated things such as, "This book is boring and I fell asleep in class today." This was a great talking point for us because I was able to talk about how employees have been fired for similar postings put on Facebook status updates. It really surprises students and this shows me that teaching my students these concepts will take time and patience.
I have learned that students love having the opportunity to do different things with technology. For example, the more my students were given time to explore their blogs, the more they enjoyed personalizing them. Students put pictures and music on their blogs. I also saw how much the students love to interact with each other. They have actively discussed the novel we are reading in class right now because students have taken the time to respond to each others' posts. They are also more willing to post on their blog once they see their classmates are reading and responding. In the end it becomes cyclical in a very positive way.
As far as questions, I am simply exploring the blogs on my own in an attempt to see what other ways I can incorporate them into the class. Now that students are actively involved with them, I want to take advantage of their interest. I am excited about the possibilities.
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Matt,
ReplyDeleteI think your use of blogs is teaching the kids so many useful skills- writing, academic discussion, and real-world job skills. The students do need to realize that social media is being used for more than just that- social reasons. Potential employers, college recruiters, and even law enforcement will seek out what people are putting out on the internet. You are doing them a great service by teaching them responsible and ethical internet use.
You have also helped me a great deal with your GAME plan. I have considered incorporating blogs into my classroom and I have learned so much through your posts. Thank you!
Linda
Linda,
ReplyDeleteI'm glad that you are considering incorporating the blogs in your classrooms. I used to do daily journals with my sophomores and I would read them each week. The blogs have taken the place of the journals and I can't ever picture going back. I love not having to lug around a stack of journals every week to read and grade. I also love how easy they are to read and grade (no more trying to decipher handwriting). The biggest benefit is for the students though. They have written more on their blogs than they ever wrote in their journals. I'm not sure why this is. It probably doesn't feel like homework to them for one. Another possibility is that it is something that they do everyday through other social networking sites so they are very comfortable with the blogs. In the end though, there are so many benefits to incorporating them into your classroom and few drawbacks. Good luck!