EduBlog Insights

Thinkpiece #1

Reflection by the students is an important piece of blogging. Letting them write their way into their own understandings and letting them discover answers to the questions they need to ask. They need a lot of help with this at the elementary level. The high school students I worked with last year could have used this even more. They have not been asked to do much in this area except at a very superficial level.

So, how do you teach reflection? I think you teach it by modeling it. I want to do a better job of that this year. I need to do more thinking aloud for them, blog more about this piece on the class blog, and develop better questions for them to ponder. I think if I pair them from time to time where they can pass ideas back and forth and talk about how they are learning will help.

Asking students to communicate the results of their thinking is difficult for them, both out loud or writing it. I need to work in times for this. They need the practice to learn to be clear, convincing and even precise. I need to discuss the meanings of the words that go along with reflection.
Hmmm, maybe start with what did you learn this week? How did you learn it? Did it mean anything to you? Why or why not? What would help you understand it better? How might you apply this learning? Can you make a connection to what you learned? Did it make something else you learned come into your mind? Did it clarify anything you had wondered about in the past? Is there anything else you might like to learn about this topic? Supposeyou had to teach this to a younger student? Could you write a description of how you would do this?

Now I am just brainstorming some possible questions. Maybe the students themselves could add to this list, call it something like “our reflection questions” or “reflect specs”.

A reflection is really a strategy for learning. We need to foster more reflection in our classrooms. Let them be creative, off the wall, branch out with their thoughts. Students need to think aboout what they are doing so they can use this information for future decisions.

We need more conversations, both verbally and on blogs. Maybe I could have short prompts that they respond to by picking one of the questions above. I’m throwing out quite a list. Of course, I would not use them all at one time.
I want them to use blogging to help them explore, clarify, and think a little deeper about the ideas and concepts they learn in their classrooms. We might need to use podcasts at the beginning to let them just talk together about what they have learned.

Now I have to work at creating the environment where they feel free to respond openly. They have to honor each other’s thinking and build together.

I know I won’t have time to do this as much as I want but I’m hoping I can model it so the teacher will be interested in continuing it when she can in other moments in the classroom, or better yet, let them blog!

This is a question I have used in the past with kids.

• What was going on inside your head when you were thinking about that?

At first, they look at me like I have lost my mind. They have not been asked such a question before. However, I’ve found that it leads me down a road where I can really assist them in clarifying what is going on inside their heads. I need more questions that I can think about to help them reflect about their learning.
Now I am just letting it flow without trying to make this a polished product. Can you add to the list? What are your thoughts?  Have you done this in other areas than blogging in your classrooms? Any suggestions are MOST welcome!

I just finished a Skype call with Lani Ritter Hall where I had the privilege to talk to a wonderful group of educators in Ohio. Lani is teaching them about blogs. Check out her Blogging Ballet updates. It is excellent. The participant blogs are listed on the first page so if you have a moment, welcome them to the world of blogging. I shared some of my blogging experiences with the group. They asked great questions. I can’t wait to read more from this emerging blogging community.
This is especially for the group:

There is great potential in the power of blogging and commenting. Blogs can be short, quick writes that give students the practice they need to learn from putting their thoughts down and then engaging in the dialogue about the process, both online and in the classroom. It’s about the process and improvement and giving ownership to students of their work. It’s about having an audience that reaches far outside the walls of our classrooms. Good teachers stand by their students during this process. They encourage, guide and help students discover and learn right along with them as they blog. Good teachers model responsible blogging.  Students begin to develop their voices and get the practice needed to be better writers and thinkers. Caring readers recognize and respect that the more students blog the more they will improve their writing and thinking skills.. The process involves learning, the shaping and reshaping of ideas, and the think-rethink process that blogs can encourage. The goal is to give students a rich and diverse array of writing experience that will inspire them to want to write in their blogs and improve that writing themselves. In the process they will be encountering many perspectives that can help them become better thinkers.  You will be fostering potential and leading them to becoming life-long learners themselves! Enjoy the journey!

I received a nice comment from John Connell, a blogger from Scotland, telling me not to get too down in the dumps about DOPA. He notes that there is a groundswell of disapproval for this dangerous piece of legislation from outside the USA too. You just have to love this blogging world! In particular, I have special places in my heart for Scotland, Canada, and Australia! And to think that our students may be prevented from having such connections of support and learning in our schools! Grrrrr!

I am moving forward with some renewed vigor to plan and IMPLEMENT some good blogging models. My next few posts will be some think pieces of various aspects of blogging and social networking that I want to share. I welcome feedback.

So thanks John for the comment. It was just the spark I needed!

DOPA has had me down in the dumps! I needed some humor and found some today. Check out how David Lee King celebrates his second anniversary of blogging with “Are you blogging this?” He says: