Embarking on a new blogging project!
I have not been blogging a lot lately. I have a reason for that. I am embarking on a new blogging project with elementary students. I am so excited because I have the opportunity to be part of a year long research project that involves blogging. I have been working, literally night and day on this project.I couldn’t be more thrilled. However, I find myself in a totally new arena and it’s an arena that has parameters and issues that I have not previously had to consider. My dilemma has been what can I say, what can’t I say? Not being sure, I just said nothing but I have missed the blogging. I have so many thoughts but have been totally unable to share and get input back from our “great” edublogging community. To make this project authentic I have to blog about it. That’s a big part of what makes blogging work for us and the kids. The blogging keeps me going, keeps me learning and is part of the process I need to do a good job. This give and take helps the students. Some things I will be able to post about, some things will have to wait until later. I am in a learning mode and ask for your understanding as I proceed.
I can point you to the class blog. It’s called Blogical Minds. Student blogs will be up in a couple of weeks. They are on the class blog now but not active yet as we are laying some groundwork first. The blogicians will be entering our wonderful community. Psedonyms will be used by the students and the teachers. The school will not be named. Part of making the project truly authentic is for me to be myself and proceed with the discussions so that those of you who wish to comment can do so, both on the class blogs and the student blogs. I hope many of you will comment to the students and have your students enter the discussions.I need your help in one very important area and that is in the privacy part. If you comment and or refer to the students or me about anything on the blogs please refer to me as Teacher C. Do not use my name. Some things I will be able to blog freely about, others I need to wait and at this point I am not really sure just what those things will be.
What is really of interest here is how things are changing and how we have to change as a result. This covers many more areas than just our classrooms. I’ll post more about that later. I just wanted to invite your participation. Please remember not to use my real name on those blogs and know I will be looking forward to your input. Feel free to email me if you are unsure about anything that would involve your participation. (adavis(AT)gsu(dot)com)
September 30th, 2006 at 3:26 am
[…] Contrast this and this with this and this. […]
September 30th, 2006 at 1:38 pm
I tried to email but it was blocked on your end. My 7th grade class is doing a classroom blog and we’d love to participate.
Please let me know if you’re interested.
October 1st, 2006 at 6:34 am
Wow! This project is amazing already and you’ve only just started. I will share your Blogical Minds with my students as we work on our own blogs. I’m very excited to see the results of your research (how will we all wait a year?) Thank you for sharing this project with us.
October 1st, 2006 at 2:19 pm
We’re starting an elementary blogging project with SSR as the center point. Fifth graders will post about what they’ve read and then be able to comment on each other’s posts. I’m wondering what blogging site/software you are using? We were going with classblogmeister and I wondered if you had a different option?
October 3rd, 2006 at 12:56 pm
Diane,
We would love to have your 7th grade class participate by commenting on the student blogs. My email is adavisATgsu[dot]edu
October 3rd, 2006 at 12:57 pm
Kim,
Thanks for your thoughtful comments. I hope your students will comment on our student blogs too! Good luck with your blogging!
October 3rd, 2006 at 12:59 pm
Hi Michelle,
I use TypePad with my elementary school projects. It is not free though although the cost for educators is very reasonable.
I think Blogmeister is very good for elementary! Good luck to you!
October 4th, 2006 at 1:37 pm
Anne,
I came across your site during my research on Blogs for our school district. Currently, personal sites are blocked within our district, but we are looking at ways for our teachers to use Blogging as a safe teaching tool. I was interested in what little that I have read so far about your Blogging project and the fact that you can’t give out the names of teachers or students, etc. I’m assuming that is to protect them from the predators lurking in cyberspace, and we have that concern as well. I was wondering if you could give me some ideas on what your project is doing as far as in the background — what you are having to do to set up the rules, training, etc. for use of Blogging.
Thank you!
October 12th, 2006 at 7:50 am
Hi Steve,
Check out the webquest that I created on blogging for my students at http://www.webquest.org/questgarden/lessons/34308-060831081120/
I’m not using names with the project as it is part of a research project. In the past I have used first names only. Here is a wiki I use to go over guidelines:
http://elemblogpolicy.pbwiki.com/FrontPage
Hope this helps!