Week 2 Assignments

Assignment Part 1-My Reflection:
The articles that were provided for us helped pull things together a little bit for me. I am getting a better idea as to how this whole “blogging” thing works. Being that it’s an online diary or journal that can be set up in many different formats. I have been really trying to see how my little first graders can have access to the whole idea and use it successfully. Obviously, it can work because there are teachers out there that are doing it. Safety is an issue, but it seems as though that area is covered as well. Once we dive in a little bit more in this course, I’m sure I’ll be more confident.

After reading-Panelists: Blogs are Changing Education, I was able to really get a good picture of how other educators are using blogging as part of their curriculum. I have more of an understanding as to how teachers can use them within their own classroom and really extend specific units. The emphasis on having students’ work reviewed by their peers rather than just their teacher, and how this makes them better writers, seems extremely beneficial.

The other article I read was-Blogging? It's Elementary, My Dear Watson! It explained the range of people that can “easily” access and publish information online. Being a first grade teacher, this gave me even more hope that I can successfully pull this off. J I teach a lesson on Igloos and the Lives of the Inuits and have often wondered if I could somehow reach people that live this livelihood and have my students be in contact with them and ask/post their own questions or inquiries. Maybe blogging is the answer. However, I still wonder how I would be able to post their thoughts. Would it be something I would have to do for them? Are they capable of doing this on their own? How long will it take? At this time of the year, many of my students are beginning to learn how to properly begin a sentence and how to use proper punctuation. Run-on sentences are pretty popular at the moment. J So publishing their own thoughts and ideas seems to be quite an undertaking. It will be interesting to see how this type of activity can be done correctly and efficiently. I’m looking forward to trying all of this out!