Saturday, March 3, 2012
21st Century Learning in Rural Schools
As a part of my Master's Program in Integrating Technology in the Classroom, I have created this blog for anyone interested in enhancing education in the small rural schools through the use of technology. This blog's purpose is to share ideas about what teachers are doing in the small districts where budgets are limited but creativity is not! I am interested in hearing about what works best for you, what challenges you're facing, and how we can all help each other with ideas and helpful websites.
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Here is one idea for using a blog in my 10th grade English course. I teach the novel To Kill a Mockingbird. My thought was that I would post thought/discussion questions throughout the reading of the novel. These questions would pertain to the themes/time period/issues relating to the novel. Students would be asked to add their comments/reflections through a post on the classroom blog. All students would be required to respond to at least two of their classmates' posts by either 1. asking a further question 2. giving feedback 3. asking for clarification 4. adding to the discussion through further ideas. Since my students have not done a lot of educational blogging, this blog's purpose would be one of interaction about the content for the students, to get them used to corresponding and communicating with each other, as well as encourage meaningful discussion about the novel and the social issues that pertain. It would also be an opportunity to teach about 'netiquette,' including how to write appropriate answers, how to give feedback courteously, how to respond responsibly. An example of a question for this blog using the novel To Kill a Mockingbird: Atticus speaks of Mrs. Dubose as the bravest woman he has ever known. Why is she a good example of courage? What is your definition of real courage?
ReplyDeleteI would love to hear your comments or thoughts!
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ReplyDeleteYou have really great ideas for your blog. I am sure that your students will be highly motivated to participate especially with the proper education on 'netiquette.' One challenge that you might face is that many schools have firewalls on many blocking sites. To ensure that this is not an issue you should consult with your administrator and technology expert at your school to ensure that your classroom blogging experience runs smoothly. Another challenge I forsee may be the parents, since a blog may be opened to the world some parents do not like for their children to participate in them. One way to overcome this challenge would be to send a detailed permission slip home explaining your blog, how it will be used, its purpose, and its benefits to the students and the parents. The permission slip should also list directions on how to access the blog so that the parents can also follow their childs work. If possible maybe you can set up a tutorial session where parents can be taught how to access and use the sight.
ReplyDeleteGood luck implementing these great ideas, they are definitely a great way to motivate students and encourage a lifelong learning experience within them.
Great ideas! I teach third grade and just think, if every child were given opportunities to work with blogs starting around my grade level and working their way up, imagine what "expert" bloggers they would be by the 10th grade! I like the term 'netiquette'; as I have not heard it before. I think it is so very important for students to learn how to appropriately respond to their classmates' discussion posts--it is hard to tell what a person's feeling are when simply reading their posts online. Therefore, I agree with you on that aspect. Do all of your students have school e-mail addresses? I think that would probably make things easier. One of the issues I am struggling with is how I can get my students to participate online without having to use my personal e-mail address for everything they do. It's a little bit more difficult [but still doable] at my grade level. I'm sure your students will love the online assignments associated with the book. Good luck and let us know how it goes! :)
ReplyDeleteIt seems to me like you're on the right track! I'm curious (because I haven't done this yet with my class either), how will you have your students plan responses? Will they make drafts on paper, then type into the post? What is the recommended way of doing that in high school? I teach third grade, so I would definitely have them come up with a plan first before typing. Another challenge is the lack of keyboarding skills my students have. I do believe I need to spend more time with this, so the whole blogging process isn't so overwhelming to them... Kristin
ReplyDeleteI have the same thought as Signorina Petruzella about the challenge of firewalls at school. We have so many firewalls and we are blocked from many websites at my elementary school. I am not sure how to deal with this. I can consult our Computer Lab teacher at my school for any suggestions. This is all new territory for me, but at least I have someone to turn to at our school when I need some help. Do you have anyone at your school to turn to?
ReplyDeleteI really like the idea of your blog. You will probably get many good ideas from teachers all over the country that are actively blogging in their classroom.