Drawing a blank on how you might use a blog in your own classroom? Here's a list to jump start your creativity. By no means is this list exhaustive; there are as many ways to use blogs in education as there are to use paper. :) Remember, blogs are a medium, not a genre. Some of these ideas are for the classroom in general, some are for younger students, some are for older students. Some could become group or classroom blogs, others are suited for individual student blogs. Next, determine to what degree do you want to have "conversations" with others. If you want global participation, ask "in what ways can I have students from another part of the world participate in this with us?". Ask also,"in what ways can we get experts involved with our blogs?" The sky's the limit! :)
Create a blog to communicate class/school information with parents. Post field trip information, field trip forms, parent helper calendars, general classroom guidelines and more.
Create a blog with daily lessons listed for students who are sick or gone. Each day, try to designate a classroom "scribe" who is responsible for posting lessons/materials covered.
For really young students - perhaps students just learning to write - use a blog to showcase individual art projects throughout the year. Use a digital camera and scanner to put creative endeavors up for display around each holiday.
Create a blog which provides additional, age-appropriate material on thematic units you study throughout the year. Link to supplemental videos, podcasts and websites to encourage extended learning.
Create a blog where students record narrations of their favorite stories (use the free software
Audacity to create sound files). Students can read published work or their own work. Accompany it with scanned illustrations they have drawn.
Create a blog where students list class hypotheses before each class science experiment. When experiment is done, results can be posted and compared to initial hypotheses.
Create a blog where students share stories about their favorite holiday, or a blog about special holiday traditions in their family.
Create a blog which lists creative writing prompts or striking visual images. Encourage students to post after self-selecting a prompt/picture. Let this evolve so that students begin writing the prompts for other students.
Create a blog that has children reviewing children's books.
Create a blog where every member of the class posts about a favorite vacation. Embed maps, use Google Earth or even create a "collaborative google map" where everyone "pins" their favorite vacations on one map.
Create a blog where you list various statements that are facts and others that are opinion. Students can leave comments explaining why each is either a fact or opinion.
Create a blog where students post most memorable learning moments on a recent field trip. Could also do a Know - Want to Know - Learned (KWL) activity on the blog.
Create a blog where students describe a typical day at school. Invite other same aged students from different global locations to contribute the same type of information on the same blog. Let students ask questions and leave comments to gain cultural awareness. Students can then begin to share/compare thematic units being learned, novels being read, field trips being taken, etc.
Create a professional reflection blog on lessons that you teach. Analyze strategies and techniques that work well or don't work so well. Research and link to alternative ways to approach the lesson next time.
Create a blog that lists science fair projects chosen by each member of the class. Have students journal about their successes, frustrations and learning as projects develop. On day of competition, have students post pictures of completed projects. Let students comment on projects they thought were particularly interesting or fun. Generate "comment awards" for most complex project, most intricate project, most explosive project, etc.
Create a blog where students create a timelines (use online webware such as
timetoast.com) - perhaps for events in a novel or story, or for historical events being studied. Could also be used to predict the future!
Create a blog where students collect data on science experiments. Use blog to display information gathered from Google spreadsheets. Students can create/embed graphs and charts explaining relationships of data.
Create a blog that archives favorite recipes of each student. To practice math skills, ask students to multiply each recipe so that it would feed the entire class! Post resulting recipes in blog.
Create a blog that displays information and characteristics of various art movements. Post famous art pictures and have students comment on the prominent characteristics of each. Let students find and post examples of various movements and techniques in art they find.
Create a blog where students respond to particular relevant political cartoons. Ask students to evaluate the real meaning behind the cartoon and correlate its importance to current events.
Create a blog which simulates a presidential blog and positions of this candidate on various issues. Encourage students to leave comments and questions on the candidate's policies or ideas.
Create a blog where each student conducts text or multimedia interviews to gain insight to family history and traditions.
Create a blog that showcases student poetry, short stories, etc.
Create a blog which links to real and bogus websites. Students can comment on noted biases and link to online sources to prove/disprove validity/reliability of site.
Create a blog where students find and report on acts of "good" in their community to counter the bombardment of negativity of daily media (thanks, Allison!).
Create a blog where students post about math concepts learned throughout the year. Blog can provide examples and solutions of math problems and concepts being studied.
Create a blog where students digitally record steps to solving various math problems (can use digital camcorder, record from digital whiteboard applications or use screencasts programs to capture procedures/steps).
Create a blog where students examine everyday items and how geometry or mathematical concepts are used in their design.
Create a blog where students must choose a social topic to educate others about. Students use a variety of multimedia to educate and persuade others to take action or become a part of the solution to the problem.
Create a blog where students pick a musical instrument they are considering playing in band. Students research the history of the instrument, link to sound files of the instrument, as well as use pictures and link to videos of how to play the instrument. Purchasing price, as well as other pros and cons can be explored.
As a librarian or library aide, use a blog to disseminate new procedures, events or happenings to staff or other district colleagues.
As a librarian, get a book club started with a blog. Any interested student can join in.
Helping with the local PTA? Why not start a blog that records minutes and upcoming events. Send the link of the blog to all parents with email addresses to get them involved and interested.
The following are questions asked at a recent Blogging for Beginners webinar. I'm posting the answers in hopes of maximizing learning - my own included. :)
