Effective practice
The effective practice area of this theme gives examples and contexts for blogging to support teaching and learning. It also examines the possible relationship between blogging and the New Zealand Curriculum's key competencies.
Why should our students blog?
Perhaps the most crucial question to consider when examining blogging to support teaching and learning is, "why should we let our students blog?". Rachel Boyd, from Nelson Central School, has created a presentation which explores answers to this question.
(1min 55secs)
Anne Mirtschin, a teacher at Hawkesdale P12 College, in country western Victoria, Australia, has come up with 20 reasons why students should blog. Her post begins with a bold statement that, "blogging is such powerful learning material and students should blog". Anne's blog, On an e-journey with generation Y, also offers a range of support material for blogging, including podcasts.
The Support Blogging wiki offers an overview of blogging, especially in an educational context. It explores the uses for blogging in education, as well as discussing the benefits for students.
Teaching and learning
If we look at tools which support teaching and learning, authentic links can be made between blogging and the New Zealand Curriculum’s key competencies. This section looks at how blogging could be used to support and promote each key competency.
Managing self
Establish personal goalsThis could be supported by:
Plan my work
Set high standards
Act appropriately in a range of settings
Become aware of my actions and words on others
Set high self expectations
Developing a range of strategies to become a successful learner
Make well informed choices.
- using blogs as a form of e-portfolio with goal setting
- cataloguing thinking and resources within blog and using tags to relocate
- subscribing to blogs through rss in order to enhance learning
- using a blog to work through a problem or research question
- establishing blog 'etiquette' - understanding that what is said in a digital environment effects real people.
Interact with a diverse group of peopleThis could be supported by:
Interact in a variety of contexts
Be an active listener
Recognise different viewpoints
Negotiate and share ideas
Be more open to new learning
Co-operate in team situations
- forging connections between home and school through publishing and dialogue on a blog
- being aware of different audiences for different types of blogs and how to behave appropriately in each
- gaining understanding of the power of the network when blogging - finding like-minded people and non-like minded people
- using blogs as sounding boards - leveraging the wisdom of the group and leveraging the wisdom of the individual
- learning how to give constructive feedback through comments at a higher level, eg two stars and a wish.
Be aware of local/national/global communitiesThis could be supported by:
Understand the purpose of these communities
Respond appropriately in a group situation
Make connections with others
Take on a range of roles
Display an awareness of local, national and global issues
Be actively involved in community issues
Understand the importance of balancing rights, roles and responsibilities
Make decisions
Contribute to social, physical and economic environments
- becoming 'part of the conversation'. reading and commenting on other blogs. finding out how to connect with interesting blogs.
- understanding the benefits of 'getting your ideas out there' - how this enriches your own teaching
- the power of creating content and getting feedback on this from a global audience
- collaborative blogging projects between students/classes etc.
Be more intellectually curiousThis could be supported by:
Take more risks with my learning
Actively seek new knowledge
Use critical/creative/metacognitive thinking strategies
Make decisions
Reflect on own thinking/ask questions
Challenge perceptions and assumptions
- reflecting on the teaching and learning within the classroom or learning environment
- respectively challenging ideas and refining own thoughts around education in the process
- effectively summarising the key lessons learned for them and saying how this impacts on their own learning (learning logs)
- beginning to understand multiple perspectives and the importance of individual voice.
Interpret and use words, numbers, images, movement, metaphor and technologies in a range of contextThis could be supported by:
Understand how people respond to communication
Use ICT confidently
Exploring a range of literacies to communicate within a blog eg multimedia etc
- using hyperlinking to add extra layers and greater depth to a blog
- learning how to write a post that communicates the message clearly and appropriately
- looking at other ways to communicate a message other than text.
Reflective practice
Blogging can be used as an effective tool for promoting reflective practice, both for teachers and students. Angela Page has compiled this slide show (in PDF format) to support presentations she has given about using blogging to support reflective practice at TUANZ and ULearn conferences. It includes questions and starting points for students when:
- reflecting before learning
- reflecting during learning
- reflecting after learning.
ICT PD Online effective practice register
The effective practice register provides a list of people, schools, and clusters within the ICT PD Clusters project who have strengths, knowledge, or interests in blogging.
Internet safety
As with any web-based application, Internet safety is a key factor to consider when using blogging as a tool to support teaching and learning. Derek Wenmoth has begun a conversation in the discussion and debate section of this theme about guidelines and protocols for students when blogging.
The Australian Government site Net Alert has a section on blogging. In it, they have compiled some guidelines entitled How can children stay safe using blogs? It includes a parents' guide to Internet safety and safety tips for kids and teens.
Netsafe (NZ) have also provided safety tips for schools considering breaking into the blogosphere. They also have a list of tips for adults about blogging safely.
Pike County High School have established some guidelines for blogging.
David Truss offers four rules based on respect, inclusion, learning and safety.
For some examples of student created blogging policies and other policy-related discussion about blogging, check out Bud the teacher's wiki by Bud Hunt.
- Teachers tend to privately analyse and reflect about how a lesson has gone, but what advantages can there if doing this in a digital forum through a blog?
- What other applications are there for blogging as a professional educator?
National Support Services Facilitation Team 2008
