Lesson 5

To this point, email is the only form of online communication that I have utilized in the classroom. Through the assigned reading I am getting a sense of the potential for other types of online communication, which can enrich the learning experience for my students. When I begin my first year of teaching blogging will play a major role. The blogging in my classes will fall into two categories. The first category being teacher-led will consist of daily blogs posted by myself regarding the main idea or lesson to be learned for each day. Students will have access to reminders of key points to remember as well as reminders of assignments, instructions, requirements and due dates. In addition to this basic information student work and samples of my own work will be posted as a way of praising and inspiring others to do their best. A major concern when teaching is what happens outside of the classroom. For a student to excel he or she must continue to think and learn after the closing bell. Students will have access to examples of concepts and principles wherever they can access the Internet whether at home or in another classroom.

The second type of blogging will be student-led and will work similarly to our own blogging done for EDOL 533. Each week students will be prompted to write to their personal blog regarding certain areas of that week’s lesson, or another topic of my choice. If at all possible, I would prefer them to work on their blogs outside of the normal class time. As previously stated it is crucial for students to continue to think and learn after hours. Using a blog is an engaging way to review material with students or for them to answer the question, “Why?” Instead of simply recalling facts, the blog is a way for students to reach higher levels of the cognitive domain while practicing writing skills and participating in with the rest of the group. The fact that the blog will be available for everyone to see will hopefully encourage students to put forth effort that they may not normally do when working anonymously. Today’s average high school student is more than aware of social networking and online communication. For better or worse, we are in an age of exhibitionism. Letting the world in on the mundane details of daily life is commonplace, especially among teens. We cannot forget that teenagers think that the world revolves around them. A blog is a perfect way for them to fulfill that need to expose themselves a little. Other students could then comment on their writings and share knowledge, resulting in a kind of asynchronous peer tutoring.