Blogging in the Classroom

I chose to research and implement blogging in my classroom as my personalized professional development for this year. My goal was to use technology to show student learning. As I researched I found several blogging apps that I could use, but after collaborating with my technology integrationist, Megan Birchette, I chose to set up a daily blog theme where each day was connected to their independent reading book using Google Classroom.

The blogs were designed with a daily theme. Monday was titled My Job Monday. The task was for the students to blog about what they read throughout the week from their chosen book in a summary form. Tuesday was titled Talk About It Tuesday. This task was for the students to read the summaries written by their classmates and comment on at least two blog entries. Wednesday was Word Study Wednesday. For this blog students were provided a form in which they had to choose two unfamiliar or new vocabulary words that they encountered in their reading for this week and complete the form. Thursday was titled Think About It Thursday. On this blog I would post a question that would correspond to the weeks mini lessons and the students would have to apply what they learned to their independent reading book. On Friday I would post a reflection question from the week for students to answer. The blogs were posted at the same time every day and were used as a bell ringer activity in a split class schedule. Students quickly caught on to the routine and were consistent in completing their blog on a daily basis.

The advantages of blogging in the classroom that I encountered were the peer review component, looking at their reading/writing with a different perspective,and the opportunity to reflect on the weeks lessons and apply them to their chosen literature. I felt that the blogging was well received by the students and proved to have some educational value. I will continue the daily blogging in the fall with some adjustments to give students more opportunities to continue the conversations with their peers on their chosen books. Overall, I am looking forward to next year's personalized professional development opportunities and trying another new strategy or tool to increase student learning in my classroom.

Below is the link to personalized professional development presentation. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at shelley.mitzelfelt@se-warren.k12.ia.us.

Blogging in the Classroom

May Tech Tip - Google Sites Update

As we prepare to wrap up the school year, I wanted to post about the new Google Sites for those who have not transitioned to it yet. The old version will be phased out eventually, although there is no official date as of yet. The new version has been out for two years, so it is likely it will be soon.

There are a lot of resources available to help you make the transition the new sites. You cannot convert the classic to the new one, however the new one is very user friendly. If you are interested in looking at some examples, several of the Jr./Sr. High teachers are using the new sites. This video is a short overview (not a tutorial) if you want to know more. Also, I created a tutorial for the 7th graders on how to set up their Google Sites for a project. Some of the details will be different, but this video will give you an overview of how to get started on setting up your new site.

Using Class DoJo for Classroom Management

Class DoJo is an easy to use and easy to set up online classroom management system.  It provides a fun way to motivate positive student behavior, keeps track of data that can be shared with parents, and doesn't require a great deal of teacher time or effort to implement. 

                                             

1. Setting up Class DoJo
Class DoJo is simple to set up. You first create your class and assign each student an avatar. (which they think is so cool) Then, as a teacher, you have the ability to set up each category for which points will be awarded. (homework, behavior, organization, listening, etc) When students are awarded a point, a "chime" sounds over the speakers for everyone to hear. They love this feature too! You also have the ability to deduct points or assign "negative" points as well. Teachers can also decide how points will be used once a student begins to accumulate points in their bank. Some popular incentives have included free time, prize box treats or free homework passes.

2. Data/Communication 
One of my favorite features of DoJo is the way in which it makes communicating with parents so easy and time saving. Once parents are connected on DoJo to their student (through email invitation) they can view their child's point bank, and access daily or weekly reports that show their students behavior/ homework being turned in, etc. This eliminates the need for daily emails or notes home for some students who are being more closely  monitored.

3. Time Saver
In my experiences using DoJo, and in speaking with other teachers who have used it in their classrooms, the amount of times it saves and the great line of communication that it provides from teacher to parent each day makes this an excellent tool!