Journal #3: Blogging

Five Don’ts of Classroom Blogging by Julie Sturgeon

Teacher often think that the worry and bother of trying to manage and oversee a students class blog is not worth the benefits that they bring. This article, “Five Don’ts of Classroom Blogging” by Julie Sturgeon, basically talks about how teachers can avoid five common mistakes and make blogging a success. The first don’t is “Don’t just dive in.” The author talks about how you should make it very clear to the students what you expect of them and what is not permitted (bullying, cursing, ect.) The secont don’t is “Don’t confuse blogging with social networking.” This means that the blog needs to be set up in a strictly educational format; it is not meant for socializing.
Next is “Don’t leap for the freebees.” This means take the time (and maybe a little money) to invest in a forum that will allow you the access and control that you need to oversee the blogs. The author also brought up a good point about how “there is no way to build a cyber-fence around a particular classroom project; students have access to the entire blogging world-and vice versa.” Then the author says “Don’t force a sequential style” (meaning don’t make it so that the bloggs can only be listed in order of when they were posted.) This is so that the students can arrange them in ways that make the most sense or are meaningful to them. And lastly the author says “Don’t leave the blogging to the students.” This means that you have to still be an active participant in the blogging process. You should lead by example and make sure you are knowledgeable enough to lead and teach the students about the process.

Questions:
1.) Q: What would you do to make sure that the students understood your expectations and what is acceptable in their blog?

A: I like the idea of having the students sign a “Conduct Contract.” Not only do you need to discuss what they can and can not do but I think that it is a good idea to have it in writing for the students to look back on; and if there is some sort of issue tat you need to address with a student you can use it as a reference. I also think that it is important for students to understand that a classroom blog is like an extension of school; all of the school rules apply an if they break any of those rules they are subject to the schools punishment.

2.) Q: What do you think would be the best way to find the resources to set up a blog if the free blog spots are not acceptable?

A: The article mentions places like “Class Blogmeister” that you can use. If you have to subscribe to a service you can always talk to the school and see if you can apply the expense to the math or science budget (or whatever subject you teach.) You could also try to set up a donation drive (recycle cans, bake sale, car wash, ect.)