The power of blogging

Up until now, our class weebly has been an interactive website run by myself that allows students to share their learning, allows parents to view what happens in our classroom and becomes a noticeboard.

Today, that all changed...

We have become a part of an Australian/New Zealand blogging group which has provided student with a real life context for which they are blogging.

The students have spent this afternoon learning how to transfer all of their learning onto the blog - whether it be text, photos, or videos that they have first had to upload to youtube and hyperlink in.  The students are already seeing sharing as a key aspect of why they wish to complete their work to their best ability - so that they can share it with others and help them learn also.   These children know how to use categories to search for their own work and share it with their parents.  Since uploading the work this afternoon, these students have had four comments on their blogs in four hours - all providing some form of feedback.  This provides students with feedback that their voices are being heard, well and truly.

As part of the NZ/Oz blogging group, the students rotate around the blogs and each class has a week where everyone focuses on commenting on that blog and sharing for that week.  I look forward to seeing the spin-off effects for the children wish to continue sharing their blogging with this.

Learn, Create, Share, is one of the key ways that Manaiakalani run their programme - it underpins mostly everything that they do for both the students and their staff.  One of the key benefits for Manaiakalani taking this on board is that it allows them to provide parents who aren't comfortable coming into school, usually their Maori and Pasifika parents, with a way to view their children's learning in real time.  I hope for this to have a similar

I aim to run a similar programme that works alongside, and underpins, the POGIL learning that is currently occurring in my classroom. The way that they do this learn, create, share framework also allows students to assess each other and provide each other and myself with insight into their understanding of the task and their success criteria.

Take a look at the last few posts of the sharing page to see how the children are beginning to take control of their blogging...

Superstar Bloggers!