Teachers Teaching Teachers #117 - Thinking about Classroom Blogging with Sarah Hurlburt - 08.13.08

Post-Show description: 

In the midst of planning a re-launch of a school-based social network, Youth Voices, we happened upon a paper that clearly and fairly described the problems many of us face when we blog with students in our classrooms. In her paper in the June 2008 Journal of Online Learning and Teaching (JOLT Vol. 4, No. 2), Sarah Hurlburt discusses some of "frustrations and puzzlements" that many of us have had in using classroom blogs over the past several years.

Sarah articulates our reasons for wanting to set up a site like Youth Voices. Many of us have felt the gap between the promise of blogging and the results in our classrooms.

The point at which the instructor feels [classroom blogging] to have failed in some way, is when these individual written elements fail to interconnect – when the social element, upon which instructors place high hopes for a subsequent critical element – fails to materialize.

Defining Tools for a New Learning Space: Writing and Reading Class Blogs

Paul Allison and Susan Ettenheim invited Sarah Hurlburt on to our webcast to continue the dialogue about blogging, and we were joined by elementary school teachers, Lisa Parisi and Linda Nitsche.

Enjoy the podcast, and read Sarah Hurlburt's paper.

Also, we invite you to help us re-launch http://youthvoices.net on Wednesday, August 27, 2008. Join us, right here at EdTechTalk at 9:00pm Eastern / 6:00pm Pacific USA Wednesdays / 01:00 UTC Thursdays World Times.

For the Chat Log, click Read more, below.

20:47:52 SusanEttenheim: hi susanc127
20:47:57 SusanEttenheim: hi durff!
20:48:03 mrsdurff: hi!
20:51:24 mrsdurff: sound?
20:52:14 SusanEttenheim: hi susanc123
20:54:51 SusanEttenheim: susanc127
20:55:29 SusanEttenheim: hi lisa!
20:55:30 SusanEttenheim: welcome
20:55:43 SusanEttenheim: susanc127 I have a question about your user name!
20:55:46 lparisi: Hi Susan
20:56:16 lparisi: Are you streaming yet?
20:56:59 SusanEttenheim: not yet
20:58:37 mrsdurff: heard thunder but nothing on the weather radar
20:59:00 SusanEttenheim: that's funny I thought I heard some too and looked but didn't see anything either
21:00:51 Paul Allison: We will begin soon.
21:01:07 Paul Allison: http://friendfeed.com/rooms/ttt
21:02:12 Sarah_Hurlburt: TEsting text color
21:03:26 lparisi: streaming yet?
21:03:31 SusanEttenheim: hi everyone you can hear right?
21:03:34 SusanEttenheim: just started
21:03:47 SusanEttenheim: hi paul welcome
21:03:56 SusanEttenheim: edtech talk A please to hear!
21:04:04 SusanEttenheim: hi lorna welcome
21:04:13 Lorna: Hi everyone
21:04:21 SusanEttenheim: can you all hear ok?
21:04:26 Lorna: yes
21:04:36 SusanEttenheim: great thanks lorna
21:04:48 Lorna: just read guest's paper
21:04:50 lparisi: Sound is good
21:04:54 SusanEttenheim: http://jolt.merlot.org/vol4no2/hurlburt0608.htm
21:04:56 Lorna: very interesting
21:05:15 SusanEttenheim: http://friendfeed.com/e/1c55196e-518e-4b87-8c54-b6e4332ab367/JOLT-Journal-of-Online-Learning-and/
21:05:30 SusanEttenheim: http://friendfeed.com/rooms/ttt
21:05:39 SusanEttenheim: welcome back paul...
21:05:44 SusanEttenheim: ;)
21:05:46 Paul Allison: http://friendfeed.com/rooms/ttt
21:05:53 SusanEttenheim: paul you too! welcome back'
21:06:07 lparisi: Hi PaulBogush
21:06:19 SusanEttenheim: wow for august...what a crowd!
21:06:28 SusanEttenheim: why are you all not at the beach...??
21:06:37 mrsdurff: stream?
21:06:39 lparisi: Night time, Susan
21:06:39 SusanEttenheim: hi linda welcome!
21:06:43 lparisi: Hi Linda
21:06:45 SusanEttenheim: edtechtalk A
21:06:50 mrsdurff: ty
21:06:54 m. dodes: Good evening
21:06:56 SusanEttenheim: hi michael welcome!
21:06:57 LindaN: Hi All!
21:07:04 SusanEttenheim: can you hear durff?
21:07:13 SusanEttenheim: lol lisa...
21:07:22 SusanEttenheim: hi elizabeth and adina welcome!
21:07:23 lparisi: Hi Adina!
21:07:28 adinasullivan: Hi!
21:07:37 SusanEttenheim: please introduce yourselves... where and what do you teach?
21:07:40 mrsdurff: oh me? yes susan i can
21:07:41 Paul Allison: http://jolt.merlot.org/vol4no2/hurlburt0608.htm
21:07:47 SusanEttenheim: I'm Susan and I'm at a high school in NYC
21:07:54 lparisi: fifth grade - Long Island, NY, USA
21:07:57 SusanEttenheim: hi colleen welocme
21:07:58 mrsdurff: i was getting coffee, sorry
21:07:59 adinasullivan: Elementary (3rd) - San Marcos/San Diego, CA
21:08:02 paulbogush: 8th grade soc stud CT
21:08:25 SusanEttenheim: durff can you hear ok now?
21:08:28 lparisi: Susan, how did I not know you are right in NYC?
21:08:30 mrsdurff: yes
21:08:39 SusanEttenheim: you didn't lisa?
21:08:43 LindaN: Elementrary level gifted support in Spring City, PA
21:08:45 SusanEttenheim: great
21:09:03 lparisi: No...we should hve gotten togetehr this summer. :(
21:09:07 m. dodes: Library media specialist - high school - new york
21:09:33 mrsdurff: oh, are we introducing ourselves?
21:09:41 SusanEttenheim: please!
21:09:52 SusanEttenheim: hi george please introduce yourself!
21:09:56 elizabethholmes: Hello! Instructional Specialist for 21st Century T&L GA/AL DOD Schools
21:10:27 George: Hi Susan, I'm George. Middle school teacher in DC. :)
21:10:28 mrsdurff: librarian and fulltime teacher at private school in MD
21:10:40 SusanEttenheim: scott welcome and please introduce yourself!
21:10:51 mrsdurff: with coffee will travel
21:10:52 SusanEttenheim: george is your skype on? - looking for you...
21:11:07 lparisi: Hi Paul.
21:11:19 SusanEttenheim: questions comments yet anyone?
21:11:26 Scott Shelhart: I'm a mid-life career changer working towards my degree in elementary education.
21:11:47 lparisi: Cool, Scott. What were you in your first life?
21:11:52 SusanEttenheim: what state scott?
21:12:03 SusanEttenheim: good question lisa!
21:12:06 mrsdurff: hi holmes
21:12:06 m. dodes: I think there's a joke about second life in there somewhere...
21:12:17 elizabethholmes: Hi, Lisa!
21:12:19 Scott Shelhart: I've done many things. I currently work in a steel mill on the shores of lake Michigan.
21:12:28 lparisi: Hi Elizabeth
21:12:45 SusanEttenheim: hi stacy welcome!
21:12:46 elizabethholmes: Hello, all!
21:12:51 SusanEttenheim: please introduce yourself?
21:12:59 mrsdurff: parisi guess what my maiden name is
21:13:06 lparisi: That is so cool, Scott. I never knew anyone who worked on a steel mill. Want to be a contact for my class when we talk about steel mills?
21:13:08 stacy: Hi...stacy from NJ
21:13:23 SusanEttenheim: welcome stacy - what and where do you teach?
21:13:33 stacy: third grade...all subjects
21:13:52 lparisi: I don't know, durff. Give me a hint.
21:13:58 Scott Shelhart: @lparisi YES! I'd love to. I'd be up for a video chat Q/A session...
21:14:02 SusanEttenheim: hi colleen did you get a chance to introduce yourself yet?
21:14:05 Paul Allison: http://jolt.merlot.org/vol4no2/hurlburt0608.htm
21:14:08 elizabethholmes: Durff...I KNOW your maiden name!
21:14:12 mrsdurff: someone's last name here
21:14:21 lparisi: Is it Holmes?
21:14:29 mrsdurff: bingo
21:14:29 m. dodes: I read the article - and I've experienced similar problems to those you've discussed - I've been wondering if it would be more effective to have students join actual blogospheres as commentors and then to start their own blogs responding to those blogs and bringing new information to the classroom community
21:14:34 elizabethholmes: Wisdom of the crowd!
21:14:50 SusanEttenheim: welcome back colleen
21:15:04 LindaN: Collective Intelligence at work!
21:15:15 Colleen C: hi all. This is Colleen from Arizona State University. Crashed twice, so struggling with the tech. Hopefully, I'm in for awhile.
21:15:30 stacy: what is the youngest grade level you think blogs would work for....
21:15:35 SusanEttenheim: wow linda I was just listening to the Emergence show on Radio Lab again
21:16:06 LindaN: I don't know it. Do you have a link?
21:16:16 mrsdurff: so many are reading one person's writing
21:16:28 stacy: I'm guilty of that
21:16:42 stacy: voice thread would let people respond to a picture
21:17:00 stacy: can't hear her
21:17:06 lparisi: Come closer to the mic susan
21:17:13 SusanEttenheim: hi amy and angelam welcome
21:17:25 SusanEttenheim: please introduce yourself! where and what do you teach?
21:17:27 angelam-s: Hi all...this is all new for me...
21:17:34 m. dodes: I mean blog communities that are established
21:17:36 LindaN: Beyond a walled garden?
21:17:37 lparisi: Welcome Angela
21:17:37 m. dodes: not self contained
21:17:43 mrsdurff: angela - have sound?
21:18:07 m. dodes: Vet them maybe and offer options or teach them to search - but not limit them to the classroom
21:18:27 angelam-s: I use to teach at Perkins School for the Blind (MA) for the past 11 years in the Deafblind program...starting new job in Worcester Public School as Life Skills teacher
21:18:34 stacy: administrators fear blogs since they don't understand them
21:18:38 lparisi: That's why I like class blogmeister. It has a built in community.
21:18:40 LindaN: Connect and partner with another class to build community.
21:18:56 angelam-s: how do I get sound?
21:18:58 stacy: they think kids will pick on others on line and the the school and teacher will be responsible
21:19:16 mrsdurff: angela - click on the black icon under ETT A
21:19:33 mrsdurff: it will open the stream
21:19:44 mrsdurff: and you will hear the show
21:19:53 Paul Allison: http://friendfeed.com/rooms/ttt
21:20:25 angelam-s: sorry all, which black icon ...where...ETT A??
21:20:35 mrsdurff: on the right
21:20:46 LindaN: EdTechTalkA in the top right corner
21:20:49 mrsdurff: above this chatroom
21:21:07 stacy: it's like response notebooks we did a long time ago
21:21:13 mrsdurff: there are 3 pics
21:21:16 stacy: but more people have access to your response journal
21:21:34 SusanEttenheim: interesting stacy
21:21:38 m. dodes: I know one teacher that uses blogs as basically a journal for classroom assignments - students don't actually read each others blogs they just post their assignments there
21:21:57 stacy: so there's really no interaction...do they respond to what others write?
21:22:24 elizabethholmes: @ [angelam-s]Look in upper right corner. See CHANNEL EdTechTalk-A. There is a black audio icon. Click it to open stream.
21:22:25 mrsdurff: yahoo group
21:22:30 m. dodes: no - so it's basically a corruption of intent with the blogs but she claims to teach blogs
21:22:49 m. dodes: as an example of one way they are being used
21:22:52 SusanEttenheim: yikes m.dodes that sounds strange
21:22:55 colleen c: "corruption of intent" or continuum of intent?
21:23:23 mrsdurff: everyone here have sound?
21:23:33 LindaN: I think you need to build community within your class first. As students develop a sense of their own community, they can connect with other communities.
21:23:36 SusanEttenheim: elizabeth - what grades do you teach?
21:23:51 angelam-s: no...I click the black sound icon...nothing happens...
21:23:52 SusanEttenheim: I hope so! does everyone have sounds?
21:24:04 mrsdurff: try the blue one
21:24:08 colleen c: LindaN ...do students now need to 'see' others to feel community?
21:24:11 LindaN: Sound works for me.
21:24:25 adinasullivan: sound is fine here
21:24:26 elizabethholmes: I am involved with teacher/administrator professional development.
21:24:30 lparisi: Angela - try IE
21:24:37 mrsdurff: she is out
21:24:50 LindaN: When they 'see' others it furthers their connection, but is not essential.
21:24:56 m. dodes: Linda - I think there's a bit of a double edged sword there because a community of 30ish kids or even say 150 kids is still very small - blogs work when you have a collection of people with a similar interest - so if you limit it to one classroom you risk not hitting areas of interest
21:24:57 mrsdurff: angela which browser?
21:25:14 mrsdurff: sigh
21:25:51 SusanEttenheim: hi sheila welcome!
21:26:02 sheila: Hi
21:26:14 mrsdurff: hi angela
21:26:23 mrsdurff: which browser?
21:26:31 LindaN: @m.dodes Right, but I am at the elementary level. I would open the walls and community as they go through the grades.
21:26:50 sheila: Not getting stream on iTunes,
21:27:03 mrsdurff: try realplayer
21:27:04 m. dodes: At that level I could see why it would go that way - to be honest I never thought about teaching it that young - not that I'm against it - I just never considered it
21:27:06 sheila: is it me?
21:27:09 angelam-s: hi I'm back...I'm using firefox now...was on safari
21:27:16 sheila: ok
21:27:16 mrsdurff: ok
21:27:26 mrsdurff: try the blue button
21:27:32 mrsdurff: sigh
21:27:41 SusanEttenheim: thanks durff
21:27:42 elizabethholmes: Hi, Angelam! Glad U R back!
21:27:43 stacy: crashed...sory
21:27:52 SusanEttenheim: glad you're back stacy
21:27:53 colleen c: Blogging suggests 'invitation to comment'. Even if 'told to'...one is engaged by offering and accepting comments.
21:27:58 Scott Shelhart: the latest windows XP update seems to have some hicups.
21:28:15 mrsdurff: angela try the blue icon
21:28:15 elizabethholmes: Angelam, Can you hear now?
21:28:25 stacy: has anyone asked parents what they think about blogging?
21:28:36 Paul Allison: http://jolt.merlot.org/vol4no2/hurlburt0608.htm
21:28:44 mrsdurff: oh sigh
21:28:48 stacy: do they look at it as journal writing?
21:28:49 SusanEttenheim: stacy what grade do you teach?
21:29:01 stacy: third...which I think is probably too young for formal blogging
21:29:14 stacy: they can react to something, but typing skills would be frustrating
21:29:15 elizabethholmes: We are pulling fo you, Angelam! Don't give up!
21:29:15 mrsdurff: you try susan, i'm bad luch
21:29:18 mrsdurff: luck
21:29:21 LindaN: I present the idea to the parents early in the year and walk them through the process. They also sign off on their child's participation.
21:29:32 angelam-s: I think it maybe my connection...I am at a teacher institute at a school dorm...maybe blocked access???
21:29:40 stacy: what grade, Linda?
21:29:53 mrsdurff: cable?
21:29:55 angelam-s: thanks for your help...firefox just canceled out on me...back on safari
21:30:04 angelam-s: I am on a cable..yes
21:30:08 LindaN: I've had my third through fifth graders participate.
21:30:09 SusanEttenheim: angela you should be able to hear maybe it needs a java update?
21:30:16 m. dodes: I liked your point about how a teacher needs to track 2 streams per student - the blog postings they write and the blogs they read/respond to.
21:30:19 colleen c: Yes! Such a different response to trace if blogger 'awaits' reaction.
21:30:37 angelam-s: ok...I will try the java update...
21:30:51 SusanEttenheim: hi nancy welcome! where and what do youteach?
21:31:37 mrsdurff: my FF locked up today
21:32:12 Sarah_Hurlburt: I am discovering I can't type and talk at the same time. :-(
21:32:19 colleen c: so Blog as peer review?
21:32:43 SusanEttenheim: that's ok Sarah - just enjoy the talking!
21:32:59 colleen c: pen pals?
21:33:02 SusanEttenheim: Linda is your skype on?
21:33:19 stacy: I think as a third grade teacher, I would introduce a reader's response journal first and then move to the computer
21:33:40 stacy: Or they could digitally record.
21:34:03 SusanEttenheim: ok who wants to jump in? questions - comments?
21:34:44 SusanEttenheim: oh dear silence... come back everyone :)
21:35:14 colleen c: Sarah: what if they set baseline too low?
21:35:26 Sarah_Hurlburt: Colleen, it hasn't happened yet.
21:35:40 Sarah_Hurlburt: baseline has always been good
21:36:04 stacy: Truthfully, I believe that blogging would be good for grades five and above.
21:36:05 lparisi: Hi Alice
21:36:10 alicemercer: Howdy
21:36:11 SusanEttenheim: hi alice welcome!
21:36:13 Sarah_Hurlburt: Your grade that you give them influences the baseline.
21:36:19 colleen c: That's great data for value of 'owned work' vs assignment.
21:36:22 stacy: Not that I won't want to do it, but it's just not feasible.
21:36:25 SusanEttenheim: hi imcguy welcome
21:36:33 alicemercer: Stacy, I do it with fourth
21:36:41 stacy: I think fifth graders would be great reacting to others and sharing their work.
21:36:41 alicemercer: I haven't tried third yet
21:36:47 imcguy: H
21:36:48 alicemercer: But they don't have their own blogs
21:36:52 SusanEttenheim: imcguy where and what do you teach?
21:37:09 lparisi: Hi imcguy
21:37:15 Amy: I am going to try blogs with my second graders
21:37:16 elizabethholmes: @imcguy - Santa is following you!
21:37:19 imcguy: Hi Lisa
21:37:22 Amy: everyone will have their own blogs
21:37:28 stacy: There's a huge difference between the keyboarding skills in third and fourth. I send mine to typing camp so they are ready. Amy, what would you start with?
21:37:31 imcguy: I know - better be good if he's following me
21:37:38 m. dodes: Maybe I'm thinking of this wrong - but is it the usual approach to give students a blog right out of the gate? I'm thinking maybe response might be what we want to teach first.
21:37:46 imcguy: I am a K-5 elementary library media specialist
21:37:48 elizabethholmes: Kinda creepy having Santa follow!
21:37:51 SusanEttenheim: sheilat welcome!
21:37:57 Amy: I am going to try to replace some of my seed journal with blogs
21:37:58 lparisi: I find blog first and comment second
21:38:03 sheilat: Hello all
21:38:04 alicemercer: I had a section for kids to post by choice
21:38:05 SusanEttenheim: welcome imcguy - what state>?
21:38:18 imcguy: Wisconsin - a suburb of Milwaukee
21:38:20 stacy: so if they only type a line or two,you'll be okay with that?
21:38:32 Amy: then, I would like to try to do some works in progress
21:39:00 sheilat: My school blog http://trantwoodelem.learnerblogs.org/
21:39:03 stacy: Amy how many computers in your class?
21:39:05 angelam-s: hey I am back...I am on a mac...does that make a difference?
21:39:18 mrsdurff: i see 19 in room, is that correct?
21:39:19 SusanEttenheim: amy what grade and where do you teach?
21:39:22 imcguy: I can't hear any audio
21:39:24 Amy: 3 students but 90 min block of reading where I work with small classes
21:39:27 colleen c: angelam-s I'm on mac.
21:39:31 Amy: small groups
21:39:32 m. dodes: Well what I'm envisioning at the moment is that we're telling students to learn to write blogs first, but at the same time we're evaluating based on comments when students don't have that ability developed yet - so the first series of entries are going to have the weakest responses which will be most discouraging
21:39:37 mrsdurff: should not angela
21:39:42 sheilat: I'm providing edublog training so teachers will have a class blog
21:39:44 angelam-s: ok...so what am i doing wrong
21:39:57 Amy: I also see using student blogs as anchor papers
21:39:58 mrsdurff: imcguy click the black icon under ETT A
21:39:59 lparisi: I don't evaluate comments, M
21:40:01 stacy: Shelia..we need to talk...your third grade, right?
21:40:17 sheilat: OUr students in grades 3 - 5 will be using http://www.21classes.com/ this year, any advice?
21:40:24 sheilat: K-5
21:40:43 mrsdurff: i need a mac person to help angela please
21:40:57 imcguy: got it - thanks Durff
21:41:07 sheilat: last year we had a school blog, this year class blogs and student blogs
21:41:16 lparisi: I just learned about 21classes.
21:41:17 elizabethholmes: Angelam - I connected using the RealPlayer icon directly under EdTechTalk-A in upper right corner.
21:41:18 Amy: I have a lot of parent support and am hoping to get some blogging done at home with parent support
21:41:19 mrsdurff: i did somethinhg right - wow
21:41:31 colleen c: But each has its value. I would make case that 'assignments' aren't artificial...they're precursors of intellectual work expected of us.
21:41:33 imcguy: I tried blogging with 6th graders and it didn't work out that well
21:41:43 stacy: that's great. I had a middle school teacher have to fight to get a blog...the first one in the district
21:41:52 mrsdurff: i blog with 3-12
21:42:00 angelam-s: I tried that...i will try again,..it had disconnected me before
21:42:02 sheilat: Has anyone used http://www.21classes.com/ pros? cons?
21:42:31 stacy: is it free?
21:42:39 stacy: monitored?
21:42:51 imcguy: my problem was that I only saw the kids once a week and the teacher didn't follow through
21:43:04 Amy: Luckily, I am a classroom teacher.
21:43:10 sheilat: yes free
21:43:18 Amy: @imcguy, we don't have a computer teacher
21:43:22 m. dodes: I agree - I love that approach
21:43:23 mrsdurff: i'm a specials teacher
21:43:28 colleen c: Schoolish writing is also a good thing. It's called scholarly ;)
21:43:28 stacy: so, how do you evaluate blogging or is it just participation?
21:43:36 mrsdurff: hi claudia
21:44:00 SusanEttenheim: hi fceblog welcome
21:44:08 sheilat: 21classes free and lots of privacy settings (almost too much)
21:44:09 m. dodes: I think the trouble a lot of teachers are running into is student motivation and that if we tackle that beast we can then teach them to shape their passion to the scholarly format
21:44:13 imcguy: @Amy - that's my job as well as run the library
21:44:22 LindaN: When students are passionate about their ideas they will write and and extend the conversations.
21:44:42 Amy: @LindaN I agree with you. My kids love to free write on the computer using word
21:44:56 Amy: This gives them a format to share and be held accountable
21:45:15 stacy: Shoot...have to go...but this did give me something to think about. thanks,
21:45:24 sheilat: bye stacy
21:45:26 fceblog: hi everyone. @durff Thanks for the tweet and link
21:45:30 LindaN: Bye Stacey!
21:45:39 mrsdurff: yw claudia
21:46:13 mrsdurff: in the chatroom icognito
21:47:15 mrsdurff: but kids do it at home
21:47:44 colleen c: bad district! bad!
21:48:03 mrsdurff: that's normal
21:48:15 colleen c: They weren't being graded for posts, then?
21:48:19 mrsdurff: until they get the hang of it
21:48:38 colleen c: set higher expectations?
21:48:54 m. dodes: What do you grade them on?
21:48:57 sheilat: perhaps start off with a class blog first then move to individual blogs
21:49:03 adinasullivan: like with most things, modeling is good
21:49:14 mrsdurff: hi jen
21:49:31 SusanEttenheim: hi macmom welcome!
21:49:36 SusanEttenheim: where and what do you teach?
21:49:58 macmom: I am a Tech Facilitator in an Elementary in Orlando
21:50:06 LindaN: Absolutely Susan!
21:50:14 LindaN: You always need to model!
21:50:21 SusanEttenheim: what grades macmom?
21:50:30 elizabethholmes: Students have to be passionate about a topic to fight the challenges of blogging. I REALLY like the idea of a class blog, Sheila. Pick a great topic and start as a class! Great idea!
21:50:45 macmom: K-5
21:51:09 colleen c: but set guidelines on 'right', standards, expectations.
21:51:12 sheilat: i think it will get the teacher more comfortable to start this way too
21:51:15 SusanEttenheim: hi paula wleocme
21:51:18 m. dodes: The biggest challenge of blogging I think must be for those that don't like what they're talking about and whose typing/writing skills are not high - how torturous must blogging out of the gate with no prior exposure must be.
21:51:18 SusanEttenheim: welcome!
21:51:41 SusanEttenheim: paula whre and what do you teach?
21:51:45 Paula: Hi. Sorry I'm late. I got lost in the time zones.
21:52:01 colleen c: there's research that publicness creates ownership.
21:52:03 elizabethholmes: I agree! Too many kids are trying to blog on a drab, assigned topic! Where is the motivation?
21:52:11 SusanEttenheim: glad you're here what and where do you teach paula?
21:52:16 sheilat: Audience factor is very important
21:52:18 LindaN: Piack a topic the kids care about- something controversial. They will write!
21:52:27 imcguy: yep
21:52:45 mrsdurff: i hope we do again this year
21:53:02 elizabethholmes: Yes, Linda! I see it too! When the kids care about the topic - they fight the typing challenges!
21:53:11 colleen c: but, if blog is open, anyone COULD find the blog.
21:53:31 mrsdurff: and i had international readers
21:53:34 m. dodes: Can we get an example of a blogging topic that is broad enough to capture a class of students that is broad enough to touch curriculum but also engage students?
21:53:41 colleen c: the grade? ;)
21:54:03 m. dodes: sorry that was poorly constructed - broad enough for the curriculum but engages a class of students
21:55:13 LindaN: Not to escape the question, but that would be a great brainstorming topic for your class to answer.
21:55:36 sheilat: I think another important part of blogging is to require students to respong to other's posts
21:55:44 sheilat: respond
21:55:52 imcguy: I completely agree Sheila
21:56:14 LindaN: To begin the year, we will be participating in a collaborative project about the election. A blog response about the issues and candidates would be engaging and curiculum driven.
21:56:24 elizabethholmes: Right now students are passionate about the Olympics (global awareness), the presidential election (civic literacy), their social networks (ICT literacy). Can't these topics advance academic subjects?
21:56:24 colleen c: I agree too. And students have been very engaged, supportive, critical when assigned this goal.
21:56:33 angelam-s: that sounds like a great topic Linda
21:56:35 sheilat: teaching students how to respond to other's appropriately is important to model
21:56:57 LindaN: Absolutely shielst
21:57:03 angelam-s: good point sheila
21:57:18 LindaN: That is part of building a community within your classroom
21:57:47 colleen c: nice metaphor: $ vs penny
21:57:50 adinasullivan: Love the idea of "dollar questions" vs. "penny questions"
21:57:52 LindaN: and builiding tech literacy
21:58:12 lparisi: We also do dollar comments vs. penny comments
21:58:48 imcguy: I've never heard of dollar comments vs. penny comments
21:58:58 sheilat: dollar and penny comments great visual for expectations
21:59:08 colleen c: and that's the goal, which is very hard to accomplish when asking a student to only respond to you (vs blogging)
21:59:14 SusanEttenheim: lol I like it too but maybe I have to up the dollar amount for high school? :)
21:59:24 sheilat: $20
21:59:58 elizabethholmes: Passion-centered learning...a real motivator.
22:00:18 SusanEttenheim: example elizabeth?
22:00:30 colleen c: treat them as colleagues. including critical, peer review?
22:01:01 m. dodes: Constructive criticism instead of just criticism is an excellent skill
22:01:08 sheilat: Passion Based Learning
22:01:24 m. dodes: PBL - Project Based Learning and Passion Based?
22:01:42 m. dodes: I like it
22:01:46 sheilat: Web 2.0 version of PBL
22:02:18 LindaN: yes constructive criticism
22:02:26 mrsdurff: no kidding parisi
22:02:45 m. dodes: wow 10 already we need to have this discussion again - really felt like I learned a lot
22:02:53 colleen c: the online environment helps us take a back seat. others 'see' each other instead of backs of each others' heads.
22:04:12 sheilat: I blogged in highschool, but we called it a diary
22:04:21 LindaN: Oh i think that the students who are in elementary school today are going to rock the academic world when they reach high school and college.
22:04:29 sheilat: in a notebook with a pen
22:04:29 colleen c: sheilat ..;)
22:04:34 lparisi: I never really thought of that Linda.
22:04:40 lparisi: Can't wait to see it.
22:04:49 LindaN: Me either!
22:05:05 colleen c: unlike FaceBook...
22:05:07 m. dodes: I think social networking with blogs incorporated is the natural evolution of a stand alone blog
22:05:36 elizabethholmes: Students writing from their passions generate blogs other students want to read. IMHO, we must free up students to write about their *key* interest areas. Check My Space for evolving bloggers.
22:06:13 colleen c: creation of shared and negotiated knowledge?
22:06:23 m. dodes: I agree elizabeth - when I taught delicious this year I had students add bookmarks for areas they had interests in and share them and they were AMAZING - they learned it so well once I let them do that in addition to getting information they needed for an assignment
22:06:32 LindaN: YES Colleen!
22:07:46 colleen c: you mean they'll already understand this?
22:08:09 sheilat: Disagreeing in a respectful way... we deal with that with our staff
22:08:26 LindaN: Yes, that is what I hope they understand- but it is a continuing work in progress.
22:08:27 colleen c: Maybe they'll teach my adult colleagues! ;)
22:08:30 sheilat: I think it's a lifelong skill
22:08:37 LindaN: Don't we all hope!
22:09:14 fceblog: Just blogged the planning of my new blog project with EFL adult studetns http://eltnotes.blogspot.com/2008/08/when-blogging-is-born.html Thoughts on the teacher role welcome ;-)
22:09:57 colleen c: old definition of blogging as 'journaling'
22:10:26 elizabethholmes: Unfortunately, we are so constraining the blog topics in school that we are losing the opportunity to teach students blog conventions/etiquette. We have to respect that students can't write about topics they don't know.
22:10:32 Amy: @colleen the definition needs to be rethought
22:10:43 LindaN: This has been a great conversation! Thanks you all!
22:11:03 sheilat: Thank you for this great conversation!!!
22:11:10 SusanEttenheim: thanks everyone for joining us tongiht
22:11:11 m. dodes: Real conversation is not tidy :)
22:11:11 colleen c: amy: yes, and work like Sarah's seems to be doing this...not to mention the corporate blogs, media blogs, etc
22:11:15 SusanEttenheim: tonight!
22:11:18 elizabethholmes: Loved learning with you!
22:11:31 colleen c: m.dodes: so true.
22:11:38 lparisi: Skype issues...thanks for the conversation
22:11:42 Amy: Thanks everyone. I can't wait to put this into practice in my classroom
22:11:47 SusanEttenheim: nexxt wed everyone! same time same place!
22:11:52 lparisi: Good bye all.
22:12:00 m. dodes: I really got some cool ideas from this - I hope we can have this conversation again
22:12:08 sheilat: thanks @durff for posting link on twitter
22:12:10 m. dodes: Feels like we only scratched the surface
22:12:19 again durff: yw sheila
22:12:32 Amy: @m. dodes I agree. This conversation needs to continue
22:13:20 again durff: YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
22:13:31 SusanEttenheim: thanks everyone see you next week!
22:13:33 fceblog: Thank you so much. Please tweet where the audio and chatlog are available.
22:13:36 colleen c: Thank you Sarah, Susan, Paul...all contributors to conversation. I learned much.
22:13:50 sheilat: bbfn
22:14:07 sheila: Thanks all!!!
22:14:15 SusanEttenheim: night all
22:14:29 colleen c: night!
22:14:37 again durff: night everyone
22:41:47 dajong: Hello
22:51:24 kenny_dang: 22222222222222
22:52:11 kenny_dang -> Room 3: viet nam mi
22:53:15 kenny_dang: viet nam mi
22:54:10 inaeroc: hello

Taxonomy upgrade extras: