Student Blogs

The biggest event this week in Division 9 was launching students' individual blogs.   After learning a bit about blogging with this class blog, I wanted to share the fun with the students. The computer lab was a flurry of excitement as students learned to log in, write posts for the world to see, and comment on what others had written.  To see their blogs, click here or on the tab that says "Student Blogs" at the top of the blog home page.

Besides being lots of fun, having a blog has lots of educational benefits:

1) Blogs give students more opportunities to write, and give them a worldwide audience which can be really motivating. The more you write, the better you get!

2) Blogs help students learn how to be safe on-line and be good on-line citizens. We are using a site called Kidblog,which is a blogging site especially for students.  All posts and comments are moderated by Ms. Birdsall which means she reads them before they are posted to make sure that no inappropriate content is posted.

3)  Blogs give students the chance to build technology skills.  Right now, we are focusing on writing and commenting on blog posts.  Soon though, we will incorporate pictures, audio and other Web 2.0 tools (like the Wordles, Vokis and Animotos you see on this blog) into students' individual blogs.

4)  Blogs serve as on-line portfolios of progress.  As students build their writing skills over the coming months, you will be able to see improvements by looking over their posts from different times. We will also be using blogs to complete assignments on various topics we are learning about in class.

The most exciting part of having a blog is knowing that other people are reading your posts.    Please, please, please take some time to visit students' blogs and leave them comments on their writing!

If you have a blog, what do you like most about having one?

*Div. 9 students - I will not be able to change your blog passwords until Monday, so please continue to use your old passwords this weekend.  Thanks, Ms. B.