Back to blogs and Bees!

After our recent discussions regarding the need for teachers to be sufficiently trained in a technology before introducing it into the classroom, as well as the idea that "content is key" (not to mention a helpful hint from Dr. Ferdig), I've decided to keep my focus on blogs and roll with it until I have achieved a greater level of expertise. While I do have an interest in implementing other areas of technology into the classroom (including wikis, thanks to Crystal), I do feel the need to further explore blogs- otherwise I will be just like the teachers we have spoken about who dive in without thinking about implementation!

So, I'm using one of Ann's suggested websites to continue.
The inspiration for today's post is: http://weblogs.hcrhs.k12.nj.us/bees/

This is the actual blog created by the literature class that read The Secret Life of Bees. I was very impressed by the high school students' open responses and ability to discuss required terms like themes, realization, symbolism, and more. The blog is easy to follow and well put together, although there are some areas that I believe could improve. For example, while discussion is required at times throughout the class, it seems like student discussions were minimal. A few students might post a summary for the chapter readings, but they might not compare and contrast viewpoints. Perhaps some of the students were posting just to post, signing off when completed. I'm not sure how many students were in the class, but it appears there were at least 15. Maybe small groups like the ones we work in would foster more communication, inevitably leading to more learning.

The quality of writing overall is impressive, suggesting that students are indeed more conscious of their writing when they know it is projected across the "world." There were still a few students who seemingly refused to use capital letters and others who did not use proper paragraphs. As an observer, it's difficult to tell whether they are lacking English skills, too familiar with the online, casual type, or just rule-breakers.

Another interesting idea was the inclusion of an "artistic interpretation" section in which students created illustrations to represent certain scenes and/or characters. I like this idea, especially when considering a blog for an elementary classroom. Students love to draw at 9 or 10 years old, and the chance to illustrate anything is typically a pleasurable experience. If students knew their work was going to be posted on the blog, they might use more details in their illustrations, which actually correlates to the quality of their writing.

The blog offers a link to Sue Monk Kidd's responses to several student questions. She tells the class that she has been following their posts- how empowering for high school students! This was what Oprah refers to as a "full-circle" moment for this class. They read, they posted, they discussed, they learned from each other, and they had the opportunity to receive feedback from the author. Sounds like a winning educational experience to me!

Now I'm torn between literature reviews and journalism...perhaps both? More to come!