TEACHING WITH BLOGS
Alabama Best Practices Center Workshops
Original Posted March 2006

(updated regularly)

We've created this wiki to support the "Teaching with Blogs" workshops , which are sponsored by the Alabama Best Practices Center and funded by a Microsoft Mid-Tier Projects grant. These online workshops were held in Elluminate on March 13 and March 15.

Among the many other resources you'll find here are ALL the links used by Will Richardson and Gordon Brune in their workshop presentations and ALL the links mentioned in Direct Messaging during the live workshop sessions. We believe you'll find a number of resources on this page that help make the case for using blogging in the classroom. We've placed a Icon next to the resources we feel will be most useful in this regard!

Please feel free to add content at the end of this wiki if you have resources to share! Just click here for information about editing this page!

TOPICS YOU'LL FIND HERE:
Blogging in Secondary School
Blogging in Elementary School;
Safe Responsible Blogging
Examples of Classroom Blogs
Blogs of ABPC 21st Century Fellows
Other Resources to Get Started
Add Your Own Resources Please


Links Recommended by Our Workshop Presenters
(descriptions added by John N.)

Will Richardson:
Education Blogging in Secondary Schools

Blogging in Secondary School

Technorati
Search for blogs related to your interests.

Blogger (blog services)
Blogger (owned by Google) is a user-friendly, full-service blogging site where you can create free blogs, including "team blogs" that allow multiple posters (great for classroom use). Several of our ABPC Fellows use Blogger in their classrooms. If you'd like to get in touch with them to share ideas, let us know!

EduBlogs
EduBlogs was created specifically for the education community (teachers, researchers, librarians and other education professionals). When you reach the site, click on "About" to get a feel for the purpose of this blogging site. You'll see a link there to learnerblogs.org, which is tailored to the needs of K-12 students. One of our ABPC Fellows uses EduBlog. If you'd like to get in touch with her to share ideas, let us know!

Junior High teacher blog – "Excellence & Imagination"
Here's a blog used by Mr. Fisher, a 7-8 teacher in Manitoba, Canada. He uses the free EduBlog service mentioned above. Explore Mr. Fisher's class blog and get some ideas of your own! If you're curious about why he chose EduBlogs, email him with your questions or post a comment on his "About" page.

Junior High student blog – "Me and My Peeps"
Example of a student using the EduBlogs "learnerblogs" service.

Middle School Teacher's Blog – "MHetherington.net"
Will R. actually provided the link to Mike Hetherington's student blogs page, but this might be a good place to start if you're a teacher. Mr. H gives some good background about his evolution as a teacher-blogger and explains how he developed his student blogging. You can follow a link to his student blogging page "Room 613 Student Blog." There, if you click on "Rules for Posting and Commenting," you'll find a good set of guidelines to use with your own students.

Elementary Teacher's Blog – Room 208 (Bob Sprankle)
Bob Sprankle is a 3-4 grade teacher in Wells, Maine. This link leads to his classroom blog, which is a visual delight! You'll see he's doing a lot of podcasting with his students. Bob also has a blog for teachers where he "reflects on the changing classroom in the 21st Century." Click on the "Bit by Bit" button in the left-hand margin, or follow this link.

High School Student-Run Blog – Art "Club"
Here's a project at Will's own high school -- Hunterdon Central Regional High School in Flemington, NJ. From the "Purpose" page of the blog: "We started the club to provide an outlet for students to express creativity in ways they can't in the classroom. Members are encouraged to use any media they choose (painting, drawing, cut paper, origami, film, photography... sand art... etc) to do the periodically assigned 'Media Projects'." You'll also find a link to a recent Edutopia magazine article about this blog project!

Blog for a High School Video Club
This blog grew out of the work of the Video Club at Wheaton Academy (a Christian school in Illinois). This particular page shares some "Advanced Video Podcasts." Another example of how a blog can support student clubs and special projects. (Note that this blog resides on the school's own server.)

High School Staff Development Blog – 21st Century Learning
Blogs can also support an exchange of ideas and resources among teachers who are keen on pursuing 21st Century teaching strategies. Here's a blog supported by Karl Fisch at Arapahoe HS in Centennial, Colorado. It's also a good example of the power of social networking – while the blog supports teachers at AHS, it's also addressed to a larger global audience of educators. Definitely a good blog to "subscribe" to!

Professional Development Blog – Seton Hall Ed.D. Program
Used by Will Richardson and colleagues for a college class.

Will Richardson's "Handouts" Page (Done as a Wiki)
Will uses this wiki to support his presentations. "Think of this as a 'Virtual Handout'," he says. "You are encouraged to add your own links and thoughts by clicking the 'Edit this Page' link on the toolbar above." If you'd like to further explore Will's "Teaching with Blogs" presentation, you'll definitely want to visit and explore categories like Read Write Web, Weblogs, Wikis, RSS, Social Bookmarking, Pod and Videocasting, and more.

Bloglines – An Easy Way to Keep Up with Blogs You Like
Think of Bloglines as a kind of web-based "library" of information that you want to keep up with. It's a "free online service for searching, subscribing, creating and sharing news feeds, blogs and rich web content." If you're not quite sure what that means, visit the Frequently Asked Questions page. It's a tremendous tool for organizing your online life!

The French Pod Class
A fun blog created by a student from France who lives in the US and is studying to become a teacher. French teachers and their students will find lots of interest here!

High School Journalism – Class Blog
This blog was developed by Will and a fellow teacher to support the journalism class at Hunterdon Central High. It's a great example of the potential of a blog to help steer the course of study through the year – and use the Web to supplement the learning, in many ways!

Will Richardson's Blog for Educators
Here's one of the best ways we know of to keep up with developments in the education 'blogsphere." You'll also find a link to a page where you can order Will's book directly from him! Also see Will's article about the Read/Write Web.

Why Blog in Education? (video clip)
This is a short video clip featuring Will R. and students/colleagues from his high school. The enthusiasm of students and teachers in this video clip will help make the case for classroom blogging!

Darren Kuropatwa – Making "A Difference"
Canadian high school teacher Darren Kuropatwa was one of our guests in the high school session of our "Teaching with Blogs" workshop. Darren is an enthusiastic proponent of the potential of using blogs to engage students in deeper learning – a potential he is demonstrating to the world through his own class bogs for calculus and other math content. Darren has started a blog where professional educators can discuss classroom blogging and share new ideas and developments. This is the link to that blog!

A Darren K. Math Blog -- Pre-Cal 40S (Winter 2006)
Think you can't use a blog to teach calculus? Think again!

Blogging In Elementary School

Gordon Brune:
Education Blogging in Elementary Schools

Elementary Students Talk about Blogging!
Gordon Brune made this 3.5 minute movie so students at Mamaroneck (NY) Avenue School (where he teaches) could share their insights into the educational uses of blogs and other web-based publishing tools. "I like it when people read my work and make comments," says one student. "It helps me make my work better." Another students says of web publication: "It makes you feel famous." Don't miss this report from the front lines!

Gordon's Class Webpage at Blogmeister
Gordon told us that he and his students don't really talk much about blogs and blogging – they like to refer to their activities as "writing on the webpage." Blog, he says, has become a loaded word that may not adequately describe student web publishing. At this page you can see student work, find out about collaborations with other classrooms around the world, and read more about Gordon himself and how to get in touch with him. He welcomes questions about assuring safety and responsible use of web tools at the elementary level. (He can also suggest several blogging tools available for free on the Internet.)

Blogmeister – Education Blogging Tools & Community
Education blogging pioneer David Warlick created the Landmark Project as a way to evolve a community of educators interested in the potential of web publishing. As part of this work, Warlick developed Blogmeister, a web-based service that allows teachers to create class and student blogs in a safe environment. Visit this page to find examples of teacher blogs, establish an account of your own, and discover a community of educators interested in this work. Download the "documentation" for detailed information.

A Yahoo Community for Blogmeister Classroom Users
This is a threaded discussion area at the Yahoo Groups website for the professional community of educators who use David Warlick's Blogmeister service. It's a great place not only to get technical help but to share instructional ideas.

Thinking about Writing – and the Web
Here's a useful discussion about sound practices in the teaching of writing – and how those practices can be augmented through student web publishing. Gordon recommends that you explore this blog in depth. It's written by Anne Davis, a teacher turned instructional technology professor.

Using a Bookmarking Service with Students
Typically, Gordon selects web sites and webpages for his students in advance and creates links to those sites at a free online bookmarking service called "iKeepBookmarks". His fifth graders can add bookmarks but are cautioned that teachers monitor what's added. Several workshop participants noted that, in choosing a bookmarking service, teachers will want to make sure they're aware of any advertising that might appear. This link leads to Gordon's class collection.

Gordon's students frequently use current news stories as a basis for their blog entries (click on entries in the left margin of his classroom blog to see examples). Here are three news websites designed for children that he shared with us. He mentioned that he indicates to students in advance the areas of the sites that they are allowed to visit.

BBC NewsRound
News from around the world, written for students.

Scholastic News for Kids
News selected and prepared for students by Scholastic's editors. Good teacher resources.

TIME for Kids News
Like the other "kid news" sites, this service from TIME magazine offers "easy read" material with "find out more" features.

A "Frappr" Map of Mr. Brune's Class Contacts
Gordon's fifth graders frequently find themselves in contact with other students from around the U.S. and the world. Currently, he uses this Frappr mapping tool (short for Friend Mapper) to create a visual representation of where all those students go to school. "They love to see all the contacts we've made," he says, "and this really helps them understand the reach of web publishing." Click on a map pin for information about a particular student group. As always, Gordon monitors his students' visits to this page, since Frappr is a free public space and may have inappropriate content in other areas of the site.

ClustrMaps – Track Visits to Your Webpage!
Here's another free service that gives Gordon's students a big idea of where visitors to their classroom blog are located. You'll notice that a lot of visitors live somewhere around Alabama!

Bloglines – And Gordon's Collection of "Feeds"

Bloglines is a free web-based service that basically allows you to keep up with new content posted in blogs and webpages that provide an RSS (really simple syndication) "feed." Click on the "related feeds" tab at the top of the page to see the education-related blogs that Gordon likes to follow. This is a great way to identify some other educators who share your interest in blogging. Here's one we found, kept by a teacher in Scotland!

Other Links Mentioned During Our Workshops

Safe Responsible Blogging

Darren Kuropatwa's Safe Blogging Resources Page

Web Safety & Access: An Ongoing Discussion among Educators
"Nonscholae" is a blog developed by Darren Kuropatwa and other educators to explore "the responsible use of blogs, photosharing, podcasts, web hosting, educational games, instant messaging and other social software in schools. Our students want to be web authors, create content and take part in distributed conversations, not just web consumers." The blog gets its name from a Latin phrase attributed to Seneca, which translates: "We learn, not for school, but for life."

ABPC Resources on Safe, Responsible Internet Use
We developed this week in partnership with a professor from The College of William and Mary (VA), who was one of our guests during a February 2006 online mini-conference about Internet access and safety in schools and school districts. We plan to continue to support discussions on these issues among Alabama educators.

"More Voices Create Better Tech Policies"
This article from School Administrator (August 2005) deserves the attention of any educator who believes technology policies need to serve the school system's primary mission of the enterprise -- high quality teaching and learning. "The best rules and guidelines are those developed collaboratively," says Texas school administrator Doug Johnson.

Responsible Blogging Lesson Plan
Described by high school teacher Steve Lazar with great links to additional material.

Blogging Contract for Students
This simple one-page web publishing contract (developed by David Warlick) can be adapted to suit your needs. There's a place for the student and teacher to sign. Excerpt: "I will always be accountable for the information that I produce and publish, willing and able to defend my information or acknowledge when I have made a mistake and fix it."

MySpace Safety Tips
Long-time technology "explainer" Bob Rankin shares thoughts and information about why young people are drawn to web services like MySpace, Facebook, Xanga, etc. and how parents (and schools) can help them develop safe Internet behavior. For more insights into the attraction of these "personal space" web services, read this summary of a speech given at the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Examples of Classroom Blogs

Additional Resources Highlighted During Our Live Chat

Blogs by Alabama Teachers (De.li.cio.us bookmarks)

ABPC Powerful Conversations Meeting on 21st Century Learning
(Resources included in presentation by Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach)

Remote Access – Middle Grades Educator Clarence Fisher
This blog by a veteran, award-winning Canadian teacher comes highly recommended by Darren K. and Will R. It blends Fisher's professional and personal interests and serves as a great meeting place for educators interested in the Read/Write Web. (Not just for middle school educators!)

Grade 8 Math Blog (Winnipeg, Canada)

Grade 7 Math Blog (Winnipeg, Canada)

Grade 6 Social Studies Blog (Connecticut)

Middle School Science Blog (North Carolina)

Grade 3 "Mighty Writers" Blog (Seattle)

Grade 3/4 "Room 208" (Maine)

Grade 5 "Room 507 All Stars" (Texas)

Grade 5 "Super Students' Blog (Nebraska)

High School Journalism Blog (North Carolina)

Grade 8 History Blog (Missouri) – This teacher is doing amazing things with podcasts!

Blogs of ABPC 21st Century Fellows

Education Blogs of ABPC 21st Century Teacher Fellows

Randy Fullington – High School Honors Biology

Suzanne Culbreth – High School Geometry
(See links to three classroom blogs at top of webpage - and read Suzanne's letter to parents.)

Brandi Caldwell – Senior English

Jeanne Simpson – Seventh Grade Math

Jeanne Simpson – Musings on Classroom Blogging

Aimee Smith – Middle School Math

Scarlett Gaddy – High School AP Government

April Chamberlain – Intermediate Grades
April is a tech teacher in Trussville City Schools. She's involved in a number of web-based projects with students, using both blogs and wikis. Visit these links to find out more!

Risk Watch – A Blog to Help Students Learn about Safety

Communication with Gray Eagle & Fellow Soldiers

April's Blog for Trussville Educators

Fifth Graders Write Risk Watch Movie Scripts (wiki)

Student TV Anchors Write Scripts for Morning Show (wiki)

Other Resources to Get Started

Other Good Resources

Learn More about Blogging in Education

Getting Started with Classroom Blogging
"Today's students are eager to interact with technology," says Jeanne Simpson, a 7th grade math teacher at Cedar Ridge Middle School in Decatur and an ABPC 21st Century Teacher Fellow. "They want to share their thoughts with the world. Many are seeking out unsupervised places such as MySpace or Xanga to begin social networking. I believe they will participate in school-sponsored networking just as eagerly." In this article for the ABPC e-newsletter, Jeanne describes her own classroom blogging experiments and shares a wealth of resources about in-school blogging!

"Blogging? It's Elementary, My Dear Watson!" (Education World)
Great article about getting started with blogging in elementary school. Includes several excellent resources.

Blogging 101 – Weblogs Go to School (C-Net News)
Find out more about the upsurge in classroom blogging!

Blogging Comes to Goochland
Virginia school district explains its support for blogging – good resource if you're trying to interest your school/district!

What Are Blogs and Wikis?
Good short article suitable for sharing with school leaders. From School Administrator magazine.

EduBlog Insights
Anne Davis works at Georgia State University with faculty, staff, and students in the area of instructional technology. Her blog "is a place to reflect, discuss, and explore possibilities for the use of weblogs in education."

Ways to Use Blogging in Education
A great brainstorming session by Anne Davis (see above). You're bound to get some ideas from this list!

Other Blogging Services

ePals School Blog Service
Lets you manage a safe place on the Internet that enables collaboration and participation among teachers, students and parents.

KidzBlog
Inexpensive blogging tool for elementary schools. You can password protect all aspects of the publishing process in KidzBlog.

Curious about Wikis?
This resource page is actually a wiki, which the Webopedia defines as "A collaborative Web site that comprises the perpetual collective work of many authors. Similar to a blog in structure and logic, a wiki allows anyone to edit, delete or modify content that has been placed on the Web site using a browser interface, including the work of previous authors. In contrast, a blog, typically authored by an individual, does not allow visitors to change the original posted material, only add comments to the original content." If you'd like to experiment with wikis, try this free wiki service for teachers, Wikispaces.

Add Your Own Resources Please