Skip to main content

Using Blogger in the Classroom



A New Blog

Well, this is my new blog for EDU 585, and creating it was pretty easy and straightforward. I have had another blog for many years, but it has been a while since I created one. I picked the simple template, but had to change the color. I think as time goes on I will make improvements to the layout, but I will keep it simple for now.

Blogger in the Classroom

I have never used Blogger for school or for teaching, but it seems like it would be a very useful tool in the classroom. For younger students who might not be capable of blogging, I would use the blog for a communication tool. A teacher could show parents what the class is working on, host an e-newsletter, or provide information on homework. Instructions for interactive homework assignments can be given, which increases the quality and likelihood of completion of the assignment. The blog could be used to teach parents how to support learning at home. For example, to support literacy at home, the teacher could post videos demonstrating how to read to children, or give some ideas of good children's literature and questions parents can ask their child while they are reading.

For students who are capable of blogging in upper-elementary, middle and high school, students can post drafts of work, and other students can read and post comments.  Since teaching a topic supports deeper learning, students could teach others a topic they have researched or learned, and other students can ask questions. The blog could be used as a digital portfolio to show work throughout the school year. Students could do book recommendations, or have debates online.

These ideas are just the tip of the iceberg. Blogger is a great free resource, and with a little creativity, the possibilities are endless.

Photo sources

Blog pixabay.com
Student with computer by Startup Stock Photos from Pexels


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Adobe Spark

Videos in the Classroom Videos have so many amazing applications in the classroom. And it's so easy to create one that even I can do it. As for students, I suspect that many kids will say  more about a subject than they would be willing to write  about it. Who among us hasn't had writer's block from looking at a piece of paper? There are also a lot of kids who hate the physical act of writing with a pencil, and taking that away chore frees them to share their thoughts. Of course they need to practice writing, but it's ok to separate writing from sharing thoughts once in a while. Teachers can use videos to share student work with the class as a group. And yes, you can still put student work on the wall when it is a video by using a QR code (I have just recently discovered QR codes, and I love them!) Videos are useful for students who are shy or selectively mute, because it removes a lot of the pressure of performing in front of a group. They can practice and re-rec...
4 comments
Read more

Nearpod

Nearpod is a tool for teachers to create presentations that can be shared with students in live class mode, or at student self-pace. I thought the learning curve on this was very easy, and I created a presentation pretty quickly. Nearpod Silver edition is free, and Nearpod Gold costs $12 per month. Among other differences, with Silver you can have a class of up to 30 and cannot do student self-paced mode. I created a presentation about perimeter and area of squares and rectangles. Here it is: To start a presentation, just click on Create your own lesson: Next, choose from Add Content, Add Web Content or Add Activity. There are many different options for content and activities to add. I started by adding a video. You simply insert the share address of the youtube video under Add Web Content. Next, I added an interactive simulation from content. It is an area builder game. This slide is a collaborate slide. In live mode, the students' answers are posted ...
6 comments
Read more