Are Your Students Blogging?

I have posted about blogging before, but cannot say enough about the impact it has on students. Today, I wanted to share some of my favorite resources to get you hooked on blogging with your students. PLEASE try it for six months and I know you will see how much it improves students' writing. I challenge you to try it NOW.

1. Pernille Ripp on Student Blogging (great expert resource)
2. Blogging 4 Kids by William Chamberlain
3. Student Blogging Basics by David Theriault
4. Easyblog.org
5. Comments 4 Kids
6. Blogging by Cybraryman  (lots of resources)
7. Paper Blogging by Pernille Ripp (great for introducing blogs)
8. QuadBlogging 
9. Blogging without Text by Richard Byrne 
10. Sample Student Blogs on Edublogs

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Posted in Basics, Blogging, blogs, Challenge, Comments, paper blogging, Quadbloggin, writing

Importance of Blogging

If I could have one wish for the upcoming school year, it would be to get all teachers on board with Blogging. There are tons of testimonies out there in various forms that share the importance of blogging. Here is a place to get started called Blog Basics and Blogging Tips for Teachers.  Personally, if you do not enjoy blogging or reflecting on your work, please make it a goal this year to allow and encourage students to blog. Teachers have many opportunities to use blogging in their curriculum with students. I can promise you, if you agree to try it for a month, you will have students hooked and who knows, you may see how it benefits your lessons. I love this visual on reasons to blog by Sylvia Duckworth. It came across on my Twitter feed.

Learning Doesn't Stop At 3 O’Clock: Reasons Ts and Ss Need a Class Blog!! #BLC15 #EdTechBridge http://t.co/VRPsG1TWry pic.twitter.com/AqowhfJN22

— Lee Araoz (@LeeAraoz) July 15, 2015

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Posted in back to school, Blog, Blogging, curriculum, education, reflection, sylvia duckworth

A Copyright Story (Lesson)

This is an older post from 2010, but I think it is relevant in the quest to teach teenagers about copyright, fair use, piracy, ethical behavior, etc. What I like about this perspective is that it gives you the artist's point of view while he is collaborating with Brenna/Eleanor who was a teenager at the time. She was sharing or trading his sheet music with others without paying for it legally. It is rather lengthy, but I can see how you could use this to bring out rich discussions and dialogue about the topic. See what you think about Jason Robert Brown's, "Fighting with Teenagers: A Copyright Story" for yourself. Wouldn't it be great to use this in a debate class to critique. Can you see where you would have relented much earlier than Eleanor, or maybe said something else to change readers' opinions? From the number of comments you can see how it was a hot topic. It even switched gears to another site from George Ou's own beliefs found here on the "Digital Society" with more debating endeavors.

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Posted in Blogging, communication, copyright, fair use, intellectual property, jason robert brown, music, piracy, teenagers

Edublogger's Challenge for Teachers

I have several posts about Blogs: What is a Blog and Blogs in Education

I guess I cannot say enough about blogging. It is a passion of mine because it gives you a chance to reflect, put your thoughts down and then knowing that others are reading it and finds it useful gives you that icing on top. Today I ran across an article from Edublogs that shares a Teacher Challenge for 2014. It was posted August 6th, so I do hope some of you join this. It will not begin until August the 14th. I can be great professional development for teachers who have always wanted to have a class blog, but never got around to doing it. This is your chance, while stepping you through the process, step by step! They have two tracks: for your personal blog and then one for teachers setting up a classroom blog.

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Posted in back to school, Blog, Blogging, Challenge, classroom, edublog, PD, professional development

What is a Blog?

If you haven't started a personal blog or classroom blog, please consider it for this year. Blogging has many benefits for the reader and the writer. Below is a video that explains what a blog is. There are many articles written about blogging. Check out this video:

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Posted in Blog, Blogging, classroom, reader, video YouTube, writer

Presentation by LCM's Sumlendia

One of our 5th grade teachers, Summer Diamond, had the privilege to present at iPadpalooza in Austin this week. Little did she know was that we were able to view her with LiveStream that is set up at Eanes School District. I was thrilled when I received the email about iPadpalooza Live. When I logged in, she was just setting up,so I was to catch the entire presentation! I know she won't mind if I share her wonderful classroom ideas for other to view. You can view her slides on her Inspired Adventures in Teaching blog.
Enjoy!

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Posted in +sumlendia, +summer diamond, Blogging, collaboration, global connections, global education, Twitter

Sunshine Blogger Award

I have received the Sunshine Blogger Award from @Sumlendia or better know by me as Summer Diamond! This award is passed on by bloggers to fellow bloggers who "positively and creatively inspire others in the blogosphere." Summer is one such blogger. You can visit Summer's-Inspired Adventures in Teaching blog where she writes about her experiences as a 5th grade teacher. She is a great Reading teacher who loves writing and technology and shares this passion with her students, teachers, and her PLN.
As part of the Sunshine Blogger Award, I am supposed to list 11 random facts about me and answer 11 questions.

11 Facts About Me:

1. I read my Bible with coffee every morning between 5:30 am - 6:30 am
2. I have six grandchildren: 3 girls and 3 boys ( I love how that evens out)
3. I am a country girl through and through
4. I love to being outdoors
5. I enjoy backyard birdwatching, have two birdbaths, two bluebird houses, and several birdfeeders
6. I have two large dogs who love staying inside during the cold winter days, but I prefer them being outside (one sheds black hair all over)
7. I am a cancer survivor and had chemo in 2009
8. My passion is helping and serving others, especially sharing my love for technology
9. I have never owned an iphone
10. Instead of reading books, I surf the Internet and read blogs
11. I lurk more than I chat on Twitter

  11 Questions and Answers:

1. What is your favorite blog to read? I suppose the blog I like best is Richard Byrne's Free Technology for Teachers. I have been following him for years now and always learn from every post of his. His blog is one you could read older posts again and again and still gain from it.
2. How did you come up with the name of your blog? The funny thing about my blog is that it started out as a class blog in First Grade. I had just created it and experimented with blogging for a semester, then was blessed with my current job in Technology. That is how I transformed it to what it is today: Tech Talk for Teachers Most of the posts are resources that I run across from my reading on other sites or blogs.
3. What inspired you to start blogging? I had been reading how beneficial blogging was and during my online courses in my Master's program, posting on a blog was required. I was so glad I had a little experience with it before having to blog for a grade. If you haven't created a blog, try one just for reflections no matter what your position or assignment is, you will be surprised how much it will make you grow. 
4. What food can you absolutely not eat? oysters, brussel sprouts
5. How much time do you spend blogging? I don't like to commit to daily, weekly, or any time frame. I post sporadically, when I feel the calling, when I run across something that I just HAVE to share. 
6. What is your favorite time of the year? My favorite time of year is Spring. I love the change from winter to spring. Love the warm weather and all the blooms and birds during that season.
7. What is your favorite vacation? My favorite vacation was when we went to Hawaii and I pray we will go again one day.
8. How many years have you been an educator? I began in December of 1992
9. What is your favorite food/best place to eat? My favorite food to eat is gumbo, but I eat my own that I make. The best place I like to eat is at a Mexican restaurant, no particular one...like them all.
10. What is your favorite time of day? My favorite time of day is at 5:30 am during my quiet time with God and with my cup of coffee.
11. What is your favorite physical activity? Gardening 

Now I bestow the Sunshine Blogger Award upon the following bloggers who positively and creatively inspire others in the blogosphere:

1. Free Technology for Teacher - Richard Byrne
2. Laura in the Kitchen - Laura Vitae
3. Teacher Idea Factory - Kelley Dolling
4. Teacher Reboot Camp - Shelly Terrell
5. Mrs. Morgan's Superstars - Mrs. Morgan
6. Ms. Wideen's Blog - Kristen Wideen
7. Beside Still Waters - Lisa Moreland
8. Made 2 B Creative - Julia Bettencourt
9. Sue Waters Blog - Sue Waters
10. Grace Bound - Yvonne Barrage
11. Learn with Leah - Leah Fullencamp

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Posted in award, Blog, Blogging, creative, inspire, sunshine blogger

Make a PDF or Book from your BLOG!

Teachers! This is such a great reason to create a CLASS BLOG next year. You can put the class blog into a PDF or Book as an EOY memoir to take home. Students also can download a PDF of their SCHOOL blogs that they posted during the year. I would make sure that they completed an EOY entry with a final reflecion of the school year and their choice of the most valuable learning. I found this from Richard Byrne’s great website. He has some great ideas that are easy to implement. If you have a blog, follow his steps to download it. I will be using Blogbooker for mine, since I use Blogger. Thank you Richard!

Free Technology for Teachers: Three Ways to Your Blog Into a Book

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Posted in Blog, blogger, Blogging, blogs, bookmaker, end of year, pdf

Blogging as a Teacher

I found a great poster by @Silvia Rosenthal Tolisano from Langwitches. It shares ways you can use different blogs and cross post on them. You can download different sizes of the poster on Flickr.
 

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Posted in Blogging, flickr, infographic, langwitches, poster, teacher

Blogs in Education

I posted earlier that I would provide information on the benefits of blogs. I've located some great information and hope you can use some of them. Here is a simple explanation of Blogs in Plain English:


The best resource on Blogs in Education is from the Department of Education. What better place to get your information? Included is a Tech Learning article about Gaggle (which we currently have in our District).  It shares how students use Gaggle for their Personal Learning Network. They have access to Chat Rooms, Assignment Drop Boxes, Social Wall, blogs, Digital Lockers, and Discussion boards all in a filtered safe environment.

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Posted in Blogging, blogs, class blogs, education, gaggle

Blogger, my first tool

I committed to learning a new tool each month, so my first most important tool I have decided to improve on is my blog. I experimented with blogging while teaching years ago in my classroom. But, much has changed and I want to become more proficient with Blogger since I will be using it to post my 10 tools for my challenge this year. I am using a template, which I thought would be best to learn. Now, I am wanting to make some design changes such as increasing the width however, the template limits you. That is so frustrating! I will not let that get the best of me. I located a Blogger Getting Started Guide and plan to go through that step by step. I hope you will like some of my changes. If anyone can suggest a way to override this template to increase the width, please leave a comment. Thanks. I hope to post some good articles on blogging in the classroom for my next post.

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Posted in blogger, Blogging, Challenge, Guide