College Readiness: Writing to Learn The controversial author Norman Mailer said, "I don't know what I think until I write it down." Joan Didion perhaps said it better in this way, "I write entirely to find out what I'm thinking, what I'm looking at, what I see and what it means. What I want and what I fear." Donald Murray, a pioneer of the writing process, stated, "...all writers 'are compelled to write to see what their words tell them." There is an amazing power to learn when you read what you have written. Learning From What You Write Perhaps the first level of writing to learn has already been discussed in my post on critical reading. Though writing is an active learning endeavor, not passive as in listening, the act of writing involves more of the entire body in the process and thus will increase the likelihood of learning. Writing to learn is more than just putting words on the page for someone else to read. In the Classroom What's the difference between reflexivity and reflectivity? Suggested resources Kingdon, C.
Start a Reading Revolution: Flip Your Class With Blogs Are kids actually reading? It's a worthwhile question. In an age when distractions seem to make readers more reluctant, one must wonder how many students actually do it. There's evidence to support this fear. Even though the books are classics, they are very uninteresting. I don’t like it because all the books we read I am not interested in. There is no value in reading old books and making up stupid feelings that we are supposed to get from reading when none of it makes sense or it is just a stupid book. It doesn’t have to be this way. The Flip In flipped classrooms, students watch online lectures at home so that they can engage in project-based learning during the school day. But what does flipping look like in an English or reading classroom? The Solution I realized that the traditional English experience needed to be turned upside down. My flip, which I first explored two years ago, did all of these things, and created a contagious atmosphere of passionate readers. Overview Fear
7 Tips for Writing that Great Blog Post, Every Time Image Source Your blog is probably one of your company’s most valuable marketing tools. You use it to build trust with your customers, generate leads, educate consumers, and build brand awareness. So, if a reader tells you your blog’s content quality is poor, that comment will probably make you cringe just a little. The best company blogs are engaging, deliver value, and align with the company’s business strategy. It’s often challenging to consistently publish valuable and engaging content. #1. If you are selling to decision makers in the publishing industry, write a blog post that targets their specific needs. The H2 Real Estate blog does a great job of developing content that helps potential homeowners learn more about the community where the available homes are located since this is usually an important issue for homeowners. #3. #6. #7. The content should provide valuable and useful information to the reader.
Three ways to structure your blog posts for more engagement - Brad Blackman Art If you’ve already set up an editorial calendar for your blog and you have planned what content comes out when, the next step is to write it. I know. This can be overwhelming. The first thing you have to do is just start. I know. But once you’ve started, there are some frameworks we’re going to talk about in a minute that will help you structure your writing so it makes sense. Once you have your rough information down and you’re ready to give it shape, whether you are writing a blog post, a book, or even a presentation, there a couple of ways to structure that information so that it makes sense to the audience. The Term Paper The first structure is probably the most well-known. I will never forget Dr. I used this formula all through high school and college, and it worked. This format is kind of stiff and formal so it doesn’t always lend itself to blogging, but it works really well for presentations. The Transformation Next is what Pat Flynn uses when he drafts blog posts. The Hero’s Journey
9 Reasons Why Teachers Should Blog My edtech journey at Boise State University was an eye-opening and life-changing experience in too many ways to count. Blogging was one of the professional activities I got exposed to as a student, and it is also one practice I want to continue as part of my teaching. In every edtech course, I was required to keep a digital learning log as a platform to post homework assignments, reflect on my learning and progress, showcase projects, ask for help, share aha moments, share resources, and finally, organize artifacts for my M.E.T. portfolio. Right from the start, the whole concept of homework changed; there were no more papers written to be read by no one. But is blogging only suitable for students? Absolutely! 1. Share your successful projects, ideas, resources, etc. 2. Reflect on your own learning and teaching by engaging in the best thinking activity – writing! 3. Many teachers continue to research well beyond their grad school. 4. 5. 6. 7. Become proficient with technology. 8. 9.
You have a Class Blog – Now what? I spend a fair bit of time as an eLearning Coach talking to teachers and helping them set up class blogs. This is a common and wonderful first step towards opening classrooms to the outside world, sharing practice, collaborating, modelling cybersafe behaviours, digital writing skills and much more. The value of class blogs is the topic for another post and is well summarised by Silvia Rosenthal Tolisano in the graphic above (if you want any further information on blogging Silvia’s blog should be your first stop!) . I have found that there is a point at which teachers struggle to move on – they learn the mechanics of blogging, most often making their blogs a wonderful showcase of classroom activities. These are the ideas I then present : Use blog as a reflective tool. Many teachers do not know how to create a network, how to connect their class with others. I think I will have to say that I believe Twitter is the best way to connect your blog to a wide audience.
Blogging in The Classroom: How to Get Started It’s no secret that blogging is more than just a hobby. For many people around the world, it’s also a career, but could it be even more than that? What about blogging in the classroom, is that an option? Could this practice benefit students across high school and college? In a word? As bloggers, we grow our knowledge and learn new things each and every day. Blogging stretches all kinds of mental muscles, and it affords limitless opportunities to expand your knowledge. It’s incredible how much potential blogging has as a tool for education, so teachers, let’s find out how to get this into your classrooms. Here’s what we’ll discuss today: Ways to bring blogging into your classroom and daily lesson plansThe litany of benefits blogging brings to educationDeciding the purpose and goals of your blogSetting up your classroom’s blogEasy ways to promote and grow your classroom blog 1. Check out some sample blogs here. From here, the blog becomes an amazing tool that has no limit: 2. 3. 1. 2. 3. 1. 2.
Tips for Choosing a Classroom Blog Every classroom needs a moderated, online space where students can share their ideas with others and receive feedback. While blogging has “been around” and used in classrooms all over the world for more than ten years now, classroom blogs are still rare in many schools and communities. Like other kinds of technology, blogging platforms have continued to evolve and change, but the reasons why students should regularly blog have remained consistent. In this “story” on Medium, I will highlight the advantages and limitations of six different blogging platforms which are used and can be used effectively by teachers and students in classrooms in August 2015. Overall Factors to Consider The blogging platform which is the best “fit” for your class or classes, and your teaching situation, will vary depending on a variety of factors. Be sure to cover your bases with student and parent permission forms. Blogger.com KidBlog Kidblog has transitioned to a new format and platform. WriteAbout.com
Session 28: What is the Educational Value of Class blogs, wikis etc Session Title What is the Educational value of class bogs, wikis etc Session Summary Poor blog = comments in lesson. Good blog = comments that night. Although expecting a quieter #ukedchat discussion than usual, owing to the numbers of ‘regulars’ attending BETT, I was pleasantly surprised. What was evident from the outset of the conversation, was the endless possibilities that a blogging offers a school and its learners. Many of the teachers involved in the conversation shared links to their school blogs and I have listed those links below. One of the ideas which really struck me, was the power of blogs to teach pupils about writing for an audience. Parental engagement was a message which came through loud and clear. All in all, this was a thought-provoking and useful discussion and thanks go to all those involved. Notable Tweets from the session: @NikyNewbury My class are fairly new at blogging but they love contributing to it. Tweet of the Week:
How to Set Yourself Up for Classroom Blogging Success My friend Joe Cummings recently sent me a nice Facebook message thanking me for the suggestions about classroom blogging that I sent him last summer. This semester Joe and his middle school social studies students are having a great time using their blog as a forum for discussion. Joe’s message to me prompted me to write this post which hopefully helps some of you have as good a classroom blogging experience as Joe and his students are having this year. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.