[AK4th]

Taking a class this summer on technology. Have heard several times about using blogs in the classroom. Anyone out there use them - do you find them worthwhile to use - any others ideas on bringing technology into the classroom? Also looking for a good teacher friendly web page design to use.

[Firebelly]

After a school in-service last November I decided to start a classroom blog. I love it! Since then, my students also created blogs off of mine (I have access to their pages and must approve any comments they get). Parents like the fact that their children are getting experience online with this type of guidance.

Through PT we met some blog pals. We did a few activities with them and then Skyped later in the year. We also followed other classroom blogs and learned a lot about geography by following where people were from who visited our blog.

I suggest you look at classroom blogs to see how people are using them. I do not post homework on mine - I use my school web page for that. I use mine to show and explain what we are doing in the classroom.

Here's the link to mine: http://mbsteven.edublogs.org/
If you scroll down the middle column a ways, you'll see a blog roll with links to other classroom blogs.

Good Luck!

[cteacherrun]

Weebly is a great website creation/blogging site. There are are also wikispaces. I had a weebly with a blog as part of it. Each day I assigned a "Blogger of the Day" They got a digital camera. Towards the end of the day, they were "absolved" of classroom work so they could upload a single picture and blog about it. The kids loved it.

[morningsky]

I teach 4th grade and we used kidblog.org for reading log blogs. My kids are assigned nightly reading homework 4 nights during the week. The end of the week assignment is a reading log letter posted to our classroom blog following friendly letter format. I would then read their letter and respond back to them with a grade for their letter. If you want to know more about what I graded or the format of their letters just inbox me. I am happy to share.

[resource gal]

I set up a class Wiki for my fifth graders to respond to their independent reading at home. Setting up a blog sounds cool, I'm ready for a change. Do I need to give you my email address? Thanks!

[Risa]

I loved reading through your blog and seeing how you got your students involved in blogging! I sent you a PM with questions about another topic on your blog. (Don't want to hijack this thread.)

[SLN1982]

Morningsky,

I am setting up a blog for weekly posts on my students readings. I am a high school reading specialist and teach the Read 180 program at my school.

My ideas are to have 3 choices for students to decide to post about their book. I am also doing literature circles, so I am hoping that by assigning the blog questions the students will have something to talk about on Friday when they come to small group to talk about their book.

I would be interested in looking at your blog to see how you set it up and reading some of the comments the students wrote.

Thanks!