Herman Wood, of the Cobb County School District, co-presented with his colleagues on Monday at NECC on how he helped facilitate a project in his district using a blogging service to have students create fictional journal entries for various historical figures. Students researched their designated historical figure, then created journal entries on a word processor, which were later cut and pasted into the blog.
The first example, about Harriet Tubman, produced in an elementary school classroom has posts arranged in reverse chronological order and doesn’t allow comments. Someone in the audience asked Mr. Wood if this truly was a blog, since comments weren’t allowed and students didn’t post their entries. The teacher actually copied and pasted the text from a document into the blog. The presenter explained that at the time this blog was created, blogs were blocked in his district. Now that the policy has changed, he intends to do more authentic blogging with elementary students.
He showed another example at http://www.tappmiddleschool.typepad.com/ww2/ of a middle school project he helped facilitate. Although comments are turned on, the blogs still looks like everyone copied and pasted their entries on the same day. I beleive this project is a creative way to engage students in doing old things in new ways, but is a blog truly the right tool for this kind of work? Somehow, it doesn’t just feel right calling this a blog. (I really have no room to talk, since I use a blog for a newsletter, which also isn’t what it is intended for.)
The power of blogging and authentic learning doesn’t seem to be coming through in this project. This project reminds me of the teachers who used to come into the computer lab to type their essays on the word processors and called that “integrating technology”. However, perhaps this is a way to introduce blogging tools to teachers and students to help them become familiar with how they work. From the discussion after the presentation, it seems that just might be the intent.
4 responses so far ↓
1
Brian Crosby
// Jun 27, 2007 at 10:47 pm
Janice it was so great meeting you at NECC! Have a great rest of your summer.
2
Mathew
// Jun 28, 2007 at 10:40 am
I’m planning on setting up a blog this year for students. Does our district block blogging?
3
Janice Stearns
// Jun 29, 2007 at 10:22 pm
Brian, it was great to meet you too. What wonderful connections were made at NECC through the Edubloggercon and the Blogger’s Cafe. I enjoyed the conversation immensely!
4
Janice Stearns
// Jun 29, 2007 at 10:28 pm
Matthew,
It’s great to know you want to start a blog with your students. Blogging services are not blocked in our district! If you would like to have your students blog, you might consider Class Blogmeisterby David Warlick.
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