So we’ve decided the best way to pull together a comprehensive resource is to survey educators. We’re looking for replies no matter what blogging platform you may be using.

And here’s how you can help:

1. Can you complete our survey?
2. Can you share a link to our survey with your network?  The more responses we receive, the better the data we can deliver!
3. Share links to any recent articles you’ve written on this topic by leaving a comment so we can include when we present the survey results.

Thanks for helping out and we’ll be sharing the data we collect in a follow up post.

Recently, we were talking about best practices of professional development and writing support documents. We then moved on to a related discussion on best instructional strategies in the classroom when working with students.

One of us believes (and much research will show), that students will remember more and understand better when they struggle with concepts and new ideas. Learning experiences that provide students an opportunity to play with concepts and figure out on their own are best.

The other (with good reasoning and research to back it up too), believes that students that struggle will shut down. A better approach is to provide as much scaffolding as possible – activities that walk through information in a step-by-step manner.

No doubt that to some extent this will depend on the learner, content, environment, and more. But there is a general philosophy at play.

What Say You?

We think many of our readers will have great insight into helping us continue this debate.

Let’s turn this into a blogging discussion!

Here’s what we’d like to try and do:

1. Write a post on your own blog about this topic. Share your thoughts, examples, research – or whatever you’d like
2. Leave a comment below with a link to your post
3. We’ll compile a list of all submissions at the end of the week on a post here on The Edublogger

She has asked some great questions that we know others would like answered as well.

So we’ve decided:

1. We would love to hear YOUR answers to some of her questions
2. We will write a follow up post that pulls together all your responses with the more specific questions we will need to answer

Can you help us?

Please share your thoughts on any or all of the following questions:  

1. How long have you been blogging with your students?
2. How has the educational experience for your students been transformed since you’ve been blogging with them?
3. Do you believe that blogs have benefited the education system?
4. Do you believe that blogs will become a common way of educating people in the future?
5. Why has the way of teaching through technology grown dramatically?

Just leave a comment below with your thoughts or anything else you would like to say about blogging with your students!

Feel free to also answer with a blog post of your own (just leave a link in the comments) or send a tweet to @edublogs.

Thanks!

Image: I’m BLOGGING this! by salendron.

And the next series starts next week, so now is your chance to register and get involved!

• Classes register here
• Students register here
• Mentors register here

Students and classes that participate work through a set of challenge activities that build blogging skills and foster collaboration by all involved.

Quick facts:

• Anyone can participate using any blogging platform
• All levels of blogging skills welcome – complete beginners encouraged to join
• Teachers can tailor the challenges or incorporate theme however needed to fit in your time frame and curriculum

This post wouldn’t be complete without recognizing the tireless efforts of the volunteer coordinator of the challanges, Sue Wyatt. From everyone involved, we can’t thank you enough!

Don’t miss out! 

Once yearly we go through the entire Edublogger’s class blog list to ensure the list remains current, contains helpful resources and see what else we can do to help you to find class blogs for the grades and subjects you teach.

We’ve just completed the 2012 update!  We hope you find the list helps.

You can view the list by:

1. Going to our Check out our class blog list page.
2. Downloading our Edublogger’s class blog list PDF — handy if you want to print copies to share with others!
3. Scrolling to the bottom of this post to view our embedded Google Spreadsheet of the Edublogger’s class blog list.

Please let us know if you would like your class blog added to the list.  We add new blogs onto the list throughout the year and would love to add yours.

About The Edublogger’s Class Blog list

The Edublogger’s class blog list was originally created in 2008 for educators to use as a resource to:

• Get ideas on how class blogs are used with students.
• Check out ideas they can use with their students and on their own class blog.
• Make connections with classes in other countries.

Now 3 years since the list was first created:

• It’s still growing — the list is updated monthly to add new class blogs to the list.
• It’s the most visited page on this blog

The list is created by teachers who submit their class blogs to be added to it by leaving a comment on these posts.

Keeping the list current

To ensure that the class blog list remains current and contain helpful resources we go through the entire list once a year to remove any blogs that:

1. Have been deleted
2. No longer exist
3. Are no longer active (haven’t updated recently)
4. Have changed their privacy from public to private.

Improving the list

During the yearly update we also look at how we can improve the list.   This year we have made the following changes:

• We’ve changed to an embedded Google spreadsheet because it makes it easier to quickly update the list.
• We’re broken the class blog list into Grades; Subject Areas such as Maths, Science, English, History, LOTE, EFL /ESL; type of blog such as Library, School news.

Blogging Since

We’re also aware that with some many blogs on the list that educators needed a way to quickly scan the list while learning more about the age of specific blogs.

The solution was the Blogging Since information.  For example, 2004 means the blog has been used for class blogging since 2004 whereas 2009 means a blog with has been used as a class blog since 2009. A class blog with ‘Since’ and the date indicates the teacher has been blogging for awhile but is now using a different class blog URL.

I continue to be amazed with how long some of these blogs have been used for class blogging!

Is your Class Blog on the List?

If you want to add your class blog to this list (or update your class blog details) leave a comment on this post to share with us:

1. Your Class Blog title(s) and URL(s).
2. Grade level(s) of your student
3. If applicable. what subject areas or class blog category?  Refer to the category list on Our check out Class blogs page.
4. Country
5. Age of class blog.  Blogging since?
6. Feel free to add other information as educators refer to comments to create connections with other class blogs!

Please check the Check out Class Blogs list first before providing updated information.

And here’s the complete Edublogger’s Class Blog list:

Just click on their blog title to visit the class blog!

This is a guest post written by Janet Moeller-Abercrombie.

Janet teaches at an international school in Asia. She is the author of Expat Educator and a contributing author of 1 to 1 Schools. You can follow her at @jabbacrombie.

A parent once remarked, “You do so many great things at school. I wish I could be a fly on the wall and watch my child in action.”

One of the easiest ways to give parents a glimpse of school is to give students a camera, access to Picasaweb, and a blog.

Give students a camera.

Each week, one or two students are given the classroom job of photographer. The photographer gets to carry a camera throughout the school day, snapping shots he or she finds interesting.

Why not take pictures myself? I like to see life from a student’s point of view. Parents like to see that too. What do students find interesting? humorous? entertaining? Student personalities shine on the playground, in the cafeteria, and in the library – places I don’t often supervise.

Also, my school is located in a large urban area. Students don’t have much playground space. A camera allows them to spend their free time in artistic ways. Here is a video to help students begin to take thoughtful shots:

Students who want to know more about photography can look for additional advice at the EasyPhotography or Kodak sites.

The one rule for student photographers: photography cannot interrupt teacher instruction or other students’ work time. It’s a good idea to let specialist teachers know the rule so that they can enforce it as necessary.

Pairs of students choose the final photos.

Have a pair of students look through the week’s shots and choose the 10-12 best. When pairs decide, they should discuss what makes one shot better than another. How is it framed? Is the camera focused on the subject? Authentic communication around shared experiences is great for second language learners.

Photos are uploaded into Picasaweb.

Picasaweb is free if you don’t use too much storage space. Low storage is the main reason I have students select their 10-12 best photos each week.

In the video below, I show how to upload and how to add captions. For privacy reasons, I don’t allow students to include names with a caption.

Change Picasa Viewing Permission

I once made the mistake of not changing viewing permissions. The slideshow looked beautiful from my computer. The next day, students told me the pictures weren’t visible. Oops. Click on the link to learn how to Change Picasa Viewing Permissions.

Choose slideshow mode and embed the code.

This part is the trickiest (at first). Students get the hang of it rather quickly.

The Final Slideshow…

An example can be found here.

The next week…

My student photographers teach two new student photographers. I’m a big fan of students teaching students. With a little explanation and access to the video tutorials above, students are able to upload slideshows to the class blog with limited teacher intervention.

Once students get into the routine of posting photo slideshows, you are left with posts that all students and parents want to view. Parents who travel or who live far away especially appreciate this glimpse into their child’s school life.

How else might you use Picasa slideshows in your blog?

In 2011, I went on a fantastic holiday (vacation) in Canada and U.S.A. for 11 weeks. I drove about 10.000 miles in an automatic car on the wrong side of the road without using a GPS or mobile phone. I visited about 25 different classes arranged by 12 teachers in my PLN.

I didn’t write a blog about my experiences though.

“What!”, you say, “Yet you are writing here about blogging?”

Mr. Davo Devil eating dessert!

Instead of me writing the blog, I had my travelling companion, Mr Davo Devil (#mrdavodevil) write about his adventures. Now, Mr Davo Devil is a soft toy from Tasmania. Naturally, by the name, you can tell he is a Tasmanian Devil.

He wanted students and teachers from around the world to participate in his travels, so after each post he would ask questions or have students create avatars etc. He also had a section where students could ask questions or try to answer those left by other students. A map of his journey was also included.

Since returning home (Mr Davo Devil hid in a classroom in Los Angeles), I have also created a blog for another soft toy called DUsquirrel. DU stands for down under and he will be touring Australia and New Zealand over 2012. His hashtag will be #dusquirrel.

If you are a teacher in Canada/USA and would like to have Davo visit you during 2012/2013, please fill in his booking sheet and we will try to get him to you on time. You may keep him for about a fortnight (two weeks) but he must be at his next stop by their date.

If you are a teacher in Australia/New Zealand and would like DUsquirrel to visit, please check the months he will be in your state and make a booking on his sheet.

I have also started searching the net to find other toys travelling their state, country or world. Check these out:

Tommy the travelling Teddy
Ed the bear
Eddie everywhere
Salt and Peppa
Magnie the whale
Rohi the kea

Do you know of any other travelling toys we could add to this list?

Certainly there were next to no 1-to-1 initiatives or tablets in schools – and mobile computer workstations were just starting to be used.

Getting to the point, the face of blogging in education is way different now then it was just a few years ago.

On Edublogs, the two most popular types of blogs have traditionally always been:

1. Classroom – Teachers providing updates and resources for students and parents
2. Professional – A place for educators to share ideas and collaborate with each other

But over the past couple of years, there has been a new kid in town. It’s gone from a few brave teachers here and there that have pioneered the way for others to becoming standard practice in many schools and programs.

It’s student blogging, and it is here to stay!

And we couldn’t be more excited about it. There has always been students using Edublogs in various ways, but now with more devices available and an increased focus in writing and technology use and various curricula, more and more students are finding themselves blogging in school – young and old and across all subjects.

As discussed in this Time Magazine article, research shows that there are more benefits to blogging then you might first think – including improving student self-esteem and confidence offline and outside the classroom.

What does all of this mean?

Well for starters, it means that we at Edublogs have to do an even better job of making it easy for educators to create and manage large numbers of student blogs. We have tons of great tools already in place, especially on our Edublogs Campus sites, but we definitely recognize there is room to improve.

Yesterday we announced a few new tools to help with teachers that need to moderate and approve all comments and posts on student blogs – and there’s a bunch more in the plans for 2012. We believe that the learning benefits of blogging with students is maximized when students have their own personal blogs that they can take ownership of. Our system is designed (and will continue to improve) to let that be a reality in a safe, engaging, and easy to manage way.

This also means that the online community of educators that are blogging with students is growing. Through twitter, blogs, and other means, we need to develop ways to better facilitate collaboration and connect teachers and students that share similar goals. We’ve seen some of this through blogging projects such as this and the twice-yearly Student Blogging Challenge, but putting systems in place that bring it to the masses would be truly powerful.

What do you think? Are you using blogs with your students?

What Edublogs features or community resources would you like to see?

Photo: Teacher With Students from BigStock

With so many options now available, we’ve decided to show you how easy it is to decorate your blog for any holiday or season!

We’ve also set up a demo blog so you can check out what a live blog looks like when you use different options to customise with a particular feel!

Adding a Custom Background

Most themes now allow you to set your own custom image header and custom background.

Yet most people are unaware of how easy it is to add a custom background to achieve a more customised look while adding a personalized touch to their blog.

The first step is to search for a free background you’d like to use.  Numerous websites provide a wide range of suitable free images and backgrounds.

Here’s some sites to get you started:

1. Free Christmas Wallpapers
2. Webweavers Free Clipart
3. Free webimages & Clipart
4. Background Labs
5. Layouts for Christmas
6. Christmas Free 4 All
7. Animated Gif Net
8. Cartoon Cottage

Once you’ve located an image you would like to use, all you need to do is right mouse click on the image and select Save Image As (or Save Picture as) to save a copy of the image onto your computer.

Now uploading your background is as simple as:

1.  Go to Appearance > Background inside your dashboard.

2.  Click on Choose File, select the image you want to upload and then click Upload.

3.  Once it is uploaded select your preferred display option and then click Save Changes.

And when you check your blog you should now see your new custom background!

Student bloggers often like using an animated gif for their background.  All they need to do is locate the animated .gif they want to use, save it onto their computer the same as you would save any other image, and then upload it as a background.

Of course, animated gifs can be a bit overwhelming when used as a background and Ronnie made me remove my pretty ones

Adding a Custom image header

Custom image headers, like backgrounds can really add to the look and feel of a blog.

You can easily make your own or search for a free image header to use.

Here’s some sites to get you started:

1. Guides & Tips Bogger
2. Free Christmas headers
3. Free Web headers
4. Free Header images
5. Theme headers

Once you’ve located an image you would like to use all you need to do is right mouse click on the image and select Save Image As (or Save Picture as) to save a copy of the image onto your computer.

Tip:

1. For the best quality use the recommended image header dimensions for your chosen theme (recommend size for your theme is displayed on Appearance > Header)
2. I use Snagit to resize and adjust my image headers to the correct size before uploading.

Now uploading your image header is as simple as:

1.  Go to Appearance > Header inside your dashboard.

2.  Click on Choose file, browse for the image on your computer and then click on Open.

• Only .jpeg, .gif, and .png files can be used for image headers.

3.  Next click Upload 

4.  Your image will upload and if it isn’t the exact dimensions you’ll need to select the area you want to crop and then click Crop and Publish.
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And when you check your blog you should now see your new custom image header!

Adding widgets to your sidebar

And don’t forget the longtime-favorite Let It Snow plugin on Edublogs which adds falling snow right on your blog!

Leave a link to your decked-out and holiday-trimmed blog below so we can all get in the festive mood.

Seasons greetings and happy blog decorating!

The Student Blogging Challenges have been going on for FOUR years now – all started and maintained by the fearless and hardworking volunteer, Sue Wyatt. The original challenges are all archived on her old class blog here.

For the past two years, the challenges have ran twice each year at their own URL, studentchallenge.edublogs.org, and the challenges have improved the writing, blogging, and digital literacy of thousands of students world wide.

It is never too late to use or adapt the challenges for use with your own students!

Here’s a list of 10 of our favorite activities to get you started:

1. Sept 2010 – Getting Your Blog Lookin’ Good
2. Sept 2011 – Widgets and Games (My Place)
3. Sept 2010 – Avatats, Animoto, and Voki
4. Sept 2010 – Categories, Tags, and Quality Posts
5. Sept 2010 – Images and Fair Use
6. Sept 2010 – The Comment Game
7. Sept 2011 – Digital Footprints and Digital Citizenship
8. March 2011 – Infographics
9. October 2011 – Creativity
10. May 2011 – Assessing and Reviewing Your Blog

Be sure to follow us on twitter or facebook to be kept up to date about the next round of Student Challenges – most likely to start sometime in late February.

Happy blogging!

Photo: Students On Computers from Bigstock