Tag Archives: student blogging

Guest Post by Dominique: J’adore les langues!

Modified on by
4

It’s my great pleasure to introduce our first ever guest post on The Edublogger!

But first let me tell you the history behind this post.

About Our Guest Blogger

Last year student bloggers wrote some amazing posts for our Share Your Tips– and win BIG! Competition and on my winner’s post I said:

The winning posts submitted by the students are so ‘must read’ that it would be an honour if they guest posted on The Edublogger.

Image of Dominique created by her using an Online paint programDominique, a Grade 8 student (13 years old), from USA decided to take me up on this offer (here’s her winning post).

She continues to astound me!

And it was a pleasure to discover that her work inspired her sister Caroline (10 years old) to:

Want a blog so much that she put it on her Christmas list!

Caroline got her Christmas wish early and is blogging at Caroline’s Corner.

J’adore les langues!

Guest post by Dominique from My Blog!

J’adore les langues, ils sont très important en notre monde. Je voudrais être fluent en francais, allemand, espagnol, italien, japonais, chinois, arabique, gaelique, and portugeuse. Et plus je ne peux pas pense de maintenant.

Today our world is so interconnected because of technology that it  is even more  important to know foreign languages.

Although I am only in my third year of taking French, I am happy that I can communicate with French speaking people in the blogosphere.

From blogging I am also alerted to the fact that there are so many wonderful languages just waiting for me to learn them, whenever I find a class blog in a different language I always wish that I could understand it, and that is something that will motivate me to learn more foreign languages.

Imagine how simple communication would be if you could speak a foreign language. And how many opportunities would be available.

Around the beginning of December I entered a podcast contest about the importance of learning foreign languages, hosted by the American Council of Teaching Foreign Languages.

I made a podcast for the contest, but unfortunately mine was not chosen as one of the finalists. Even though it did not amount to anything it was still fun to do.

On the other hand one of my friends, Adrian, made a podcast rap about foreign languages with her friend Peggy. They have actually been chosen as finalists and can be voted for on the website. I already quickly made an account and voted for them.

Here’s Adrian and Peggy’s video — I really hope that they win the middle school category for the contest which is announced this month!!!

It was a coincidence that the podcast contest was brought up in French class shortly after I conceived the idea for this post, specially written to go on Ms. Water’s blog. I think that just goes to show how important foreign languages are  becoming in our world.

p.s. When I mentioned in French, the languages in which I would like to be fluent, those are not all. There are many other languages that I would also like to learn  (I simply do not know how to say them yet in French…).

Thank you very much to Ms. Waters who allowed me to guest post this blog post on the Edublogger, it is such an honor!

Final Thoughts

Thanks Dominique for writing this guest post for us and for all your great work!

And to honor Dominique’s work I would love it if we could all leave comments on this post in different languages and include our locations!

If you are enjoying reading this blog, please consider feed-icon32x32 Finding and Adding Creative Commons Images To Your Blog PostsSubscribing For Free!

“Share your tips” — and win BIG!

Modified on by
78

‘Back to school’ commenced in the Northern Hemisphere. Lots of educators new to blogging are looking for advice on using blogs with their students.

It’s time we all helped them out and update our list of ‘must read’ posts on student blogging! Yes, we’ve had similar conversations BUT — with experience our ideas and advice evolve!

Off course incentive helps too! So we’re giving away sixteen Edublogs supporter 12 month subscriptions which you can use on your own blog or give away to a reader.

How To Enter

Competition is open to any one — experienced blogger, new to blogging, student bloggers.

Just write a post based on any of the topics themes listed below:

  1. What are your 5 most important tips for educators starting out blogging with students?
  2. When you first started blogging what aspects of blogging worked well? What has caused problems? What would you change? — you can discuss this in terms of class, student or your own personal blogging!
  3. What are your 5 most important questions you would like to ask experienced bloggers? And why?
  4. What do you like about blogging? What have you found hard about blogging. Students – How can teachers make the process easier?

Once you’ve written your post:

  1. Leave a comment on this post letting me know you have entered, with a link to your post (plus for students your Grade/year level).
  2. Explain in your post which topic you are writing about and link back to this post so that we receive a pingback advising us that you have written the post (read this to understand What’s A Pingback? And How To Write Links).

For example you might copy the following into the bottom of your post and just change the topic enclosed in the qutoation marks:

This post has been written on “5 most important tips for educators starting out blogging with students” as part of The Edublogger’s Competition!

The four best post for each topic will win and you can submit posts for as many topics you like. And off course all winners will get a badge they can add to their blogs :)

Remember we’re looking for the best — best advice, tips, questions, most thought provoking! — here is your chance to demonstrate your blogging and creative skills! You have until September 30 to enter!

If you are enjoying reading this blog, please consider feed-icon32x32 Finding and Adding Creative Commons Images To Your Blog PostsSubscribing For Free!

Check Out This Two Page Blog Guide For Parents!

Modified on by
22

Duh! So obvious but how many of you, like me, and hadn’t considered making it easier for your intended audience to read posts should include a paper based guide?

Good news is Kathleen McGeady did and has been nice enough to share her “Making the Most of the 2KM blog” two-page guide which is a step by step, with screen captures on how to:

  1. Subscribe by email
  2. Find posts written by their child by clicking on the appropriate category link
  3. Leave comments
  4. Read the information on pages
  5. Encourage other family and friends to read

As Kathleen says this type of guide is “particularly useful for parents who are quite unfamiliar with the technology”. Below is a screenshot of what her guide looks like and click on the following link to download a PDF version of her “Making the Most of the 2KM blog” guide.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Please drop past 2KM blog to say hi to the students as a way of saying thanks for sharing the guide!

Meanwhile please leave a comment to let us know what types of paper based and/or electronic resources or information you share with parents or other educators.

If you are enjoying reading this blog, please consider feed-icon32x32 Finding and Adding Creative Commons Images To Your Blog PostsSubscribing For Free!

Ideas For Student Bloggings From….How Do You Do What You Do!

Modified on by
40

Said it before and will say it AGAIN! Most great conversations and learning happens in the comments and not the post. But reading all comments on blogs can overwhelming so I thought I would help out.

Here are just some of the ideas I’ve gained from conversations on Student Blogging…..How Do You Do What You Do? post:

Student Login

56js.ca blog has a student login in their right side bar that logs directly to the Write Post area. This means there’s no need for the students to navigate the blog dashboard; they can immediately start writing their posts (thanks Jane Smith and Nathan Toft for sharing).

Here is the link they use http://jsmith.edublogs.org/wp-admin/post-new.php

Student Blogging Responsibilities

Linda Yollis assigns responsibilities such as “fact checkers” and “comment collectors” to her students.

The “fact checkers” are responsible for verifying the facts of a post with the writer(s) before the post comes to Linda to be published. The idea to have “fact checkers” arose from a writer who used the word country instead of county. Linda says she wanted her students to understand that it is important for information be correct for their readers, not because the teacher said so; this makes them take ownership of blog’s credibility. Using “fact checkers” also educates students about plagiarism and it’s not appropriate.

The “comment collectors” are students who are in charge of gathering data about comments; they monitor the number of comments on each post, who comments and if a parent comments. Part of the aim is to encourage students… to encourage their parents.

Make time to visit Linda’s post “How a post gets published on this blog” as it shows, using photos, the processes involved in their class blogging. PS remember to leave a comment to keep the “comment trackers’ busy and include which country you are from!

Building Student Blogging Skills

Mrs. Ilgunas starts her students on a class blog where they learn how to post comments and then progress to their own blogs. Here are the steps she has followed so far on their student blogs:

  1. Starting to blog
    • When students first log into their blogs she gets them to change their blog theme — she says this gets them hooked!
    • Next they go to settings, rename their blog, and if time, write their first post (making sure they know they can write in color if they so choose)
  2. Commenting on each others blogs
    • Leave comments for 3 other students on their blogs. She assigns whose blogs they have to comment on at first to make sure all students receive comments.
    • Add another post.
  3. Learn about Copyright

Daniel Moix shared his write-up of their blogging project including handouts, blog setup guide, project overview, and survey responses of the students afterward.

FINAL THOUGHTS

There are lots of really great comments and conversations on Student Blogging…..How Do You Do What You Do? post. With some explanations of why educators blog with their students. It’s impossible to highlight all these comments here and I recommend you take the time to read through the comments.

Alternatively you could subscribe to The Edubloggers comment feed in your feed reader (here are instructions on how to do this).

Please feel free to leave a comment to tell us “How you do what you do” when blogging with your students. Would love to share more tips and ideas of works well plus challenges you have faced.

If you are enjoying reading this blog, please consider feed-icon32x32 Finding and Adding Creative Commons Images To Your Blog PostsSubscribing For Free!

Parents Comments Count!

Modified on by
32

Comments are incredible motivators for student bloggers. Shame most parents and families rarely leave comments on student blogs.  Yet a thoughtful and encouraging comment from a parent can mean so much to their child.

Can you please leave a comment (or write a post) to share your thoughts and tips:

  1. What do you think are the main reason(s) why families are reluctant to leave comments on student posts?
  2. What strategies do you use to encourage families to visit student blogs?
  3. What methods have you tried to get families involved with commenting on the student blogs?

You might also like to read these comments on my personal blog on reasons why readers mightn’t leave comments on posts and tips for encouraging comments.

Thanks to Jane Smith for the comment “I would love to hear how others are getting families involved in the commenting on their child’s work” which inspired this post!

If you are enjoying reading this blog, please consider feed-icon32x32 Finding and Adding Creative Commons Images To Your Blog PostsSubscribing For Free!