This post was written by Sue Wyatt for the Student Blogging Challenge.
Well, we are now into Week 4 of the March 2010 Student Blogging Challenge.
Students have been creating their blogs and making it their own by adding widgets and avatars; they have written about their country, state or town and many have visited other class or student blogs.
Many have written about why you should visit their blog and should they use a real photo as opposed to an avatar when they are on the net.
Every time the challenge is on, I try to visit each individual student blog at least 3 times over the period of the challenge.
It’s becoming harder each time we run the Challenge to visit all the student blogs — due to the numbers of students participating!
So I am putting out an URGENT HELP ME PLEASE!
The Problem
We now have about 700 individual student blogs in the following age ranges participating in the challenge:
- Age 8-10: about 60 blogs
- Age 11: about 110 blogs
- Age 12: about 130 blogs
- Age 13: about 110 blogs
- Age 14: about 110 blogs
- Age 15: about 50 blogs
- Age 16: about 50 blogs
- Age 17+: about 70 blogs
And this isn’t counting the 60 class blogs participating!
With more and more students taking part with their own blogs, it’s becoming harder for me to visit each of their blogs as often.
But comments on their blogs, especially from others outside their class, are very important for motivating and providing guidance.
How You Can Help
By the end of mid April, I would like each of these blogs to receive at least one, preferably two, comments from:
- Teachers, pre-service teachers or people in the education sector
- Students who have blogging at least a year and who have participated in at least one student blogging challenge
So we are looking for volunteers who are willing to leave least one, preferably two, comments on student blogs such as:
- A few clues about how to set up their blogs would be great for the newer students who have only had their blogs less than a week or so .
- Alternatively choose a post they have written or look at their about page to leave a comment for them.
Preferably we would love it if you would write comments where they need to reply to keep the conversation going on their blog.
Here’s example of the types of comments we are looking for:
- Mrs Yollis’s comment on Abbey’s The Wonderful State of Indiana
- Great examples of conversation between student and teachers on:
- Mr Miller’s The Golden State
- Lojo’s Best Place in the World!!! California
- Super Scooper’s Our Place in the World
What we would like to do is allocate about 20-30 student blogs to each volunteer.
Benefit of Being a Challenge Helper
This is excellent for teachers and preservice teachers (student teachers) who are:
- Wanting to increase their understanding of how blogs can be used with students.
- Unable to participate with their students in our current Challenge but who want to learn more about the Student Blogging Challenge.
And off course, we appreciate how busy everyone is so we’ve decided to give away twenty free Edublogs Pro 12 month subscriptions (formerly known as Edublogs Supporters) to our twenty best helpers!
You can use these free Edublogs Pro 12 month subscriptions on your own blog or give away to a reader.
To Volunteer As a Challenge Helper
Please leave a comment on this post if you would like to volunteer your services.
Can you please include the following information in your comment:
- Your name and a bit about your teaching background
- Your blog URL or website (if you have one)
- What student age you would like to leave comments for.
Once you have done this we will leave a comment on the post telling you which student on our March 2010 Student Blog list page we would like you to start with and where on the list we would like you to work down to.
Make sure that you tick the notify me of followup comments via email before you submit your comments — so you receive our replies 😎
Please note:
- We recommend that you work directly from March 2010 Student Blog list to visit your student blogs
- Our March 2010 Student Blog list is updated everyday and sorted by age, so new students are added at the end of each age list automatically.
- If you find a link doesn’t go to a blog, could you please copy the line in the student list and email it to Sue Wyatt at tasteach56[at]gmail[dot]com, — so we can fix it
- If you have any questi0ns contact Sue Wyatt by email at tasteach56[at]gmail[dot]com
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@Flick Definitely not too late.
Could you to visit this post http://studentchallenge.edublogs.org/2010/09/14/september-blogging-helpers/ and leave a small bio about yourself and what age students you would like to help?
Thanks!
hello I am volunteering to help you 🙂
Sorry if I am too late .
I would like to do anyone that you need help with.
I am one of Murch’s students and have been blogginh for a long time 🙂
well Talk soon
Flick 😉
Hi Ms. Waters and Miss W,
I was looking today at some of my allocated blogger’s blogs and no one seems to really be participating in the challenge. I’ve given some of them little nudges, but there hasn’t been more than 1 post from 1 blogger about the challenge. What should I do?
Thanks,
~Abbey
@Abbey,
Most of the students you are writing comments for only just began their own blog and their teacher is also new to blogging. The comments you are leaving are great – just mention they have joined the challenge and perhaps the URL for the challenge blog. Tell them there are good ideas there of what to write about and how to improve their blogs.
Keep up the great work Abbey.
Hi
Count me in…I teach middle school in Brattleboro VT. I just started our blog a few weeks ago. We are pecking away, not ready for a challenge.
I can personally do 10-12 students. Ages don’t matter. Thanks for all your work.
@goodhue,
Thanks for offering to help. I have allocated you the beginning of the 12 year olds from anthonyk from USA down to Flori S from USA. Could you also leave a short bio at the student blogging challenge blog?
These are the same students as for Joe Molloy.
-My name is Julianne and I’m an English-Education student at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. I will be student teaching in the fall of 2010, and will be graduating in May of 2011.
-Certification: English, Secondary Education
-I’m interested in interacting with students between the ages of 13-15.
Thanks!
@Julianne Daulman,
Thanks for offering to help. I am now going through the list of 700 blogs for the second time, as so many teachers and educators have offered their help.
I have allocated to you the same group as Carl. I will start you off with the first student aged 13 AbbeyR down to Tim N from Canada. Hope this is OK?
How long does the challenge run for?
@LeesaWatego,
Leesa,
The challenge began at the beginning of March and runs till middle /end of May about 10 weeks but allowing for those who have holidays and breaks in that time period.
I then start a new challenge again in September through to end of November with similar challenges for beginners but a variety for the veterans.
Are you thinking of having a group of students or teachers join in?
Hi Sue,
I’d love to help if I’m not too late.
I’m interested in student blogs anywhere from grade 5 – upper highschool.
I’m a highschool trained ESL/LOTE teacher, but my most recent experience is with a grade 5/6 class. I’m currently on maternity leave.
Cheers,
Ms Frizz.
@mannardi,
Thanks for offering. I might have you work with the 18 year old students who I know are refugees from various countries learning English now in Australia.This is the same group as Meg Goos in the comments above. They are on the list of 18 year olds from Armin to Nay Ta Gay.
@Miss W., that sounds great, look forward to seeing their blogs. Ms Frizz.
Teaching Background – Teacher education, early education and Indigenous studies. Student age – any age is fine.
@LeesaWatego,
Thanks for offering. I have allocated you the last of the 14 year olds who are near the end of the list for that age group. Please start with Camille M USA down to Jackie USA as well. Hope this is OK?
@LeesaWatego,
Leesa,
As you also work with teacher education, could you also do the three students who are last on the list age 27, 34 and 37. I think a couple of them are actually student teachers or pre service teachers.
I am with University of Arkansas Extension and would be happy to help comment on blogs. Sign me up!
@lgferris,
Thanks for offering to help with the commenting. I have allocated you some 14 year olds about half way down the age list.Please start with JericaD down to Btaylen both from USA.
I would love to help! I currently teach teachers about integrating technology in the classroom. I don’t have a preference of age range – wherever the need is works. I can probably handle looking at 20 blogs.
Thanks!
Laura
@lsheehy,
Thanks Laura,
Have allocated you a group of 13 year olds at the end of the age list. Please start with Marissa M USA down to basballplaya14 also from USA.
Hope this is OK?
@Miss W., Thanks and Yes this will work fine. I will work on getting around to all of them to look this week for the first time.
@Miss W., How do you want us to handle it when the blogs don’t exist? Out of the 1st 6 on my list, 3 don’t have a blog set up.
Thanks.
@lcsheehy,
These are students who only got their blogs about two weeks ago. If they only have one class for computers each week, it might take a while for them to get set up.
I would go to their about page and put in something there telling them about yourself and asking some questions about them. Mention that the about page is where you tell your readers about yourself.
I would also like to add my thanks to Sue Wyatt — thanks everyone for helping us with the Student Blogging Challenge.
We really, really appreciate it and the more people that help by leaving comments on student blogs the more able we are to motivate and provide the assistance they need.
Also as she mentions, if you have time could you please drop past this post ( http://studentchallenge.edublogs.org/2010/03/21/student-blogging-challenge-helpers/#comments ) on her blog and leave a brief bio about yourself so the students can learn more about the people supporting them.
Also if you have any tips and advice for each other, or ideas of other activities for the Challenge — please don’t hesitate to share your ideas on this post or email myself or Sue Wyatt directly.
Now it’s time for me to go off to try and catch up with Sue Wyatt’s commenting!
Hi,
I am not currently a teacher (I’m a translator), but I keep a blog.
Please let me know (best by email) if I can help, even if I am not currently working as a teacher.
Best regards,
I. C. Lopez
@Ivette,
Thanks for offering to help with comments. I have allocated you some 15 year olds near the end of that age list. Please start with JohnA down to JennyD both from the USA.
I have also sent this to your email.
@Miss W.,
Got some work deadline but will start on your assignment asap.
Best regards,
Ivette
@Miss W.,
Just started a round of visits/comments and got a couple questions:
1) Some blogs have the comments’ feature turned off or “awaiting approval”, so my comment did not show (are students aware of this?).
2) I am basically informing students of who I am and why I am visiting (I assume they have been informed about these visits).
On the other hand, is this basically just a school assignment? (Just curious, as some don’t seem to really enjoy writing and, therefore, blogging.)
Best regards,
Ivette
@Ivette, For some students, it is just a school assignment where the teacher has said to join the challenge to get points for English grade or similar.
For most students it is their first year of blogging and some have teachers who are not sure of blogging, so the students are learning through the challenge.
We usually recommend that students have moderation of comments set, so they have to start making judgements about comments – usually it is the school that says this because it is often the teacher who is having to moderate the comments.
All contact with the students is through the challenge blog posts or through leaving comments on their blog – I wrote a post about having teacher or educator helpers coming along to leave comments.
Hope this helps.
@Miss W.,
Thanks, will continue my round of visits/comments within my own work/personal activities.
Best regards,
Ivette
Thank you bloggers for your offers to help with the commenting. I have about 16 blogs written by 13 year olds, about 40 by 14 year olds and about 17 by 15 year olds to cover. Once these are done, I will start allocating teachers to groups again, so students will then have two teachers commenting.
If you have been allocated student blogs, could you please remember to write a small bio on the challenge blog, so your students can get to know you as well.
Here is link to the student challenge helpers post http://studentchallenge.edublogs.org/2010/03/21/student-blogging-challenge-helpers/
Hi Sue,
Would love to be involved with the younger students.
I’ve been an edublogger for about 3 years now, and have just started a second, collaborative blog with a teacher in another country.
Cheers,
Cathy
@Cathy,
Thanks for offering. We are now allocating a second teacher to the age groups as we are getting lots of volunteers. Could you do the same group as 2sparkley? Could you start with EmilyG and go to HaleyG in Thailand – about 27 blogs age 8-10?
@Miss W.,
Will do. 🙂
I would love to help with the middle school level. I have been a teacher for over 12 years and have an extensive background in social studies. I look forward to getting involved!
Michelle
@Michelle
Thanks for offering to help with the commenting. I have allocated you some 13 year olds about two thirds of the way down the age list. Please start with Carlos S and down to cody both from USA. Most of these students have had their blogs less than three weeks so will need lots of clues.
I have been teaching for over 30 years and been a blogger for over 10. I love reading blogs and commenting on ideas.
@nconstantine,
Thanks Paddy and a belated Happy St Patrick’s Day last week. I have allocated you a group of 16 year olds near the bottom of that age list. Please start with KellyT USA down to Taylor T also USA. Hope this is OK?
Hi Sue
I would really like to help out in any way I can – any of the age ranges would be good for me. Right now I’m in the middle of thinking about/contemplating my career direction + one of my options is returning to teaching.
Over the years – I’ve been an R-7 teacher, written curriculum materials for R-12, written content for websites, designed websites, maintained blogs, designed and delivered national conferences and as you probably know I’m on twitter. Look forward to hearing from you as to how I can help out.
Cheers
Deanne
G’day Deanne,
Thanks for offering to help. I have allocated you some 14 year olds starting with JessieU from USA down to nataliew from USA. Hope this is OK? Remember to leave a short bio at the student blogging challenge blog so your students can find out about you a little. The blog URL is in a comment further up written by me.
Hi
Just wanted to let you know that I have completed the first round of comments on all of the students blogs that I was assigned. Really looking forward to reading more on their blogs now.
Cheers
Deanne
I would love to help! I’m going back right now (up to the top) and see how to get started.
I’m returning to teaching and I really want to see how to integrate blogging into my classes in the fall.
Sorry, missed a couple of key points….
I’d love the high school range. Science would be great. I’d also like to help out with the middle school set too!
Can’t wait to get started.
@Lisa,
Thanks for offering Lisa.I have allocated some 15 year olds to you starting with AndreaK from Canada down to Zachary from USA. This is about 20 blogs, if it is OK with you?
@Miss W., Sounds great! Sorry for the delay.
This sounds like a great idea. Count me in as long as you don’t need them all this week. Any age you like. Have just spent all weekend redoing my ‘about’ page so forgive me for just dropping a link in: it has lots of details about me and blogging and teaching.
http://www.matthewbennett.es/about/
I’ll tweet this and see if some more bloggers might like to help out.
Saludos,
Matthew.
@Matthew Bennett,
Thanks for offering Matthew. I have allocated some of the 18 year olds to you starting with KoletteH down to MatthewP both from the USA.
I hope this is OK?
@Miss W.,
No problem, Miss W, I’ll get commenting!