Journal #4 – “5 Don’t’s of Classroom Blogging”

The article titled, “Five Don’t of Classroom Blogging,” published in T-H-E Journal by Julie Sturgeon discusses the pitfalls and things to keep in mind while integrating classroom technology into ones curriculum. The first warning comes from Anne Davis reminding teachers not to just ‘dive in’ when beginning a blog. She recommends utilizing guidelines for her students and even getting the parents involved in the project by signing off on it and agreeing to the guidelines for conduct while on the web. Countering this don’t is a ‘do’ by Dubbles who says it can be a way to teach non-fiction writing and get kids engaged in the subject and grasp the idea by writing their own short blogs. Another don’t I found interesting was not to use a free blogger for the students in ones class. This makes tons of sense as it does not have the secure framework to make sure the rules and codes for conduct are followed. Having a framework for the children to function in really is the ticket for success. I also felt the ‘don’t’ of not leaving the blogging to the student would make for a community of scholarly opinions and learners. Other teachers will be able to comment on the insight their students may have on a particular subject, allowing a student to receive feedback from everyone interested in their success.
Question #1: What is the one website the article suggests for teachers to use in place of a free blogger? Why does he suggest using this site over a free site?
Jeffrey Yan suggests not using a free blogging site in the classroom to supplement curriculum like blogger.com or typepad.com. He argues to use a ‘platform with structure’ without advertisements and access to the entire unfenced blogging world. Davis suggests using a site called ‘Class Blogmeister’ to support our students and their learning. It may be simple but it gives the teacher a lot of control over content and context, while offering a student acceptable entry at each stage. This type of software supports the learning environment and lets each student engage in the medium and express their knowledge in the subject matter without the concerns of worrying about what the students are being exposed to.

Question #2: What was one ‘do’ activity Davis suggests using for students to get basic training in blogging?
Davis suggests a ‘webaquest’ learning activity. This activity will have students take the knowledge they acquire on the web to introduce primary students to using a blogging framework. This activity allows students at a very early age to begin working in a medium that will determine their success in later life. By getting exposure to technology early on in life they will be that much more proficient in its uses later when they have a grade based upon it or when they need to get a job.