Elementary Blogging

When we think of blogging we usually think of teens and adults, but Elementary students can be blogger’s too. It’s a great way to encourage writing, teach important technology, communication, and safetly skills while providing our students with a voice in the global community.

Get Blogging Yourself!

It’s important that you experience blogging so that you will not only be able to help your students, but you will be able to model the expected behavior for them as well! Lead by example!

Get Permission!

• Talk to your Instructional Technology Department about permission forms! You need parental permission!
• Sample forms

It is important to start out with some rules! Here are some examples to help!

• A Really Different Place Class Blog Rules
• Bud the Teacher Blogging Rules Wiki
• Mr. Hethrington’s 6th Grade Class Blog Rules

Teach them to do it safely!

• Wiredsafety.org – Internet 101 -  Blog and Diary Sites
• CBS News – Helping Your Kids Blog Safely
• Get Safe Online – Blog Safely

Give them a REAL assignment. Keep the academic rigor!

It’s not time for internet recess…oh no! It’s time to use blogging to enhance instruction, create opportunities for reflection and creation of relevant connections between the classroom and real life!

It’s important that we bring the same academic rigor from our pencil and paper lessons into our blogging! Be sure that your lessons are connected to what your students are learning and living. Give the students their mission, goals, and targets…and give them the tools to get there!

Remember…technology is the vehicle…your content is the road…and learning is the destination!

Teach them how to do it right!

• EduTech Wiki – Blogging Etiquette
• Vicki Davis – How to Comment Like a King or Queen

Assess it!

• Educational Origami – Rubrics: Blooms Digital Taxonomy
• The Learning Lab – Assessing your student’s blogs
• Rubrics for Assessing Classroom Blogging

Solicit Feedback!

• Invite other students, teachers, campuses, schools, parents, community members, etc. to comment on your posts.
• Use your PLN (Personal Learning Network) to offer constructive feedback for your students (AND yourself) as you go through the process!
• Be sure to leave encouraging, honest, and helpful comments to inspire your students to keep going!

Here are some great resources for blogging in elementary!

• Langwitches – Blogging with Elementary School Students
• Education World – Blogging? It’s Elementary My Dear Watson!
• Neccposter2007 – Lessons Learned from Blogging with Elementary and University Students
• Teacher Wiki on the Blogging Process with her Students
• Education World – Blogging Anyone?
• Education World Teacher Feature – Hillary Meeler
• Kim Cofino – Learning to Blog the Elementary Way
• Kim Cofino – Blogging is Elementary
• 20 Reasons why Students Should Blog
• Reflecting, Writing, and Responding: Reasons Students Blog
• Why Blog with Elementary Students?
• How do you do what you do?
• Two Critical Tips for Classroom Blog Projects