After reading the first three chapters in
Will Richardson's book
Blogs, Wikis, and Podcasts and other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms, I began thinking of how I can use blogs in my future ESL classroom. Here are my ideas:
- As a tool for professional collaboration. As Will Richardson suggests, many educators today are blogging about the classroom 2.0. I could create a partnership with many other educators to share ideas and make suggestions on how to use various web tools in the classroom. Collaboration does not have to strictly stay in the ESL realm but can venture into the how the content areas (science, social studies, art, etc.) use web tools.
- As a tool for developing critical thinking in my students. A student could take a topic or current event that they are interested and find different perspectives on the web. Take, for example, the current health care system. We all know that there are many opinions on the web. Students can explore these ideas and blog about them. This would be a good way for students to begin to see understand perspectives and also create their own opinions on topics that interest them.
- As a portfolio of student work. Students can keep a record of all of their written work over the course of a year and reflect on their progress, goals that they want to achieve, or areas of weakness that may need improvement. This could also be a good tool for teachers to use as a tool of assessment. I think it would would be amazing to see an ESL student's progress through the course of their academic career in schools. I also like that the portfolio can be easily accessed by parents or administration!
I know that I only need to post three but here's some more!
- As a class portal or announcement page. I could use a blog to post about different information that I think students or parents need to know, such as upcoming exams or field trips. I think that sometimes it's hard to get parental involvement in the class, this could just be one way to let parents into the classroom.
- As a tool for professional development. I could post segments of lessons and post about what I thought worked and what didn't. I could ask for suggestions or improvements from not only my students who might blog but also from the professional classroom 2.0 community.
I just wanted to say that I love the idea about using the blog to keep parents in the loop. I teach children with special needs. They are not very verbal, and it is often difficult to get communication regularly. I think I am going to steal your idea. :-)
ReplyDeleteLindsay,
ReplyDeleteYou have posted about some great uses of blogs. I hope you get a chance to try them out. I particularly like the one about doing research on a controverial topic and posting about it. Debatable type topics provide great motivation for blogging.
Dr. Burgos
Lindsay,
ReplyDeleteI really love your idea of having your ESL students use blogs as a form of reflection. Not only will they have a record of their development over the school year, but they will be developing their English skills as well. It would be a great portfolio to show the students parents as well so they will be able to see the development of their own child and the work that they have done.
The professional development ideas is a good one because then it becomes a tool for not just your classroom but other educators as well. They can view your teaching and offer insight, use it in their own teaching as a model, or just get some great ideas of what works and doesn't work.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the idea re: developing critical thinking skills. Sometimes it is so difficult to get students to talk in the class room, especially ESL students. The ideas are in there because we know they are smart students but they are afraid to “speak”. Blogs offer a great place for them to exercise all they know and give other students a chance to hear a different perspective they may not otherwise ever hear. I truly agree with you it is so important for students to see topics through different eyes and in turn create their own opinions.
ReplyDeleteAn on-line portfolio is a good way to document not only progress but mistakes as well! Stay with me…there are times when I may have made a mistake in the past and later on, perhaps a few weeks, wonder what was I doing wrong? How do I fix it? If I cannot find the paper or if the teacher has not returned it, I have no point of reference, but if I have an on-line portfolio there is a chance I can look back and get some “self-help” and progress on my own.
Finally, I agree this can be a great tool for professional collaboration. Teachers can ask other teachers questions and seek help when necessary. A teacher can also view their teaching from some other point of view than their own. A teacher may wonder why something is not going right when a different perspective can make the difference.
Hi!!Lindsay: BTW in case you did not know I am the comment Jennifer said...Jennifer F. Have a nice weekend!
ReplyDelete