Blogging
Blogging for teachers
A blog is something that is best written on a regular basis: once a day, once a week, once a month. It’s easier for the writer to keep a routine and it’s better for the reader to have a conversation in the comment space of each post and see the blog writer respond shortly afterwards.
Edublogs
A key use for blogs in the education world is the keeping of a Teacher Learning Log, or an Edublog. This is not about filing away CPD courses you’ve done, but reflecting on the day-to-day work done in the classroom and how it might be done differently, better or in collaboration with someone else 'out there'. Normally, you’ll quickly make contacts with like-minded souls – but only if you have already contributed something to the bigger picture by writing about your experiences regularly.
Sharing ideas with others
The edublogging world is a compassionate place where people are always willing to help out with advice, tips or just reassurance that you’re doing it correctly. They will even share resources and good links. But it works both ways – share and share alike and you will feel your teaching changing as real-time reflection and deep thinking take place away from the hubbub of school.
What should I write about?
One blog post should reflect one point, question or reflection. Try to end it on a question if you want people to share their ideas and give you a fuller picture. Here are some Scottish edubloggers who write regularly on particular topics:
Sandaig Blog
Author: John Johnston
Subjects: Primary education, internet tools
edu.blogs.com
Author: Ewan McIntosh
Subjects: Internet technology and how it changes the way we teach, modern languages, creativity
EdCompBlog
Author: David Muir
Subjects: Generalist with great insights into the student teacher world
To Probation And Beyond
Author: Lesley J
Subjects: The life and times of a probationer teacher
Where is AB?
Author: Andrew M Brown
Subjects: Projects and new technology from the Education Support Officer (ICT) for Argyll and Bute
More blogs about languages teaching and learning are opening all the time. View all the blogs we monitor on the MFLE. If you would like to start a blog and need some advice, please contact the MFLE team.
Blogging for students
Here are some ideas that have worked already in the Scottish schools currently involved in regular blogging. You will notice that many ask the student to think about what they have learned, and therefore provide an effective homework tool.
School trip blogs
Run an online journal while you are away on school trips. Include text, photos and audio recordings from the trip. This gives pupils a chance to write on a regular basis in English and the foreign language and, if you record some audio, encourages speaking about their experiences. You can use hotel or youth hostel internet connections (you might have to ask nicely) or internet cafés to write the blog online.
Moblogging is an easier option, where a mobile telephone is used to write text and take photos before sending them to the blog as an email. Each blog provider gives instructions on how to set up your mobile phone to do this. The process is surprisingly easy; normally, you just have to give your mobile number to the blogging service. On the mobile phone side of things you have to make sure the roaming facility and email or web browsing service on your mobile are set up before you leave.
Student journal
Keeping a log of work is an effective way for pupils to reflect on what they have learned. It’s an excellent use of homework time when pupils are asked to explain, in their own words, what they learned that day in language class.
Senior pupils may write a summary of the chapter of their book, including links to websites that explain further and photographs from the film or the setting of the book. Set all the student blogs up together and provide links to other students’ blogs in the blogroll. This way, pupils can help each other out and leave constructive comments on each other’s posts. Further still, you can provide links you believe the students should be consulting.
Best work blog
One blog can be set up for the whole class on which pupils are asked to post their best work from that week. Pupils work a lot harder knowing that their work is truly public. It’s not just for the classroom wall or the school reception but available to the whole world – and their mum and dad. Encourage senior management to browse this kind of blog and leave positive comments for students.Creative writing blog
Creative writing is greatly enhanced when students record the ideas of their group on a blog. Nothing is lost and by using the comments facility other groups in the class can suggest possible next steps to the stories or poems being created by their classmates.
This is the kind of blogging that benefits from being done on the spot, in class. It can be in the foreign language or in a mixture of English and the foreign language. It offers the teacher the chance to provide links to websites, such as Lire & RéCréer, containing real French fairytales and poems, or calligrammes at UbuWeb that match the ideas of the pupils and give them more food for thought.
Internet challenges
Internet challenges are online tasks that require the pupil to move through an authentic site or sites and achieve a goal (buy a train ticket, work out a metro journey etc.). Challenges should normally last 10-40 minutes; any longer and the pupils lose interest. However, with a blog that permits time-lapsed posts (such as Typepad), you can set up a longer internet challenge to take place over a number of weeks.
Each week’s 'episode' lasts a short amount of time and leaves a cliff-hanger to keep the pupils guessing. They can even leave their comments on the challenge question to say what they think they will have to do next. Submit your own ideas for challenges on the discussion forums.