Using Blogging to Assess Student Learning

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Using Blogging to Assess Student Learning

• Dave Dalton

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What is Blogging?

• Blog is a contraction for Weblog
• Most blogs involve public posting of journal
  entries
• According to Technorati, there are approx 112
  million blogs with an average readership of 1
  person
• There are many well-known political and cultural
  blogs Huffington Post, Daily Koz
• The Blogosphere is the culture of the general
  tone of political and cultural blogs

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What are Educational Applications of Blogging?

• Teacher and student reflections
• Current events
• Learning logs
• Assessment

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The KW(h)L Assessment Cycle

• Pre-Assessment What do we KNOW?
• Building on previous learning/experience
• Ex What do your remember about? Tell me
  everything you know about
• Goal-Setting WHAT do we need to
  learn?Planning/structuring the knowledge
  workEx I wonder if? How does this relate
  to How can we organize Do you agree with

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The KW(h)L Assessment Cycle

• Learning Strategies HOW will we learn?
• Identifying tools and resources
• Ex Who can help us? Where can we go for more
  information? Is that enough information? What
  have you found so far?
• Reflection What have we LEARNED?Evaluating the
  learning products and experienceEx What do you
  think now? What else could we have done? What
  would you have done differently? How has your
  thinking evolved?

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What are the Benefits of Learning Blogs?

• Transfer
• Synthesis
• Home/School Connections
• Continuous Learning
• Full Participation
• Peer Interactions

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What Makes a Good Learning Blog?

• Good Blogs
• Big Picture
• Convergent, Right Answer
• Think About This
• Constructive Controversy
• Group Ownership
• Need to Know

• Not Blogs
• Little Skill
• Divergent, Good Thinking
• Do This Task
• Everyone Agrees With Everybody Else
• Teacher Nagging
• Nice to Know

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Good or Not-So-Good?

• If you were rating this book on a scale of
  1-to-10, what would you give it?

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Good or Not-So-Good?

• Explain how the theme of self-destruction runs
  through The Sieve and the Sand.

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Good or Not-So-Good?

• The novel begins with this quote from Juan Ramon
  Jimenez, If they give you ruled paper, write the
  other way.  Why was this quote chosen for this
  story?

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Good or Not-So-Good?

• In the beginning, burning books and houses gives
  Montag a great sense of happiness and
  satisfaction. Bradbury writes, Montag grinned
  the fierce grin of all men singed and driven by
  black flame. Do you think Montag is indeed
  happy with his life?  Why or why not?

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Good or Not-So-Good?

• Tell me what you know about propaganda. Did you
  study it last year? Do you know what it is? Do
  you know any propaganda techniques? 

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Good or Not-So-Good?

• What do you still need to understand about
  feudalism?

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Good or Not-So-Good?

• The word terrorism is defined the use of violence
  and threats to intimidate or coerce, esp. for
  political purposes. Was Nat Turner a terrorist or
  a freedom fighter?  How do you view his actions? 
  How do you view his victims?  Were his victims
  terrorists? Answer all questions in complete
  sentences respond to at least 2 other student
  postings.

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Good or Not-So-Good?

• Choose (s) sometimes, (a) always or (n) never for
  the following statement. Back up your decision
  with examples or explanation Two equilateral
  triangles are similar.

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Good or Not-So-Good?

• What do you think is the most important thing you
  learned this semester?  Explain why it is the
  most important to you.

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Good or Not-So-Good?

• What is poetry?

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Good or Not-So-Good?

• What is (at least) one thing you will do (or are
  already doing) to help reduce your natural
  resource use and/or carbon emissions?

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SUPER SPECIAL SURPRISE!!!

• Remind Me About the