Using Blogs as a Reflective Learning Tool

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Using Blogs as a Reflective Learning Tool

• Lauren OGrady
• Learning Technologies Coordinator
• Sunshine Primary School
• ogrady.lauren.j_at_edumail.vic.gov.au

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What is a Weblog?

• Weblog
• Weblogs are frequently updated web pages
  structured chronologically
• newest items usually listed first
• often contain links to other web sites along with
  personal commentary

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What is a Blog?

• Blog
• A Blog is a short form of Weblog
• It is sometimes used to distinguish between the
  definition of a Weblog as a list of links and
  more personal Blogs

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Blogging Glossary

• Blogger Blog author
• Post/posting Each chunk of content
• Permalink Permanent link to a particular
  post
• Archives Older posts
• Categories Subject headings
• Blogroll List of favourite /
  recommended Blogs
• Comments Readers can comment on your
  posts
• RSS Really Simple Syndication (news feed)

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Blogs vs Webpages

• Webpages grow old / stale
• Webpages are static and difficult to update
• Blogs are easy to keep up to date and require no
  special publishing tools or HTML knowledge
• Blogs replace home pages

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Why Blog?

• Its cool and appealing to students
• Unique to the Web
• Allows students to reflect in a shared and
  dynamic environment.
• Interlinked a blog is part of the Blogosphere
• Knowledge creating
• Blogs can travel with students making them ideal
  transition tools

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Reasoning

• Technology itself doesnt improve student
  learning.
• Staff expressed a need to have a safe,
  stimulating experience with ICT as a basis for
  new learnings - not just for the students but for
  the teachers as well.
• Students wanted a way to communicate their
  learning beyond concept maps.

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Blogging at Sunshine PS

• Used across year levels and curriculum areas.
• Student driven
• Easy
• High level of enthusiasm
• High level of teacher uptake
• Parents and school community impressed with the
  outcomes
• Writing as a craft-practice
• Creating a wider audience for student writing
• Feedback

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Blogging at Sunshine PS

• Blogging is as much about reading and reflecting,
  as writing
• We require students to read and comment on other
  Blogs
• Comments often become a topic of discussion in
  class
• Then we send them back to Blog again
• Students Blog at least twice per week
• A Blog is a Portfolio which collects, revises and
  reflects on writing

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Blogging at Sunshine PS
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Staff use of Blogs
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Blogging Process at Sunshine PS

• Explain transition from learning journals to
  Blogs.
• Create Blog with class
• Used in conjunction with a SMART board.
• Transition from modeled Blogging to independent
  Blogging.
• Student ownership of Blog.
• Independent Blogging during classroom sessions.

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The Future

• Podcasting
• Vlogging (Video Blogging)
• Wikis
• Staff use of Blogs to reflect on their learning
  journey
• Individual Blogs which are used as a transition
  tool

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Starting your Blog

• Considerations
• Security
• Privacy
• Educational value
• Age group
• Purpose

It is important that you are able to access and
remove or notify a known moderator in order to
remove content which may have been published. In
other words can you kill a blog off quickly or
remove a post. Some large International services
may take a week to remove or kill off a blog.
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Hosting your Blog

• You can host your blog at any of the
• following spaces
• http//globalteacher.org.au
• http//edublogs.org/
• www.schoolblogs.com
• http//classblogmeister.com

NB. www.blogger.com Is an excellent set of tools
but there is no restriction on who can make a
blog. Hence the site is blocked in many schools
across the world. It is highly recommended that
you choose a blogging space which only has
educational audiences.
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Resources

• http//theopenclassroom.blogspot.com/
• http//www.masternewmedia.org/news/2005/04/26/how_
  to_write__successful.htm
• www.netalert.net.au
• http//resources.flexiblelearning.net.au/resources
  ?14_at__at_.ee818e0
• http//removethebar.blogspot.com/2004/08/remove-go
  ogle-navbar-from-blogspot_20.htmlcomments