This year I decided to start blogging with my class.  I heard about some other classes doing it via twitter as well as my colleague Hugh McDonald, and I thought I would give it a try.  I have a few students in my class who groan every time I ask them to pull out their journals, so I thought perhaps this would be a better way.  I also thought it would be a perfect way for my students to share about the progress of their Genius Hour projects.  So I set up the account on Kidblog (very easy to do) and away we went!  The kids loved it!  Research shows that kids are drawn to blogging because it gives them an authentic audience and I completely agree.  My students love commenting on each other's posts and often spend quite a bit of their own time at home reading each classmate’s blog and offering a comment.  It has been wonderful watching my students read and write in a meaningful way and without hearing a single groan. 

With all new things, we did have a few blips though and I would like to share those with you today so that you can learn from our mistakes!  So here are 3 Things to Consider Before Blogging with your Class:

1.  Model how to write a good blog entry first!  I know that this sounds obvious...but in all my excitement starting this new 2.0 tool, I did not take the time to show my students how to write a thoughtful and meaningful post.  Next time, I would take the time to draft one with the whole class, using the projector. 

2.  Model how to write a thoughtful comment!  Sounds like number 1, but I am talking about the comments they make on the blog entries.  When we first started blogging, my students wrote things like, "that's nice" or "me too".  It drove me crazy...why weren't they writing thoughtful comments?  Well, once again, I had never modeled how to write a good comment.  My bad.  I would really recommend practising this with your students first.  In fact, I recently read an article in which the teachers gave the students thoughtful prompts before they started writing, such as: "I wonder..., Have you considered..."  (Davis, A. and E. McGrail, 2009). What a great idea!

3.  And finally, have every student change their passwords after you hand out their log-ins/passwords!  It will save you a lot of grief!

Any other advice you would give?
Happy Blogging :)

I have been a reflecting machine lately.  I have always thought of myself as pretty self aware.  I think about my practice, reflect on lessons, talk with coworkers and all that really good stuff, but lately I have certainly upped the ante. 

I am at a point in my career where it would be easy to start taking teaching for granted and just go with the flow/do the same old thing.  I refuse to let this happen.  I am determined to not be that kind of teacher.  To not teach a lesson/unit the way that I have because it has worked before, but rather, to actively think about what I am doing, the rationale behind it and adapt/shift/change as needed. 

This term I have taught very differently.
(Read: I have taken a lot of risks.) 

It is incredible!  I love teaching more than ever! 

I have really pushed myself, including beginning genius hour in my classroom, blogging regularly with my students, encouraging students to BYOD and letting them take the reigns regarding what their reading projects and homework should look like. 

I have let go of a lot of control, and it hasn't been easy.  There are times when I think to myself, "what am I doing?" but thankfully those are greatly out numbered by the times that I hear students say:

• "I know how to do that.  Let me help you" to their classmate.
  
• "Can we comment on each other's blogs for homework?" 
  
• "Let's look it up", as they pull out their own smart device.

I am giving them choices and letting them go explore topics they feel passionate about. 

At the last Pro D Day, I went to a lecture given by David Warlick. He reminded us that " This time of rapid change is forcing us, for the first time in decades to rethink education and what it means to be educated."

I think that is very important.   We need to change the way we teach and perhaps sometimes try teaching less, and instead show our students how to teach themselves and each other.  We can all do this more often.  Sometimes it is as easy as stepping back and asking, "How do you think we should do it?"

I would love to hear about how other teachers give students choice and provide authentic learning experiences!