Searching+for+Innovative+Uses+of+Technology

=**Searching for Innovative Uses of Technology:** =

**An Individual Project** By: Mindy Clawson

=﻿ ** Case #1 : ** = = =

This classroom blog is called //Ninth-Grade English//. It was created and is still currently managed by Mr. Ferlazzo. He created the blog for his 9th grade English classes in June of 2008. The blog can be located at: @http://sacschoolblogs.org/arw2/

**2. A brief description of the case:**
The blog is very organized and “clean” in appearance. The background is a light gray color and each new entry posted by the teacher has an important heading in green. All links are red, so they stand out easily. On the right hand sidebar, there are links to the archives. A student can look back by date, from June of 2008 all the way until the current month: April of 2011. Each post has also been put in a category (by content), so those are listed on the right sidebar as well. The information, objectives, and writing prompts are posted very clearly for the students.

**3. The purpose of the innovation:**
The purpose for this blog is to provide a place for students to access links to websites, articles, webquests, photographs, and writing prompts – which are all posted by the teacher. Students are to read, think about, and explore several items and then respond on the “comments” section of the blog.

**4. The technology and resources involved (e.g.** **facility, network, equipment, software, online program):**
In order to run this classroom blog, the teacher and students would need access to computers with internet. The blog can be accessed from the school, local libraries, or from home – providing that the proper equipment and hookups are available.

**5. What prior skills and knowledge are required of students:**
Students would need to know how to access the internet and type in a link. If they do not have the exact link to the blog handy, then they would need skills in how to search for the blog on an internet search browser, such as Google.

**6. What are students asked to accomplish exactly (product or process):**
The purpose of the classroom blog is to get the students to form their own opinions and stance on topics through the use of informal writing (by responding on the “comments” section). They are also encouraged to read comments by their peers and respond to some of their ideas and opinions as well.

**7. What are the procedures of the project (steps to teach the technology skills):**
To get students familiar with blogging, the teacher should find a sample educational blog that already exists on the internet and walk through the site as a demonstration. The teacher could show students how to access the website by typing in the link and then what the layout looks like. The teacher could explain that the creator of the page posts information and then demonstrate how students access the “comments” section to respond. To take it one step further, the teacher could also create a Screencast to demonstrate how to access their own classroom blog, create a username and password, how to access information, and how to post comments.

**8. What are the advantages of the project:**
Students can access the blog from school, local libraries, or from home. They can access the blog any time of the day or night, including weekends. The blog allows students to form and share their opinions through informal writing, which surely helps students build their confidence to “show their thinking”, without worrying about proper grammar. The greatest advantage of all is that the blog is also updated and run through the summer months, which encourages students to become life-long readers, writers, and learners.

**9. What are the disadvantages of the project:**
When the blog was first created, there were only 6 months over the following two years that the blog had been updated. It seems as though the teacher was just getting it up and running, using it only sparingly to align with and supplement certain classroom projects. This hit-and-miss approach may be disappointing for certain students that grow to love blogging in school. Since September of 2010, however, the blog has been updated and utilized every single month.

**10. What types of effective instructional strategies are included:**
The teacher posts very specific, yet simple instructions for his students to follow. Again, nearly all of them are asking students to share their opinion on a topic or asking them what they would do if they were in a certain situation. There are never any “right or wrong” answers to the writing prompts, which is a great way to get students to actively participate. For example, the class has recently been studying Mount Everest and the risks and rewards of mountain climbing. The teacher posted a form that mountain climbers must sign before their journey begins. The form asks the individual climbers to identify which way they would like their body to be disposed in case they die on the mountain. The options include: Leave my body on the mountain, I would like to be cremated, or Bring my body down the mountain (which I understand may cost my family $15,000 - $20,000). The teacher then asks the students which option they would choose and why. Again, no right or wrong answer!

**11. What are the possibilities that the innovation can be transferred to other teachers, subject content and different school settings:**
The great thing about blogs is that they can be used for nearly any subject, grade level, or school setting. History teachers could post links to videos and have their students comment, math teachers could post story problems or riddles and have their students work through them, creative writing teachers could post prompts and have students respond, social studies teachers could have their students blogging about current events, class advisors could create a blog to organize school events with students (such as homecoming, prom, etc). The possibilities are endless.

12. Other resources/articles you used to evaluate this innovation. (At least 2 other sources.):
OnlineClasses.org. “100 Seriously Cool Blogs for Teaching Ideas and Inspiration”. 2011.

Robbins, Sarah. “The Basics: Blogs in the Classroom”. 2009.

1. Reference information:
This source is another classroom blog that is created and managed by Mr. Hine of West Hartford Public Schools. The blog is called Mr. Hine’s Blog and it is held for his English and Mythology classes. The site can be found at: @http://blog.whps.org/thine/

2. A brief description of the case:
There are four main buttons at the top of the blog, directly under the title: Front Page, Find Great Reads, Useful Documents, and Literature Circle Roles. The Front Page button is where Mr. Hine posts pictures, links to readings, links to documents/assignments, due dates, and upcoming quiz reminders. The Find Great Reads button takes students to a list of links for reading options: Young Adult Lit, TeenReads, Award Winning Novels, Outstanding College-Bound Reads, etc. The Useful Documents button takes students to links for vocabulary, peer edit sheets, and various other documents that are continuously used in class. Finally, the Literature Circle Roles button takes students to the guides and handouts used when doing lit circles.

Aside from the four main tabs, there is also a Student Poll where the teacher posts questions for students to vote on. Currently, the poll states “My Favorite Mythological Character is” and there is a list of several for students to choose from. They can then click on “View Results” to see what the poll currently shows. There is also a weather report section on the blog as well as a Quote of the Day and Links to various other helpful websites for students.

3. The purpose of the innovation:
The purpose for this classroom blog is to provide a place for students to access information needed for the class, get reminders for due dates and upcoming quizzes, and to ask any questions that they have about anything related to the class. Students can, but are not required, to post questions on the “Comments” sections and the teacher responds to each individual question. The blog is used as a supplemental tool for the teacher. It is clear that the classes have been studying Greek Mythology lately and are assigned readings and assignments while in class. The blog provides a space for students to access information from school or home any time of the day, and any day of the week.

4. The technology and resources involved (e.g. facility, network, equipment, software, online program):
The students would need access to a computer and internet to be able to use Mr. Hine’s classroom blog. This can be done from school, home, or anywhere with internet access, such as a public library.

5. What prior skills and knowledge are required of students:
Like the other blog in Case #1, students would need to know how to access the internet and locate the classroom blog. This could be done by typing the URL or by searching for the site on Google. Students would have to know how to log in and navigate around the site.

**6. What are students asked to accomplish exactly (product or process):**
Students are asked to go to the classroom blog to keep themselves up to date on and on task with classroom activities. There are links that students are expected to go to with myths that they must read. There are Word documents and PDF files that they must open up with vocabulary activities, reading questions, and group work guidelines. Students are expected to take accountability for their learning by asking questions if they are confused with expectations. Students are expected to check for due date reminders and keep track of when quizzes will be. Students are not required to comment, ask questions, or reflect on readings on the blog. They are welcome to do so, but the main purpose of the blog is to provide the students with information and documents used in class as well a place to get help from each other and their teacher. Again, the blog is a supplemental tool for activities done in the classroom itself.

**7. What are the procedures of the project (steps to teach the technology skills):**
Students are to log in, click on links posted by the teacher, read myths, write down due dates and upcoming quiz dates, and ask questions if needed.

**8. What are the advantages of the project:**
Students are able to access important documents that are used in the classroom. If a student accidentally leaves homework or a test review in their locker at school, another one can be printed from home. Students can get one-on-one feedback from each other and their teacher for questions about assignments – even on weekends. It keeps learning going on outside of the classroom and creates a great feel of community.

**9. What are the disadvantages of the project:**
There seem to be no activities that are required for students to participate on the blog. It seems as though having one required element (such as responding to a weekly question from the reading, or responding to one of the daily quotes from the week) would get more students involved and on track of what is going on in class. Not all students may have access to the internet at home though, so this could become a challenge if the teacher does not take his students to a computer lab at least once a week.

**10. What types of effective instructional strategies are included:**
The teacher provides very helpful one-on-one feedback to each individual question that students post on the blog. His directions as to what to read and when things are do are all very clear. To help students get the feel for using the blog, it might help to create a screencast of how to locate the site, how to log in, and how to access the items that he wants them to find. Again, having a required post from each student at least once a week could help to keep more students involved.

**11. What are the possibilities that the innovation can be transferred to other teachers, subject content and different school settings:**
The possibilities are aplenty far as using blogs in a classroom setting. There are some great cross-curricular activities that could easily be tied in with other teachers and classes. For example, Mr. Hine’s students are currently studying Greek Mythology. Perhaps the World History teacher in the school could become an active participant on the blog by providing links to information on Ancient Greek civilization, culture, geography, maps, etc. Blogs can be used in all subject areas and at any grade level.

Bailey, Vivian. “The Benefits of Blogging”. 2010.

Calberg, Frank. “11 Advantages for Using a Blog for Teaching”. 2008.

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