Technology Project

For this project we are supposed to type a 1-2 page paper explaining how we are planning to implement Google Blogger in the classroom. We need to explain the main reason that our students will be using this and the main goal for our students. We need to be creative and find ways to make Google Blogger interesting, fun, and useful/helpful for the students. We will need to upload this individually to Blackboard, but the paper can be the same for everyone. If we all put in our thoughts and ideas, Mistie said she would edit and finalize the paper. (Laura)

I like the idea of using the Blogger as an online class journal, where students record reflections related to assignments. In my context it would be a good way for students to respond to reading assignments they have. I think if we did that we would need to have some sort of required format the students have to follow in their online journals ... maybe it could be that teams have to create a journal entry (like we are doing here), where each member adds a piece.

For another set of classes I did this thing called a 4Mat Review: The four sections are: Summary, Concrete Response (how the writing affected the reading. For instance, "what came to mind as you were reading this piece"), Reflection (this is the critique area), and Application (how will the writing change what the reader does or think). I have used it in my classes and sometimes it works better than others. Obviously we don't have to use this exact thing, but I do think there should be some sort of Structure for the students to follow.

Do we want each student to have their own blog? Or do we want to say that the teacher has a class blog that the students comment on? If each student has their own blog, the teacher and other students can go in and comment what they think about the blog. If the teacher has the blog, they would have to post 4 different blog sections [for each of the 4 (4Mat Review) sections] so the students can post on each of the 4 required sections. (Laura)

It seems like we have a pretty good idea of what we are going to do: use Blogger to provide students an opportunity to discuss a writing. We will use some sort of structure to the assignment (like 4Mat). Perhaps we could say that the Blog/Journal responses has to be to ONE aspect of the 4Mat review. "Respond to the critique" or "In what way did you identify with the student's concrete response?"

For the actual lesson plan, I would think we'd need to come up with a specific assignment for the student to use. I think we have to have a pre and post-assessment built into the lesson plan as well. Anyway, I will be in and out today and on again around 11:00 pm. Let me know if you need any other info!