As much as I would like to explore the potential of using blogs as a collaborative space, I feel i need to take baby steps. Therefore I would like to start by using the blog as a class portal, where, notes, homework, instructions and resources are posted. It may even offer opportunities for discussion on a particular topic.
For the grade 11 class I propose creating a blog for the teaching of natural hazards, in particular hurricanes. This will involve explaining the distribution, development and structure of hurricanes as well as the impact of it on life and property, and human response to it.
I believe using blogs in this context will enhance the lesson, as the blog will be a storehouse of information, providing links to sites where more information and images may be obtained, provide access to breaking events, it will help teach students research skills, save time and resources, allow parents to participate in their children's learning and provide transparency for school administrators. There are tremendous benefits to be obtained from all this information plus comments on discussions being located in one space.
3 comments:
Amanda, I think using your blog initially as a class portal until your ready to adapt it for other uses is a great idea. It allows both you and your students to grow comfortable using it and establishes a virtual academic environment that can be extended to fit whatever you choose to do.
As you go on to use your blog to have your students discuss and research hurricanes, be sure to set clear expectations regarding the tone of their posts and the type of resources that use and post links to. It may also be wise to remind them that this is not only for their class, but it can also be viewed by the entire online community. This creates a greater level of accountability and will hopefully dissuade students from posting anything inappropriate or without substantial forethought. Best of luck with your blog!
Ben
Amanda,
Using the blog as a class portal is a great idea. I have used the blog for this purpose in the past and have had great success. Students could easily post questions on assignments and I could respond quickly. Additionally, there are so many great tools for you to explore in blogger. I have used the survey tool quite effectively to gauge student interest on various topics or to gather data for further instruction.
Your idea about using the blog to teach the development of hurricanes sounds intriguing. I love providing links to information about a given topic and having students read and respond to the information they read about on the link. Be careful that students don't simply repeat the same information that they see coming up on other students' comments. A lesson about quality comments when blogging is a necessity in the early days. I personally, like to provide an exemplar response to any question I ask on the blog. Students appreciate a little direction in how to answer the question in terms of accuracy and quality.
I also think your lesson on the development of hurricanes could benefit from videos found on the web that you could upload to the blog as well. I look forward to following your blogging adventures!
Dina
Amanda,
I think with everything that has just occurred on the east coast of the United States this is a relevant topic of great interest and importance. Students may know someone or may have been personally affected by this natural disaster. You might discuss with the students the importance of communication during a natural disaster and how technology can help people stay connected.
I live and work in Tokyo, Japan. When the earthquake and subsequent tsunami hit and the Fukushima reactor started leaking radioactive material in 2011, many of the students on military bases in Japan fled to the United States. Teachers were able to still communicate with students with the help of technology. This would not have been possible ten years ago.
I know in the aftermath of the tsunami that hit Japan there has been much discussion on mothballing their entire nuclear program. I think this is impossible because Japan would have to rely on the rest of the world for all their energy needs. Taking all their reactors offline would leave them completely dependent on the import of fossil fuels and natural gas. These are some pretty tough questions to deal with for a country and a government. With natural disasters that seem to come with more regularity, students might want to discuss what measures can be taken to prepare for future disasters. A large percentage of the population in the United States is highly concentrated on the coastlines, so what can be done to protect the transportation, communication, and energy infrastructure in these areas from being destroyed. What measures can be taken to protect people from collateral disasters like fires, flooding, and possible reactor leaks.
Many families in Japan actually have earthquake disaster kits in their homes. The kit might include flashlights, some food, candles, matches, and helmets to protect themselves. These are just some additional ideas for discussion topics I could think of from my own personal experiences.
I think a classroom blog would be a great communication medium for natural the topic of natural disasters. I think students would learn some very valuable lessons about communicating, searching, gathering, and consolidating information in an electronic medium. You could place students into groups. Each group would get a natural disaster: earthquake, hurricane, tornado, fire, and flood. Within the group there would be opportunities for collaboration and division of duties. Each group would develop and post to their blogs. Each group would then present their blogs to the other groups and request suggestions or comments.
Vincent Szilagyi
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