Blogging+Activities

BLOGGING ACTIVITIES


 * A first week diary for those early days in September //(//[|Sandaig Otters] //for lots of examples of this)//
 * Publishing daily work in shared writing during the literacy hour - possible uses of a Wiki to develop a longer piece of writing. (See [|Meole Brace English] blog for an example of developing creative writing using trackbacks, and [|Hopeblog] for their creative writing and podcasting).
 * Record and publish video to the blog of IWB notes or sessions.
 * Book reviews, share thoughts and comments (positive and negative) about books recently read - it will encourage reading! ([|http://web.mac.com/barbaraainscough/iWeb/Barbara%20Ainscough/Blogs.html)(Also] [|Meole Brace English] - using trackbacks from individual blogs)
 * A photo blog - upload favourite images linked to a theme eg. harvest, freezing, new life. Ask students to comment on reason why it's a favourite. ([|http://web.mac.com/barbaraainscough/iWeb/Barbara%20Ainscough/Blogs.html)(][|Meole Brace Art] - reviewing famous artists' work which could extend to peer review. Follow the trackbacks to see the pictures. Podcast critiques, reviews and comments like [|here])
 * Comments about which leisure/ after school activities they are involved in - It might encourage other kids to have a go at something new. Provide some structure to the blog eg. Activity?, Times?, day of week? would you recommend it? star rating etc.
 * A daily weather blog - accurate records (eg. temp., rainfall, wind direction) through description and photographs. Just taking the old weather records to a different level!
 * Community of Practice - learning new software/developing an FAQ (Lacon Childe ICT [|here] and [|here])
 * Pupil feedback on units of study (As [|here] and [|here])
 * Podcasting in a foreign language (like [|here])
 * Podcasting weekly newsletters for parents (see [|here])
 * To get a few children started blogging I find template based poetry useful. Some of the posts at [|Poets] are of this sort, keeping the poems short is a good idea if you don't have many computers.
 * Book reviews can be illustrated with scans of children's art work, children seem to find using a scanner to scan there own pictures motivating ( [|example] )
 * Posting homework tasks every week - eg. maths problems, children to comment as their task.
 * Ask teachers within the school from other classes to comment on work - a weekly headteacher blog would be a nice way to comment on work across the school, I think I will ask my headteacher when we start!
 * [|Concept Cartoons] for science posted prior to a lesson or a week of work. Children are asked to comment on what they think will happen and then these can be used as a start to the first lesson or as an intitial assessment.
 * Post of video of SMARTBoard or IWB session during a maths lesson. For example the written methods for multiplication are included, the children can use it as a revision aid - the parents get to see how the school wants it set out AND the children get to comment on their favoured method.
 * Video of handwriting on IWB can also be posted in the same way.
 * "All about me - I am unique" (links to RE) posting simple CV work in the first few weeks - links to autobiography in Literacy.
 * Post homework maths problems to solve.
 * Local history - family members can be asked to help blog their memories of how the town / area has changed over the years. Perhaps post an old image from the past and ask grandparents etc to comment with children from your class.
 * Posting images from a digi microscope for the children to comment on. "What is under our microscope?" - or even asking for people to guess what the image is and to comment on the suggestions.
 * Post a health or ecological "problem" and have students come up with innovative solutions with proper research to back up the solution's feasibility.
 * Establish some safe guidelines then simply let the kids write about their world and ideas and thoughts.
 * Put up a blog post on a specific issue and invite students to contribute comments on the issue. As comments can be moderated before going live this is a simple and safe way to blog (as [|here])