For those of you who would like a copy of the PowerPoint presentation that provided some background context for the ‘online tour’ of classroom blogs, wikis and podcasts here ’tis! 
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For those of you who are ‘rearing to go’ to have your own blog using the ‘Edublogs’ site, go to http://edublogs.org/ and click on the button that says “Sign up for free”.
There are some excellent video tutorials on the Edublogs home page, and further ones at this link. Video Tutorials
The videos are a demonstration about what to do; you can stop it at any point to jot down notes etc. and then have a go at it yourself.
Here is a thought: have the video tutorial running in one browser window and then open a new browser window (Click on the Internet Explorer icon) to do what they are showing you in the video. You can stop the video at any point (stop/play button is on the lower left of the screen) go and do what they say in the other window, then go back and press the play button again.
Just like having your own personal tutor … online!
If that is all a bit much, here is a Word document that you can print out. It will provide an overview and the video has more detail.
Have a go, and post a comment to let us know how you get on
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A word from an expert ; a practising teacher who is doing it, Jody Hayes in New Zealand.
Jody shares some of the strategies that she uses to manage classroom blogging with her year 1 and 2 Voyagers.
Share your thoughts with a comment.
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U.S. teacher Maria Knee began a blog for her kindergarten class in October 2006 … here is the link: The Kinder Kids’ classroom
Read some of the children’s blog entries and the responses they have received ….
“I began as a way to better connect my classroom to families who work and are unable to be involved in the day to day life of our classroom.”
… and the childrens’ literacy development …
“I think that the children’s writing is improving. They are more likely to put spaces between words when using the computer than with writing. They have become more aware of the spacing and it is carrying over to their paper and pencil work. They also have a real audience for their writing and a purpose for reading. This is such a motivator.”
Read the entry and response dated April 2nd …
“My students and their families lead sheltered lives for the most part. If my students connect with others around the world and learn about our similarities, then perhaps those connections will lead to future understandings and tolerance. They are our future citizens and besides preparing them for a world of technology that I cannot foresee, I believe I need to prepare them to be global citizens.”
Make a comment to share your thoughts about the use of an educational blog in this classroom …
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This blog is designed to provide easy access to a range of educational blogs and wikis.
Hopefully, it will provide an overview of how some teachers are using educational blogs with other Web 2.0 tools such as wikis, photo and video sharing and podcasting to engage and motivate their young learners and to connect with their parents and other community members too.
Please use the comments facility on this blog to share your questions and thoughts about the ideas and issues raised here. Remember:
The only silly question is the one you didn’t ask!
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