Blogging+in+the+Classroom

=Educational Benefits of Blogs and Wikis=
 * =Help students to communicate and collaborate=
 * =Motivate students to participate=
 * =Provide opportunities to read and write=
 * =Postings can be created by students any time, any place=

=Preparing the classroom for blogging=
 * =Determine school policy=
 * =AUP=
 * =Viewing student work online=
 * =Parental notification=
 * =Teach student safe online behavior=
 * =Set expectations=

= Blogging Tools =

[|Classblogmeister]
This is our favorite for using with young children. Please also consider signing up for the [|Classblogmeister Ning]. Here you will find useful how-to videos, answers to questions you have, and a forum to grow as a blogger.

= Types of Blogs = Generally, there are four types of blogs:

1. Mother Blog
The teacher blogs and the students also have blogs linked to the teacher blog or a team blog.

[|Kinderkids], New Hampshire, USA [|Mrs. Cassidy's Classroom Blog], Moose Jaw, Canada [|Ms. Forsman's Blog] [|Rye 8th Team]

2. Teacher and Students Share a Blog
[|Ms. Dedek's Multi 1-2 Student Blog] [|Mr. Sloan's Year Two Class], Manchester, UK [|Mrs. Patterson's First Grade Blog] [|Ms. Wojtera's First Graders], Virginia [|Room 4], Nelson, New Zealand [|Moturoa's Blog] - Year Four and Five stuents from Nelson, NZ

3. Teacher Blogs and the Students Comment
[|Mrs. Martin's Blog] [|Mrs. Ubell], Grade One, Moose Jaw, Canada [|Mrs. Fargo's First Grade]

4. Teacher Blogs About Classroom Happenings
[|Mrs. Toa], Shanghai, China [|Little Scholars], Aukland, New Zealand  = = = Cool Things to Make Your Blog Interesting =

[|Weather Pixies] This shows the current temperature where you are or anywhere else.
 * [|Example] on Kindergarten blog

[|Clustr Map] Each dot on the map represents somone that has viewed the blog--the larger the dot, the more times someone from that location has been there.
 * [|Example] on Grade One blog

[|Sitemeter] A small logo is placed on your blog, but when you click on it, it gives you more information than you ever thought to want about your readers, including listings by location, referring url etc.
 * [|Example] on Grade One blog

[|Flag Counter] A counter shows the flags from each visitor's country along with the number of visitors from each location.
 * First Grade [|example]

[|Feedjit] Places flags, locations and referring websites in a live feed on your blog.
 * Year two [|example]

[|Who's Amung Us] (yes, that is spelled correctly) A world map shows the location of the last few visitors to your blog.
 * Year two [|example]

[|Shelfari] Add a virtual shelf to your blog to show your readers what you and your class are reading.
 * Second grade [|example]

[|Adopt a Pet] Add a virtual pet that moves on your mouse click.
 * A first grade [|example]

[|YackPack] A walkie-talkie like tool that you can put on your blog. People can talk to you and you to them as long as you both have a microphone and the page with the Yackpack open on your computers. Sign up and choose the walkie-talkie product.
 * [|Maria's Blog] with Yackpack
 * [|Kathy's Blog] with Yackpack

Place a link to a game on your blog that reinforces what you have been teaching.
 * [|shark break]