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Friday, June 22, 2012

Parents: Bloggin' for our Noggins!

If you are reading this blog, chances are you are the proud parent of a middle or high school student that I could possibly be so lucky to teach next year (or we just happen to be friends on Facebook...my apologiesJ). I am reaching out to you because I am working on creating a class blog for my students next year. 
As a self-proclaimed "technology nerd" I am always seeking out ways to reach our students of the 21st century.  With cell phones, texting, Ipads, and reading tablets, it is pretty difficult to "stay in-the-know" when it comes to new technologies.  I strive to create a classroom environment that is thought-provoking and challenging for all students.  With that being said, I know our kiddos gravitate towards anything to do with technology. So as a teacher, I plan to capitalize on their love of technology and sneak in some learning in the mean time. Shame. On. Me.  :-)

My goal for this blog is to encourage writing and critical thinking.  As a student myself, who just completed my master's degree mostly online, I understand the importance of an online learning community.  It is the direction upper education is going.  So why not introduce our students to this NOW! With the increased level of difficulty on the STAARS and EOC exams, critical and analytical writing is key in order for students to be successful. 

So here is how this would work.  As the teacher, I would post something relevant to what we are reading/learning in class or a current event.  It would require students to think, possibly research, and respond to one another.  My goal is to set up a mini online learning community in which we all learn from one another.  I am also thinking of asking guests of various fields and professions to "host" a blog topic and interact with the kids. After I post the topic, students go to this website and comment. 

Now, before students’ comments are made public, I read each one and approve their comment.  Once I approve, with a click of the button, their comment is available for me, parents and their classmates to see.

The reason I sent you this invite is because I want to know a couple of things.

1.  Are you familiar with blogging?

2.  Does your kiddo blog?

3.  Could you see the benefit of students’ blogging?

4.  Are you comfortable in allowing your student to get online and learn in this format?

Of course, we will be doing lots of reading and writing in class.  This is just an added attempt to hook kids into writing. I also understand that not all kids have access to the computers/internet at home.  We will work around that during the instructional day at school. 

I would appreciate your thoughts.  Remember your comments won’t show up immediately…I have to approve them. J  To comment, just simply click on the comment portion at the end of this blog.  If you have a Gmail/Google account you can log-in or simply just choose anonymous.  If you wish to leave your name, just type it at the end of your comment.  Thanks in advance for any input/comments/concerns.  I am thrilled to be back at GHS and look forward to a great year! 

Holly Campbell