Post on 18-May-2015
Blogger.com: An effective tool for classroom
management and student collaboration
Nikki Mattson and
Ruth Parrish SauderIntensive English Communication Program
Penn State University
Presentation Components
Benefits of blogs in language teaching Blogs for classroom management Blogs for collaboration Blog creation and activity
Benefits of Blogs in Language Teaching
For teachers, blogs…
Aid in classroom management (Gerich, 2013)
Expand the options for reflective writing and active reading activities(Gerada, 2012)
Allow for tracking of assignment submission dates and times (Al Fadah & Al-Yahya, 2011)
Facilitate the connection of familiar and unfamiliar in the classroom(Yunus, Tuan, & Salehi, 2013)
For students, blogs…
Facilitate collaborative, peer-to-peer learning(Amir, Ismail & Hussin, 2011)
Allow for opportunities to be subject-matter experts(Ducate & Lomicka, 2005)
Increase feelings of ownership(Ducate & Lomicka, 2005)
Give access to a discourse community, including a real audience(Yunus, Tuan, & Salehi, 2013)
For both groups, blogs...
Are free or low-cost and easily accessible(Gerada, 2012)
Foster community-building within the class group outside the classroom(Ducate & Lomicka, 2005)
Encourage the expression of diverse perspectives(Ducate & Lomicka, 2005)
Support the practice of negotiated meaning(Yunus, Tuan, & Salehi, 2013)
Blogs for Classroom Management: Accessible Course Content
Blogs for Classroom Management: Reading and Reaction Example
The titles and dates update automatically,
making it easy for a teacher to see when students
complete assignments.
Blogs for Classroom Management: Creating a Chronological Writing Portfolio
Why Are Blogs Useful for Classroom Management?
Link to other sources of knowledge Can be used to provide course details and documents and review
student assignments remotely Serve as an accessible space for announcements and homework
descriptions and deadlines Can be accessed at any time from any place, especially with mobile
devices Allow students to find the answers to course-related questions
(repository of important course documents and policies) Archive student work in chronological order Automatically date (hourly) assignment submission Can display individual student blogs on the course blog for easy
access to peer work
Blogs for CollaborationStudents as Readers, Authors, and Critical Responders
Readers
Authors
Critical Responders
Blogs for CollaborationDiverse Perspectives
Teacher training -- discussing the use of chatting for ESL in China
Blogs for CollaborationPeer Learning
Blogs for CollaborationNegotiating Meaning – Reacting to an Article
Student Topic Sentence
Comments
The first two commentsseem to push the author to clarify her views, and the final comment questions the meaning/implicationsof using the word “goods”in this context.
Why Are Blogs Useful for Collaboration?
Encourage the articulation of ideas and opinions – perhaps even more so for students who are hesitant to speak during class
Increase opportunities to engage with multiple perspectives and knowledge sources
Build communities and create opportunities for interaction outside of class
Provide a “real” audience for students (the teacher is not the only reader/reactor)
Help students create links between course content, their own ideas, and the ideas of peers
Support reader commentary and engagement Allow subject/topic “experts” to share their knowledge and learn from
other “experts” Connect multiple classes and/or populations Accessed remotely at any time (scheduling difficulties can be reduced) Allows for careful reflection since interactions are not in real time
Let’s Get Started!
Go to blogger.com
If you don’t have a gmail account, click on the red “sign up” button at the top right of the page.
If you already have a gmail account, sign in.
Create your Blog Once you
have signed in, click on “New blog” (a grey button on the left side)
Set up Your Blog
Type the title and address of your blog› these cannot be
changed later Choose the
template› this can be
changed later Click “Create
blog!”
Manage Your Blog
Get help
Change your template (the way your blog looks)
See how often your blog is viewedView your blog
Write a new post
Learn more
Online Activity and Troubleshooting Resources
Accessible from the workshop blog:› http
://threeriverstesolblogworkshop.blogspot.com/
Includes› Student instructions for setting up a blog› Student blog commenting etiquette
exercise› Activity ideas› Common technical issues and suggestions
Leave a Comment
Once you have your blog set up, please leave us a comment on the post called “Your ideas here!” › http://threeriverstesolblogworkshop.blogsp
ot.com
› Tell us about how you use or might use blogs in your classes.
ReferencesAl-Fadda, H., & Al-Yahya, M. (2010). Using web blogs as a tool to encourage pre-class
reading, post-class reflections and collaboration in higher education. US-China Education Review, 7(7), 100-106.
Amir, Z., Ismail, K., & Hussin, S. (2011). Blogs in language learning: Maximizing students’
collaborative writing. Procedia: Social and Behavioral Sciences. 18, 537-548.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2011.05.079 Ducate, L. C., & Lomicka, L. L. (2005). Exploring the blogosphere: Use of web logs in the
foreign language classroom. Foreign Language Annals, 38(3), 410-412. Gedara, D. S. P. (2012). The dynamics of blog peer feedback in ESL classroom. Teaching
English with Technology, 12(4), 16-30. Retrieved from http://tewtjournal.org Gerich, D. (2013). Beyond the class blog: Creative and practical uses of Blogger for the
ESL classroom. TESOL Journal, 4.1, 175-181. Yunus, M., Tuan, J. L., & Salehi, H. (2013). Using blogs to promote writing skill in ESL
classroom. In Fujita, H. and Sasaki, J. (Eds.), Recent Advances in Modern Educational Technologies (pp. 109-113). Retrieved from
http://www.wseas.org/multimedia/books/2013/Morioka/EDU.pdf
Thank You!