workshops should begin and end by having people think and write about their learning goals. Workshops and series should be named after learning goals rather than tools.
involves introducing tools not by the unconscionably boring "click-along-with-the-presenter" method, but by giving participants a logical series of steps to perform and having them figure out how to do them through play, exploration, peer and facilitator support.
professional development plans ultimately need to build towards creating environments where teachers are coaching, guiding, supporting and inspiring one another.
for teaching writing, blogging isn't the best choice. Your students will learn much more and be less likely personalize their mistakes if you have those conversations face to face.
Where blogging shines is through the ideas shared and the conversations created by posting online. If that isn't the goal of your writing assignment, perhaps you need to rethink the medium you have chosen for your students to use.
Every day at BCLUW is Digital Learning Day. Technology is not viewed as a separate entity needing a specific time to be etched into the classroom for use, in fact it reminds me a lot of the dichotomy between reading and writing; technology infused curriculum is the norm here, a natural part of pedagogy and student learning.
This article is long-ish, but it brings up one of my biggest concerns about technology and whether or not we should use it so much. It talks about they way kids' brains are changing to a multi-tasking mode, leaving them unable to focus for a longer period of time on any one thing. How does our work respond to this? If our kids are always on their screens, and then we start using them a lot in school, we are increasing their screen time. But then, our approach is more "focused and academic," right? Does that make it ok?
Teach them how to blog first. We did an excellent paper blogging lesson first (found on the blog of McTeach), which brought up why we were blogging and how to do it appropriately. This got the students excited, interested as well as got them thinking about what great comments look and sound like.
This is such a crucial step. My own failed attempts at creating a classroom of bloggers can be traced back to this missing step. The paper idea is worth exploring.
10. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.