Thing #4

I really enjoyed exploring the blogs today. It was interesting to see the variety in topics and writers. I was very impressed with the 2nd and 3rd graders who were blogging. I know that if they do it with relative ease and great excitement, my 6th graders definitely could too! I found Patrick's blog so endearing. I thought it was so cool to see a student who was struggling and lacking self-confidence grow into someone who was confident and believed in himself. I know that this happened because of the people who took the time to invest in him and leave encouraging comments. I think that this is something I could employ with my own students. I can think of several students from this past year that would have greatly benefited from this. I am keeping that in mind for next year...

I also enjoyed reading Mark's blog on SSR, 2.0. I thought his idea of allowing his students to read blogs as SSR time was wonderful! I know that I have faced the challenge of antsy, disinterested students who had a really hard time digging into a book during SSR time. I think this is a great way of bringing variety to SSR time and one my students can really get excited about!

I found Dan's blog quite interesting as well. I think that blogging is a great way for educators to bounce ideas off of one another. It is a great forum for sharing new insights and discoveries. The style of blog writing seems really conversational, with commenting back and forth continuing the discussion. I think it can be beneficial for educators and students alike to construct meaning and new learning.