WEEK 2 APPLICATION--EDUC 6710

Wow, this new form of communication, is actually turning out to be very entertaining.  Not only am I noticing the potential for my blog to help me learn and understand, but I am also seeing the entertainment that it can provide.  Perhaps this entertainment could also be extended to my wonderful group of little learners; by allowing them to help me with the blog I can spread the learning to them as well.  There is even a great chance that this blog can create meaningful situations by allowing them to take ownership of their work.

After experimenting with my blog and the possibilities I have several ideas for incorporating this piece of technology in my classroom.  While it does not seem feasible or realistic to provide each 5 and 6 year old Kindergarten student with their own blog, it does make sense to create a classroom blog where we can navigate and produce an educational site together.   Fortunately, there are several choices and options for creating this classroom learning piece.

As a Kindergarten teacher I could use my blog as a class journal, for class investigations, and class points of interest.  In doing so I would allow the children to help me by informing me on what to include and even how to spell some of the words (perhaps typing), similar to an interactive writing lesson.  Only this would be more of an interactive typing lesson and would help the children with their literacy development as well as their fine motor skills. 

Our journal could be used to discuss, review, or develop further ideas for any part of the curriculum, such as math, science, social studies, etc.  Therefore, children would also have an online documentary to look back on with their parents at home.  An added bonus would be the encouragement of communication between school and home.  Not very often do 5 and 6 year olds remember exactly what they did in school on any particular day when asked by their caregiver.  In fact, I can still remember the day I asked my 5 year old, “What did you have for lunch today?”  His response, “I give up!”  This is a classic example of a Kindergarten’s memory ability.  However, the blog could provide parents with specific details on any given day so that they may prompt their children to discuss school topics at home.  What a great way to link the two together!

Speaking of home communication, I could also use my blog to post important dates and reminders for the parents.  While, my school does provide each teacher with a website, a blog would allow the parent to immediately communicate back to me with any question, comments, or concerns.  I have found that many parents may have the same question, but only one is brave enough to inquire.  Therefore, a blog would allow all parents to benefit from the answers and information I provide.  This would definitely save me time and energy as an educator.

Finally, I could also use the blog to publish student work.  Obviously, the majority of Kindergarteners may not be able to type and publish their own work.  Furthermore, they would never be able to publish their own coloring and artwork without some form of adult assistance.  Therefore, I could use my scanner or document camera to save images of their work onto my computer and transfer them into the blog site.  After all, pictures are an integral part of writing development and should be celebrated and included in a portfolio for a Kindergarten classroom. 

Ultimately, I believe using a blog within my classroom would enhance my curriculum by providing an opportunity to visually demonstrate student work, especially when using the blog in conjunction with my SMARTBOARD.  Furthermore, the children would realize the importance of their work given the fact that the whole world can now view it.  This would in turn give them a sense of pride and achievement on a greater level than posting their work in the halls of the school.  Knowing the whole world is looking would make them feel important, provide meaning, and hopefully be a motivational tool to try their very best.