(Photo from wordle.pmateini)
This is the summary of #ELT chat from Wednesday 5th July 2013 Topic “Blogging with students”
Many ELT professionals and learners are sharing their ideas, not only in the traditional classroom environment but also using some tools and platforms to get the learners more motivated to go beyond.
Although it is not an easy task to use these digital tools with some of our Learners, they are helpful to motivate and engage “teachers and students” to create a good learning opportunity as well. In this #ELT chat summary some teachers have highlighted, discussed and shared ideas, doubts and experiences which have encouraged them blogging with their students .
Some ideas for blogging with students:
- Choose a platform or tool
- Purpose to blog with them
- Create learning opportunity
- interaction
Types of blogs:
@mattellman: Kidblog looks good, I’ve always just suggested WordPress and Blogger #ELTchat
@theteacherjamesI think Tumblr would appeal to teenagers as an easy platform for blogging.
@MicaelaCarey: I use glogster. You can do lots of things with it- post videos, pics, graphics, text- all on one page.
@Shaunwilden: For a few years, much more popular than Posterous ever was, but eventually it’ll go out of fashion.
@ eannegrenoble: why not use wikis for students to blog on ?
Pros and Cons of blogs:
@theteacherjames: I soooo agree with you! WordPress is pretty unmanageable for most of the Ss
@ SueAnnan: Blogger is quite straightforward
@ mattellman: It looks like there are different recommendations for YLs and for adults; what suits older learners?
@hartle: my ss have thr own Blogger blogs etc. but didn’t really use thm much for English
What do the students blog about?
@SueAnnan yes its more of a journal type thing
@Marisa_C: Their English-learning experiences, study techniques – younger ones topics they like, hobbies
@theteacherjames: If a blog is just a place where sts leave their written work, I don’t think so, but more than that? Not sure #eltchat self-reflective learning log … maybe that’s not bloggin either…
@Marisa_C: Quite a few state schools in Spain get students to blog about hobbies, reviews, biographies etc
“Do you think they learned transferable skills / language blogging?”
@mattellman: I think this is a really valid point, are we ‘persuading’ sts to do sth they would have no real interest to do
@theteacherjames: I’m pretty sure my Ss didn’t use WP outside of class- but I think it was still worthwhile using it in class
@vickyloras In theory yes, but they might not be so determined as you!
@theteacherjames Sure, following instructions, write for diff genres navigate, lan&produce posts in pairs, use graphs
@Marisa_C “blogging is about writing but it starts with reading”
@PlanELT: When I was using a blog with Ss, we had 1 lesson a fortnight with prep time before to blog to consolidate reading & writing lessons
Blooging x facebook
@hartle: on FB page my ss happy to share links, videos etc, and comunicate informally in English, which has really impressed me this year
@hartle do you think your Ss learn through FB or do you think see it as valuable in other ways to communicate outside the class
@PlanELT: When I was using a blog with Ss, we had 1 lesson a fortnight with prep time before to blog to consolidate reading & writing lessons
@hartle fb’s got the advantage of being a platform they’re probably already familiar with
@PlanELT #eltchat FB simply a space, what you do is what helps them to learn, but they feel at ease there so they are happy to use English
@hartle: #eltchat here the link to my st. FB page again, just to see wht they do. It’s very easy for them to Im me as well.
@LizziePinard: i reckon class blog, you prompt interaction by modelling it yourself through showing interest, questions etc
@hartel: the key to motivation is “real communication”, useful tasks and ease of messaging etc. Then blogging makes sense.
Training and support:
@DinaDobrou: I don’t know if it has been mentioned but tech training and support is required at first.
@theteacherjames: I agree too, but I would be inclined to choose the easiest platform with the least amount of training required.
@eannegrenoble (…) added value to Eng lesson
Mandatory, Assessment or a “challenge” blog:
@hartle It seems then that if it’s real communication stds are engaged, but if it’s a teacher idea it’s as boring as normal h/w!
@theteacherjames: If your sts blog is not mandatory, how do you get them to use it?
@Marisa_C They usually do, but they want to know whether they will get a grade for it or not.
@PlanELT It could be a means of formative assessment or a way to build a portfolio of written work
@LizziePinard: i reckon class blog, you prompt interaction by modelling it yourself through showing interest, questions etc
@T_Tsirigotis: Whether they follow a certain flow, like one post per week, it can be assessed as an onlinewriting portfólio
@hartle: the key to motivation is “real communication”, useful tasks and ease of messaging etc. Then blogging makes sense.
Class or individual blogs:
@theteacherjames #eltchat depends on your objectives
@LizziePinard: I think the idea of a blog as where class works ends up is very attractive and motivating.
@LizziePinard: if you make it part of class, integrated, then it won’t seem like an irrelevant extra and gather dust
@eannegrenoble: We have individ blogs (wikis) for grades plus classblog with designated pair 4
@theteacherjames I prefer both a class blog to share group work & news-Individual blogs for each kid to share personal work & news
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http://www.scoop.it/t/reflections-on-learning
http://www.livebinders.com/play/play_or_edit?id=124251
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