Why I Love Blogging With My Students

My 5th grade gifted/talented students have been sharing a blog with the other g/t students in our district.  We are all competing in a stock market game and even though the blog has only been “live” for about a week, I am absolutely amazed by how wonderful it is.  To all those who have been supporting this move or doing it themselves, I want to share a smile and a nod: now I know what you mean.

Time for the “Great Conversations”

My lesson plans for this project are impeccably written. (I helped write them this summer.)  I know what to say and when, with the best possible delivery.  However, with the state of today’s market, our students are asking terrific questions that have little to do with our pre-written lessons.  As all teachers know, there just aren’t enough minutes in the day to call on every student and listen to every thought…regardless of how relevant.  I’m encouraging my students to continue the conversation on the blog.  Guess what?  THEY ARE!!

Parent Involvement

As far as I can tell, the parents are loving our blog.  Often, the students are posting comments such as, “I was talking with my parents and they said the stock market blah-de-blah-blah.”  Therefore, students are not just learning from their own parents, but from the parents of their peers… even those who happen to be financial geniuses, in this case.

Unassigned Homework

The students know the blog is open to them at any time.  They are really enjoying the high that comes with peer reviewed publishing, just as I do.  They understand that more students will read/comment on their posts if they are relavant, reliable and interesting.  They are also understanding that the best way to write R.R.I posts is to conduct research.  I haven’t assigned extra homework…they’re doing it on their own.

I’m sure I’ll have more to add to this list of reasons why I love blogging with my students.  It’s so much better than I ever expected. 

Spreading the “Good News”

Maybe it’s because I’m sensitive to the issue, but this week, I’ve noticed a slight theme in the Twitters and blogs I’ve been following:  Most of the world doesn’t understand the power of social networking.  Specifically, folks don’t understand how Web 2.0 tools can help allof us learn and grow, especially if used correctly with school children.  Over the past few weeks, I’ve plugged myself in to this world and consider this past-time to be personal and professional research.  I know I have a long way to go, but I’m proud of the progress I’ve made so far.

That being said, I’m wondering why so many people, as Dean Shareski pointed out, think these tools are a fad.  Why isn’t the battle cry for the expansion of technology in our schools louder and therefore more difficult to ignore?   Why are so many districts writing policies which limit or ban social networking, rather than promote their use through safe guidelines and support systems?  One reason could be bad press.

Bad press is better than no press at all?  Maybe, maybe not.  Right now, the majority of key players (administrators, teachers and parents) are not active participants in a social networking system.  I’m guessing they hear about tools such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, etc. via 1) their pre-teen, teenage or college age children or 2) TV or newspapers. 

Parents are led to believe that the sites are a sort of online scrapbook that kids can share with their friends.  Television leads them to believe the sites are dangerous.  (see “Beatrice, you’re way off“ ) Based on those influences why would parents, administrators,  or teachers support the use of social networking tools in school?   What the social networking world needs in good press.

Yes, many very intelligent and highly motivating people are dedicating their careers and lives to making real change in educational technology.  We should all be very thankful to their efforts.  A bit of mainstream positive press wouldn’t hurt the movement, would it?  The last I noticed was the coverage on the Congressional hearing on Second Life by The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.  It may not have been exactly positive, but at least it wasn’t negative.  (side-note:  Did Congress ever come to any conclusions about SL?  If they did, most of the mainstream news missed it.)

I’ll do my part to spread “good news” about social networking.  My next evil plan (muahahahaha…) is to post our school’s photos on Flickr.   Hopefully our teachers, administrators and parents will have a chance to use these tools themselves, and create a more informed opinion.