KidBlog Handbook

Kidblog Project Elementary School Student Writing

2012

KristinTrace Western School Board

2/10/2012

February 10, 2012 [KIDBLOG PROJECT]

K r i s t i n T r a c e – W e s t e r n S c h o o l B o a r d T e c h n o l o g y C o n s u l t a n t

Page 2

Table of Contents Rationale: ................................................................................................................................... 3

Blogging Explained .................................................................................................................... 5

Teacher Skills/Approach ............................................................................................................ 6

Desired Criteria for Blogging Platform: ....................................................................................... 7

LESSON PLAN A: Real World Vs Online World .......................................................................11

LESSON PLAN B: Terms Of Expectations ...............................................................................13

LESSON PLAN C: The Constructing of a Good Post ...............................................................15

LESSON PLAN D: Commenting for Conversation ....................................................................18

Setting Up Your Class in Kidblogs.............................................................................................20

Adding Users and Changing Passwords ................................................................................22

Types of User Accounts ........................................................................................................22

How to Add a New Post .........................................................................................................24

Reviewing Posts and Comments ...........................................................................................25

Accessing the Blog with Students ..........................................................................................25

APPENDIX A: Sample Information Letter ..................................................................................26

APPENDIX B: Blogging Pledge .................................................................................................27

APPENDIX C: Blogging Rubric by Ryan Bretag ........................................................................28

APPENDIX D: Idea Bank ..........................................................................................................30

APPENDIX E: Rules for Commenting .......................................................................................32

APPENDIX F: Suggested Blogging Guidelines .........................................................................33

APPENDIX G: Suggested Commenting Guidelines ..................................................................34

APPENDIX H: Assessment Considerations ..............................................................................35

APPENDIX I: Commenting Poster Example ..............................................................................36

REFERENCES .........................................................................................................................37



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Blogs for Kids by Sharon Housley

Flush out the writer in children. Blogging could draw out a young writer and open doors to their future. Consider encouraging your child to start blogging!

Children love having an audience. The instant recognition and approval that comes from a crowd just can't be beat. Employing blogs to help develop good spelling habits, grammar skills, and develop a love for writing at a young age is an innovative concept that has potential benefits:

Benefits

1.) Responsibility/Commitment - Daily Posts Regular updates require children to be disciplined and responsible.

2.) Communication - Increased Communication with Friends and Relatives Blogging or journaling gives children the opportunity to connect with relatives who might live some distance away, communicating important timely issues.

3.) Technology - Exposure to Internet Technologies Children are growing into a technology-laden world. Exposure to innovative Internet technology will help them with communication skills and résumé-building. 4.) Improved Writing Skills When presented with an audience, children will want to present their "best" work.

5.) Improved Editing Skills Proofreading is an important skill that is difficult to teach. Editing of daily entries will help children learn how to present their ideas clearly and professionally. 6.) Improved Spelling Automated spell-checking helps children be aware of spelling errors when they occur.

7.) Typing Getting children acquainted with keyboards at a young age will help them become familiar with their layout and function, quickly making them proficient typists.

H o u s l e y , S h a r o n . " B l o g s f o r K i d s . " B l o g C o n n e c t i o n . N . p . , n . d . W e b . 3 O c t 2 0 1 1 . < h t t p : / / w w w . b l o g - c o n n e c t i o n . c o m / b l o g s - k i d s . h t m > .

Rationale:



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10 Reasons Your Students Should Be Blogging

1. Blogging is a confidence builder 2. Blogging is cross-curricular 3. You can grow your own personal learning network 4. Increased exposure of your students’ talents in the school 5. Authentic writing for authentic audiences 6. Exposure to today’s technology that students might not otherwise get 7. Collaborative experiences 8. You can build a writing portfolio for each student on their terms 9. Blogging levels the playing field for kids who don’t like to write in the traditional way 10. Blogging creates instant engagement

F o r t h e f u l l b l o g p o s t , v i s i t : R a y , M a t t . " 1 0 R e a s o n s Yo u r S t u d e n t s S h o u l d B e B l o g g i n g . " F r o m t h e D e s k o f Mr . F o t e a h . 0 1 O c t 2 0 1 1 . W e b . 3 1 O c t . 2 0 1 1 . < h t t p : / / p h o t o m a t t 7 . wo r d p r e s s . c o m / 2 0 1 1 / 1 0 / 0 1 / r e a s o n s - t o - b l o g / > .



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•COMMENTS •POSTS

•COMMENTS •POSTS

Evaluate Review

Reflect Revise

Blogging Explained

There are two basic activities on a blog:

1. Posts – writing an article, journal entry, lesson learned, reflection of an experience, etc; and,

2. Comments – responding to or commenting on a Post.

There are ample opportunities to work on crafting the art of writing and communication through evaluation, reviewing, reflecting and revising both comments and posts.



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Teacher Skills/Approach

A current blogger o Can model appropriate posting PUBLICALLY

Eg class homework blog Understanding of social media

o Privacy protection o Appropriate commenting o Marketing self

Home contact o Understands the importance of communicating this project

Dispel fears Engender support Engender participation?

o Understands the importance of parental permissions Explains what will and will not be published Explains that material posted will be moderated

Expectations o Provide feedback (comments) for students o Encourage feedback resulting in editing of posts o Provide a copy of rubrics before assignments given o Provide exemplars – class discuss why they are o Do not expect a finished and polished product on early drafts



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Desired Criteria for Blogging Platform: The following criteria outline what would be preferable for a blogging platform for Elementary and Intermediate aged children (under 13 years of age). The requirements suit older children as well; however, the simplicity of use desired for younger children may limit multimedia and formatting capabilities. Older students may, ideally with parental permission, use different platforms. Our focus for this project is on literacy and digital literacy.

Simple (learning curve should not dissuade teachers and students from this project)

Type of Account o Student accounts

non-identifiable no email or

personal information required to create accounts teacher administers accounts (passwords, usernames, and read/write

capabilities) Scaffolded Privacy

o Classmates and Teacher Only o Classmates, Teacher and Guests Only o Wide Open, No Visitor Commenting o Wide Open, Commenting by all (with approval) o Wide Open, Commenting by all (no approval required)

Monitoring capabilities Control of publishing Cost – FREE! No Advertising



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Criteria Chart Criteria Blogger Kidblog WordPress Edublogs Posterous Simple - Yes

- Students must remember their login

- Students must post to main page (will get cluttered quickly)

- Login menus allow students to pick their usernames

- Clutter free design (no widgets more written content)

- Students post on their own page

- Need a good understanding of blogging to use

- Based on Wordpress therefore need a good understanding of blogging to use

- Yes once it is set up - Set up is

complicated and not intuitive

Type of Account

- Can send invitation to be an author; however, must create a Google Account (children must be 13 years of age)

- Student accounts - No personal info

req’d - No email required - No registration

required

- Can send an invitation to be an author; however, requires personal information

- Must be age 13 to create an account

- Can create student accounts, but require an email

- Can batch create blogs

- Intended only for education

- Students do not require an account but can also be set up as contributors

- They can email in posts and comments but this cannot be done if the space is deemed private – they must be members (contributors)

- These must be approved

Privacy - Requires email, gender, name

- Student blogs are private by default (viewable to only classmates and teacher)

- “semi-public” blogs available through guest accounts where a password is required to view student posts/comments

- Various privacy settings (totally closed to wide open)

- Requires personal information – email, name, gender

- no exposure to other blogs

- accessible by most schools – so not 100% private

- students may email to your blog

- requires approval by admin

- can limit who views your site by invite only (requires email) – but this requires that contributors be members



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Criteria Blogger Kidblog WordPress Edublogs Posterous Monitoring - Cannot monitor

items posted by authors

- Can monitor comments

- Mandatory monitoring and approval of comments before posting can be set up and done quite easily from one panel

- Cannot monitor items posted by authors other than logging in and removing



- Emailed posts can be approved by the blog owner


Control - Teachers can remove access for individuals

- Teachers have administrative control over all student blogs and student accounts

- Administrator must invite comments and posts



Cost - Currently free - Currently free - Free with limited functionality

- Free however can upgrade for increased functionality

- Currently free

Advertising - yes - none - none - none - none Notes - commonly used by

classroom teachers (therefore they have a familiarity with it)

- can be tweaked to be “pretty”

- can add “widgets”

- can embed multimedia into posts

- is based on an extremely scaled down version of Word Press

- can embed multimedia into posts

- a good choice for professional blogs – teachers may choose this option and schools are using this option for school website replacement

- no adult content - the biggest

difference between this and WordPress is the ability to add student blogs, suppression of adult content, and ability to purchase in bulk for school districts

- Would likely choose this option for older students (over age 13 – with parental permission)

The scope of this project is intended for elementary age children. Therefore, Kidblog meets the mark; however, older students (over age 13) would likely find it not as attractive. They are unable to tweak their personal pages for individuality. I would likely use Posterous for a site with older children (with parental permission and an understanding of the differences in privacy).



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Blogging Write FAQ

An accompanying blog called “Blogging Write” has been set up in Kidblog to provide extra information and also to provide a playground for teachers to try new things in separate from the one you will set up for your students.

I don’t have a login for this blog: Contact the WSB Technology Consultant for a username and password.

I can’t view the posts you have indicated in lesson plans: You can type in or click on the direct links provided in the lesson plans OR you can click on wsbtech in the right hand menu and click show xx posts from any time.



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LESSON PLAN A: Real World Vs Online World Overview and Purpose What will be learned and why it is useful.

Outcomes Addressed What curriculum outcomes this lesson meets.

Students will learn to apply safety concepts for real life into their virtual life.

• C 2.1 Examine current Canadian law governing the use of technology • E 2.3 Adhere to acceptable use agreement for work

station/network/Internet • E 2.6 Adhere to copyright and privacy laws, give credit to sources of

information (MLA, APA) • E 2.7 Identify ethical issues involved with Internet content, awareness

of appropriate use of technology • E 2.8 Demonstrate caution before sending personal information over

the Internet • C 3.1 Discuss ways in which the Internet is evolving

** all materials developed in these lessons by students can be posted on the teacher’s blog as well as in the classroom

Teacher Guide Student Guide Objectives (Specify skills/information that will be learned)

• Lead a discussion where students draw upon their experience being safe and private in other environments to compare with an online one

• Students will understand that safety and privacy protection is important not just in the physical world

• Students will take ownership of their own safety and privacy

Materials Needed • Interactive Whiteboard (Smart Board™) or

chart paper (to record discussion) • Mall and/or Online Safety Rules diagram

reproduced on chart paper or notebook file (found on our Kidblog under the post Lesson Plan Support Files) (see next page for screen shot)Information

(Give and/or demonstrate necessary information)

• Safety issues are the same except for three main differences:

• Immediate • 24/7 • Far reaching (larger

audience) • Check Out the

Resource “Students Share Why the Internet is Like the Mall” and

• Students can brainstorm with teacher

• the chart paper or notebook file can be printed and posted in the classroom

• It can also be posted in the class blog for all to see (take a photo or create a .pdf from your notebook file)



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Teacher Guide Student Guide use it to help prompt students to agreement

• Internet Safety and Privacy Scenario Handout

(found on our Kidblog under the post Lesson Plan Support Files)

Verification (Steps to check for student understanding)

• Have students look at some scenarios and discuss any issues they see

• What issues do you see with the scenarios? Small group task. Share to other groups.

Other Resources • Students Share Why the Internet Is Like the Mall

http://mrspripp.blogspot.com/2011/09/students-share-why-internet-is-like.html

• http://www.cybersafefamily.com/top-10-mistakes-kids-make-online/ Activity

(Describe the independent activity to reinforce this lesson)

• Each time a child makes a post or comment the teacher shall ensure that they are adhering to their own rules

• If children are not adhering to the rules, the teacher should have a conversation with the child to point out the discrepancies and guide them into fixing the post/comment to align to the rules they agreed upon

Summary Students should have a better understanding of the methods people use to interfere with their safety and privacy online. They should also be aware that ADULTS are there to help guide them and help them when issues crop up.

Additional Notes • Extension Activity: Have students create a blog post

about the importance of internet safety with their younger siblings/relatives in mind and post this in their personal blog.

http://mrspripp.blogspot.com/2011/09/students-share-why-internet-is-like.html�

http://mrspripp.blogspot.com/2011/09/students-share-why-internet-is-like.html�

http://www.cybersafefamily.com/top-10-mistakes-kids-make-online/�




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LESSON PLAN B: Terms Of Expectations Overview and Purpose What will be learned and why it is useful.


Students will learn what the expectations are for being a member of this blogging community and the larger online community by extension. They will learn the consequences of developing poor online reputations vs marketing themselves for the future. Students will - Learn why having blogging rules and guidelines is important - View and discuss examples from other schools - Decide on the rules and guidelines for their class - Publish these on the blog - Educate their parents (guests) on appropriate use before they

are granted access

• E 2.1 respect equipment and other student’s work • E 2.3 adhere to acceptable use for work station/network/ Internet • E 2.4 use electronic communication etiquette • E 2.6 adhere to copyright and privacy laws, give credit to sources

of information (MLA, APA) • E 2.7 identify ethical issues involved with Internet content,

awareness of appropriate use of technology • E 2.8 demonstrate caution before sending personal information

over the internet • E 2.9 follow publishing etiquette (suitable language, no

discrimination, etc). Adhere to guidelines for school webpages as outlined by the PEI Department of Education.



• Teachers should review the three links provided (found on our Kidblog under the post Lesson Plan Support Files) – a direct link is located under Other Resources in the right hand column

• Students can brainstorm as a group what blogging rules and guidelines they might wish to have as a class (record on visual organizer)

Materials Needed • Visual Organizer – brainstorming

(Notebook or Inspiration software – or chart paper)

• Appendix F ~ Sample Blogging Guidelines

Information (Give and/or demonstrate necessary information)

• Ensure students include all pertinent items

• Consider creating your own in preparation with your absolute must-haves underlined to help guide this discussion

• A sample one is provided in Appendix F

• Students can review the three links on Lesson Plan B: Terms and Expectations (found on our Kidblog under the post Lesson Plan Support Files) – a direct link is listed under other resources



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• Have students create fictitious blog posts which demonstrate how each rule is broken

• Have students discuss their concerns about what might happen when the rules are broken

Other Resources • http://kidblog.org/WritingTogether/wsb

tech/lesson-plan-support-files/ • http://www.cybersafefamily.com/top-

10-mistakes-kids-make-online/

Activity (Describe the independent activity to reinforce this lesson)

• • Students will be responsible for creating a word processed document clearly outlining all the expectations using formatting and organization to make it simple to read (this will be incorporated into the demo blog post by the teacher for the first day)

• This can be posted as an Anchor Chart wherever they do their blogging

Summary • Although it is wonderful to have teachers guide this instruction, students must not only demonstrate understanding of their rules, but also develop a sense of ownership

Additional Notes • Students can extend their responsibility

to instructing their parents how to not only use the blog, but also what the guidelines are

http://kidblog.org/WritingTogether/wsbtech/lesson-plan-support-files/�

http://kidblog.org/WritingTogether/wsbtech/lesson-plan-support-files/�





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LESSON PLAN C: The Constructing of a Good Post Overview and Purpose What will be learned and why it is useful.


Students will learn what makes a quality post. They will practice this information in all writing prepared for their blog.

• B 7.2 locate characters on a keyboard and identify functions of

work processing (ie cursor, insertion point, enter key, space bar, uppercase, backspace, shortcut key)

• B 7.3 use editing tools to revise work (ie spelling check, thesaurus, find and replace)

• B 7.4 change font, size, colour, style (ie bold, italics, underline, insert special characters, drop capitals)

• B 7.5 format text (ie. Justification, line spacing, outlines and bullets, text wrap)

• Use a Range of strategies in writing and other ways of representing to o Frame questions and design investigations to answer their

questions o Find topics of personal importance o Record, develop, and reflect on ideas o Compare their own thoughts and beliefs to those of others o Describe feelings, reactions, values, and attitudes o Record and reflect on experiences and their responses to

them o Formulate goals for learning o Practice and apply strategies for monitoring learning

• Make language choices to enhance meaning and achieve interesting effects in imaginative writing and other ways of representing

• Create written and media texts using an increasing variety of forms o Demonstrate understanding that particular forms require the

use of specific features, structures, and patterns • Address the demands of an increasing variety of purposes and

audiences o Make informed choices of form, style, and content for

specific audiences and purposes • Invite responses to early drafts of their writing/media productions

o Use audience reaction to help shape subsequent drafts o Reflect on their final drafts from a reader’s/viewer’s/listener’s



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point of view • Select from a range of prewriting, drafting, revising, editing,

proofreading, and presentation strategies to develop effective pieces of writing and other representations

• Use the conventions of written language in final products • Use technology with increasing proficiency to create, revise, edit

and publish texts • Demonstrate commitment to shaping pieces of writing and other

representations • Select, organize and combine relevant information from three to

five sources



• Considering audience • Factual support for

agree/disagree opinions • Meeting purpose • Avoiding plagiarism but

using quotes to support writing

• Considering audience • Factual support for

agree/disagree opinions • Meeting purpose • Avoiding plagiarism but

using quotes to support writing

Materials Needed • What is Support? Avail from

our Kidblog at: http://kidblog.org/WritingTogether/wsbtech/what-is-support/

• Consider Audience. Avail from our Kidblog at: http://kidblog.org/WritingTogether/wsbtech/consider-audience/


• Write about what you disagree with and/or write about what you agree (What is Support?)

• Audience o Purpose

• To pose questions • Avoid plagiarism

o But do quote from others if it supports your writing

• Brainstorm types of support and create an anchor chart

• Brainstorm why students need to consider audience

• Demonstrate how to quote from others


• Write a post together. Topic of your choice, but consider something “controversial” which they must be for such as:

• This may be done as a class or in small groups

Other Resources • Blogging Rubric Example:

https://docs.google.com/Doc?id=df8b89sj_324h7b58tgq

http://kidblog.org/WritingTogether/wsbtech/what-is-support/�

http://kidblog.org/WritingTogether/wsbtech/what-is-support/�

http://kidblog.org/WritingTogether/wsbtech/consider-audience/�



https://docs.google.com/Doc?id=df8b89sj_324h7b58tgq�




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o School uniforms o A six day school week o No minor hockey for

children under the age of 16

o etc Activity (Describe the independent activity to reinforce this lesson)

• Students will write their own first post (opinion based) and post on their Kidblog page

• Teacher will comment on posts

Summary • Students should always remember they have an audience that needs to be convinced

• They can accomplish this through support, explanations of issues, and objective language

• Ensure students always remember that they should not post identifying information within their work

Additional Notes • Use our Writing Prompt Post for

Ideas: http://kidblog.org/WritingTogether/wsbtech/writing-prompts/

• Check out the Writing Assignments from PEI English Language Arts Curriculum (4-6) Appropriate for Blogging matrix: http://kidblog.org/WritingTogether/wsbtech/writing-assignments-from-pei-english-language-arts-curriculum-4-6-appropriate-for-blogging/

• Check out the Idea Bank (Appendix D)

All Grade 4 – 6 writing can be posted in this manner as the start of a digital portfolio. Teachers may wish to copy the instructions for creating a post from this blog to their own to aid students.

http://kidblog.org/WritingTogether/wsbtech/writing-prompts/�

http://kidblog.org/WritingTogether/wsbtech/writing-prompts/�

http://kidblog.org/WritingTogether/wsbtech/writing-assignments-from-pei-english-language-arts-curriculum-4-6-appropriate-for-blogging/�







Page 18

LESSON PLAN D: Commenting for Conversation Overview and Purpose What will be learned and why it is useful.


• Learn why blog comments are important. • Understand what makes a good comment • Learn why comments can improve your writing

• E 2.1 respect equipment and other student’s work • E 2.3 adhere to acceptable use for work station/network/ Internet • E 2.4 use electronic communication etiquette • E 2.6 adhere to copyright and privacy laws, give credit to sources

of information (MLA, APA) • E 2.7 identify ethical issues involved with Internet content,

awareness of appropriate use of technology • E 2.8 demonstrate caution before sending personal information

over the internet • E 2.9 follow publishing etiquette (suitable language, no

discrimination, etc). Adhere to guidelines for school webpages as outlined by the PEI Department of Education.



• Commenting makes your blog post a dialogue and interactive

• What are appropriate ways to comment on a post?

• Teacher must model appropriate commenting.

• Teacher must reinforce appropriate commenting.

• Commenting makes your blog post part of a discussion

• There are appropriate ways to comment on a post

• Review teacher comments on first post

• Materials Needed • Commenting Poster Example

(see appendix I)


• Compliment the writer in a specific way

• Add new information. • Make a connection. • End with a question • Proofread your comment.

• Watch Mrs Yollis and her students talk about these steps at http://vimeo.com/15695021


• • Project a few blog posts and have students brainstorm some appropriate comments

• Other Resources • Comments For Kids Blog

(http://comments4kids.blogspot.com/) Activity • The teacher will incorporate • Students will create an

http://vimeo.com/15695021�

http://comments4kids.blogspot.com/�

http://comments4kids.blogspot.com/�



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(Describe the independent activity to reinforce this lesson)

the student’s poster in their blog post on appropriate commenting.

• This post should be referred back to any time a student writes a comment.

• The poster may also be reproduced and hung prominently in the classroom.

anchor chart in word to be included in the teacher’s blog on this lesson plan and reproduced in their blogging classroom.

• http://vimeo.com/15695021

Summary • Students (and adults) often use inappropriate language to make their points known on social media. This is an opportune area to encourage and model appropriate interaction with others in an online world.

• Comments are meant to provide feedback as part of a conversation. Ask questions. Add information. Tell why it touched or inspired you. If you disagree, state why using support and objective language.

• Additional Notes • Students may need to gently

aid their parents if and when schools open the blogs to them

• Encourage students to sit down with their parents the first time they comment to help them with the guidelines

http://vimeo.com/15695021�



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Setting Up Your Class in Kidblog

Go to: http://kidblog.org/home.php

Click to Create a Class.

You will then be prompted to create an account (see below). As you can see, the information required from the teacher is very minimal. Be sure to choose a username and password that cannot be easily guessed AND also be aware your class name and username are both visible by students and anyone on the Internet. You’ll want to use professional judgment here!

Be sure to read the Terms of Service and then click CREATE CLASS.

Tweaking Your Settings

To get to the settings, if you do not have the Settings TAB at the top of the page, click on the words CONTROL PANEL and then select it.

On the GENERAL sub-tab – select HALIFAX as the timezone. Note that you can also change your blog name here. Be sure to click the SAVE CHANGES button at the bottom of the screen.

You can choose from one of six themes for your blog by selecting the THEMES sub-tab. Yes, this is a little boring, but the purpose of this blog is to focus on student writing after all.

http://kidblog.org/home.php�



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This setting should be the best for starting out. In it, all posts must be approved by the teacher before they appear for anyone other than the author.

Eventually you may want to add some guest accounts for other teachers, consultants, etc to be able to read and comment. You would come back here and change the setting to accommodate that.



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Adding Users and Changing Passwords To add users to your class, go to the Users tab of the Control Panel. Click the “Add New Users” button and type a display name and password. Choose a role for the user and add the new user.

Students should only have their first name or a pen name you have agreed upon used. Passwords should not all be the same as students can quite easily log in to another students account.

KidBlog will suggest a series of numbers if the name is already used in their system (and it most likely is!).

There is no way for administrators to recover current passwords for students should they forget theirs. As the administrator, go to the CONTROL PANEL, click on USERS, click on EDIT below their name and give them a new password.

DO NOT ENTER THEIR EMAIL ADDRESS!



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Types of User Accounts Administrator Administrators are the highest user level, and there must be at least one Administrator for every Kidblog class. If there will only be one teacher managing a class, they must have an Administrator role. If you're a technology coordinator setting up classes for other teachers, you might be the Administrator of these classes, with teachers having a role just below you. Teacher The Teacher role can act like an Administrator in many ways, but Teachers cannot edit Administrator accounts. Administrators have the option of restricting whether or not Teachers can create other teachers within a class. Teachers always have full permission to manage student accounts. Moderator The Moderator role is intended for someone who should have the ability to approve/edit posts & comments, but shouldn't be allowed to alter student accounts. A Moderator's ability to edit posts or comments can be further limited by an Administrator. For example, the Moderator might be allowed to approve comments, but not edit users' posts. Student Students are allowed to publish posts and leave comments, but cannot alter other user accounts. Guest Guests have a password and can log in to your class blogs, but they are not allowed to publish posts. Administrators/Teachers can give guest accounts permission to read posts and leave comments. A guest account is a good choice for classrooms that want to invite families to view class blogging activity. You could provide a single Guest username/password for all of the families in your class. If they decide to leave a comment on a post, they will be prompted to enter their name so the user of this shared Guest account can be uniquely identified.



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How to Add a New Post Click on NEW POST.

Give it a title in the narrow box at the top of the screen.

There are two modes you can author in (these are accessed on the tabs at the upper right hand corner of the editing window:

1. VISUAL – which has editing tools similar to any word processor at the top of the screen

2. HTML – which is where you can type in HTML code if you know it or where you can embed HTML code from another site (Slideshare, Animoto, Glogster, etc)

Students will likely only ever author in VISUAL mode; however, the teacher may want to add some code at one time or another to import or embed media they have created in another site.

Video, media, music and images can be added via the links just above the “word processing” tools. I would suggest that since the storage of your site is somewhat limited, you may wish to dissuade students from adding any of the above except for the odd picture if required as part of your writing project.

Students should SAVE AS DRAFT (and can preview this draft) until they are ready to PUBLISH it for your approval. This is located on the right hand side of the screen.

And finally…they may add TAGs. This effectively labels the post for sorting later on. I would suggest that TAGs might be discussed as a class in order to determine what they should be…otherwise you’ll have hundreds of tags to sort through.



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Reviewing Posts and Comments In the Control Panel there are two tabs (REVIEW POSTS and COMMENTS).

Check to be sure your students are meeting not only the rubric requirements for each post and each comment, but also to be sure they are not providing any personal information (themselves or others). When you are happy click on the publish button. At this point you will have the opportunity to leave a PRIVATE comment for the student as the administrator of the blog. A feature that no other user has the option to do.

You can also access all posts and comments from the main DASHBOARD.

If you feel the student should go and “rewrite” their post or comment, do not approve it and counsel them that they can write better and allow them to rework it.

Accessing the Blog with Students Give your students the direct web address to the blog:

Mine is: http://kidblog.org/WritingTogether

(If there are posts already in your blog, people will see the titles of those posts listed on the front page, but clicking on them will not reveal any other information if you have selected that they should have a password in order to post and/or comment).

The student should be able to select their name (or pen name) from the drop down list and use the password you have provided them with. Ensure that you keep all passwords in a secure location where someone might not accidentally stumble upon them!

Have fun!

http://kidblog.org/WritingTogether�



Page 26

APPENDIX A: Sample Information Letter Dear Parents and Guardians;

This year, our classroom will be using a new learning tool; a student written blog. This letter is to explain that certain practices that will be put in place not only to help guide your child to develop positive social media skills in an environment, although online, will be open only to a selected audience. This audience may include teachers, school board consultants, other students within our school or other schools. As we move forward on this journey and gain comfort with the system, parent log ins may also be provided in order that you can view and potentially add your own comments to your child’s work and become part of our learning conversation.

The blog’s main function will be to promote a continual writing process, featuring book reviews, poetry, journal reflections, etc. They will also develop critical thinking skills as they comment and guide each other. By having a real audience, students will learn to focus their writing to target specific groups as well as continue to develop their own unique writing voice thus leading to an in-depth discovery, reflection and redirection in their literacy skills.

This project has been set up to eliminate any internet risks for your child. No personal information will be disclosed, students will get to create a username or “pen name” for themselves or use their first name only. Passwords will be given only to the individual students and their teacher.

Students will be given access to post their finished work and comments. If at any time, you are uncomfortable with something your child has posted, it will be removed, no questions asked. Before all comments and posts are made visible to members of the blog, they will be approved by me. Students with an internet connection at home will be able to post assignments and comments from home as well.

Before proceeding with this blog we will discuss proper blog etiquette, how to comment constructively and not critically, and safeguarding personal information. Students will review the Acceptable Use Policy they have signed and agree to the Blogging Pledge as well.

Yours sincerely;



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APPENDIX B: Blogging Pledge As a member of this class, I agree to:

• Never give out any personal identifying information on my blog (myself and others) • Never post pictures of friends, family members or myself unless specifically given

permission by my teacher • Understand that everything I post on the internet is public. • I will follow all school and classroom behaviour and language use rules. • I will adhere to the school’s Acceptable Use Agreement for CIT. • If I am uncomfortable with the behaviour or communication of anyone else, I will

immediately inform my teacher.



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APPENDIX C: Blogging Rubric by Ryan Bretag CATEGORY Expert-5 points Master-4 points Apprentice-3 points Novice-1 point

Critical Reading

Blog entry shows evidence of thorough preparation through critical reading and reflection thereby demonstrating an integration of relevant concepts, ideas, and principles. Author speaks as one who has a breadth and depth of knowledge.

Blog entry shows evidence of preparation through reading and reflection with some integration of ideas. Author speaks as one who has knowledge to share but at minimal depth or breadth

Blog entry shows little evidence of preparation through reading and reflection. Author speaks as one who has knowledge to share but without depth or breadth

Blog entry shows no evidence of preparation through reading or reflection. . Author speaks as one that has nothing to offer.

Critical Thinking

Blog entry demonstrates use of upper level thinking (analysis, synthesis, and evaluation) and illustrates a thoughtful approach to the content. Author demonstrates growth in their thinking.

Blog entry demonstrates moments of upper level thinking (analysis, synthesis, and evaluation) and illustrates a thoughtful approach to the content. Author demonstrates growth in their thinking.

Blog entry demonstrates little upper level thinking (analysis, synthesis, and evaluation) focusing primarily on knowledge recall and illustrates a forced approach to content. Author shows signs of growth in their thinking.

Blog entry demonstrates no upper level thinking (analysis, synthesis, and evaluation) and illustrates a careless approach to content. Author shows no sign of growth in their thinking.

Creative Thinking

Blog entry conveys evidence of creative thinking through original ideas and the integration of various forms of media to supplement the writing throughout the entire entry. Author demonstrates a new way of looking at an idea.

Blog entry conveys evidence of creative thinking through some original ideas and the integration of some forms of media to supplement the writing. Author demonstrates an intriguing but not necessarily new way of looking at an idea.

Blog entry conveys an attempt at creative thinking but the ideas are lacking and additional forms of media add little to the entry. Author demonstrates an effort to be original but needs to further develop their ideas.

Blog entry conveys no creative thinking. Author demonstrates a lack of interest or ability to present a new way of looking at an idea.

Quality of Entries

Blog entry is clear, concise, coherent and easy to understand demonstrating elements of a strong writing style. Blog entry demonstrates a polished, professional quality with few, if any, errors.

Blog entry is mostly clear, concise, and coherent with a nice writing style. Blog entry is polished but has some errors in standard written English that rarely interfere with understanding.

Blog entry is not always clear and coherent making it difficult to understand at times. Blog entry lacks publication quality as it contains several errors in standard written English interfere with understanding.

Blog entry is not clear, concise, or coherent and pays no attention to style. Blog entry should not be published as it has frequent and severe errors in standard written English that interfere with understanding.

http://www.ryanbretag.com/�



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Community of Practice

Blog entry and blogger demonstrates active participation in the blogging community by connecting, commenting, and hyperlinking. Author demonstrates a scholarly approach by connecting major ideas back to original authors via hyperlinks and citing resources as well. Replies show careful thought to the comments of others and they reply in a manner that promotes conversation. Replies show careful thought, challenge peers to think critically, and spark scholarly dialogue and community building

Blog entry and blogger demonstrates an attempt at participation in the blogging community by connecting, commenting, and hyperlinking. Author demonstrates a scholarly approach by connecting major ideas back to original authors via hyperlinks and citing resources as well. Replies show some thought to the comments of others and promotes conversation.

Blog entry and blogger demonstrates little participation in the blogging community and lack signs of connecting, commenting, and hyperlinking. Author demonstrates a lack of a scholarly approach by not connecting major ideas back nor citing resources. Replies are surface level and do not promote conversation.

Blog entry and blogger demonstrates no participation in the blogging community. Author demonstrates a no scholarly approach. Replies are not provided.

Score: _________/ 25 Comments:

Blogging Rubric by Ryan Bretag is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non-

Commercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License. Based on a work at docs.google.com.

http://www.ryanbretag.com/�

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/�






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APPENDIX D: Idea Bank Any idea is great when it is:

• Engaging • Purposeful • Authentic • Reflective

General

• Opinions • Reflect on an assignment • Share information • Teach others • Investigate and report

Reading

• Book reviews • Author Biography • Alternate Ending to a Story • Character Study •

Writing

• Students find mistakes on a teacher’s blog entry and re-write it as a comment • Students find grammatical errors on a teacher’s blog entry and re-write it as a comment • Teacher posts in first person, students re-write in third person as a comment • Students respond to a prompt posted by the teacher (could be visual, audio, or a

thought/theme). • Post rough drafts and ask classmates to comment for editing. • Poetry • Short story • Collaborative Story • Journal • Field Trip •

Science

• Create a blog entry teaching a science concept • Weather • Hypothesis



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• Outcome of experiment • Science Fair Journal

Social Studies

• Create a blog entry about a famous historical figure • World Events • Traditions • Community

French

• Create a blog entry teaching vocabulary



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APPENDIX E: Rules for Commenting

Rules for Commenting • Positive

• Relevant (on topic)

• Use your best writing (conventions)

• Only comment if you have something to contribute or say.



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APPENDIX F: Suggested Blogging Guidelines

1. Only post things you would want anyone to know (at home, in school, in another country).

2. Do not share personal information (could I be found based on what I’ve written).

3. Think before you post.

4. Know who you’re communicating with.

5. Consider your audience. Remember that you are representing our school.

6. Know how to give constructive feedback through commentary.

7. Treat others the way you would want to be treated.

8. Use appropriate language, grammar and spelling.

9. Only post factual (true) information (no gossiping).

10. Always cite media from another source.



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APPENDIX G: Suggested Commenting Guidelines

Good comments:

- Are constructive, but not hurtful - Consider the author and purpose of the post - Are always related to the content of the post - Include personal connections to what the author wrote - Answer a question, or add meaningful information to the content topic - Follow the writing process. Comments are a published piece of writing too.



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APPENDIX H: Assessment Considerations

CONTENT: • Ideas • Comprehension • Intellectual engagement with cause • Critique • Reflection • Analysis • Creativity • Data gathering • Factual supports

POSTS: • Writing quality • Relevance of links or embedded media • Post frequency • Community • Audience • Comments/visits (responding to)

COMMENT: • Writing quality • Questioning technique • Additional information (facts, data, examples)

WANT STUDENTS TO ASK THEMSELVES THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS: 1. What is my goal? 2. What have I learned? 3. Where do I want to go next? 4. Are there any gaps in my knowledge?



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APPENDIX I: Commenting Poster Example

•what do you like about their post?

Compliment the Writer in a specific way

•what do you know that isn't in the post?

Add new information

•Have you had a similar experience? •Have you read the same book?

Make a connection

•What do you want to know more about that isn't covered in the post?

End with a question

Proofread your comment.



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REFERENCES

Bretag, Ryan. "Blogging Rubr ic." N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Oct 2011. <https:/ /docs.google.com/Doc?id=df8b89sj_324h7b58tgq&pli=1>.

Kim, Cof ino. "Blogging Guidel ines." ISB Student Blogs . 02 Sep 2009. Web. 18 Oct. 2011. <http:/ /blogs. isb.ac. th/blogging-guidel ines/>.

Ray, Mat t . "10 Reasons Your Students Shou ld Be B logg ing . "From the Desk o f Mr . Foteah . 01 Oct 2011. W eb. 31 Oct . 2011. <h t tp : / /photomat t7 .wordpress .com/2011/10/01/ reasons- to-b log /> .

Ripp, Perni l le. "Why the Internet is Like the Mall ." Blogging Through the Fourth Dimension . N.p. , 01 Jan 2011. Web. 18 Oct 2011. <http: / /mrspr ipp.blogspot.com/2011/01/why- internet- is- l ike-mall .html>.

Documents

KidBlog Handbook