Blog Post #11

Ms. Cassidy pointed out some very good tips in her video Little Kids.. Big Potential and also in her Skype Interview with Dr. Strange. She offers a stunning array of techniques, tips, and ideas.

I love that her student pointed out that he liked to blog because other people will see and comment on their posts. This really is a great way to showcase students’ work and will give them a sense of accomplishment and pride in their work. Having class web pages and blogs is a great way to get family involved. Many of us have family that live distantly. This is an incredibly convenient way for parents, family, and friends to see what the students’ are doing and how they are progressing over the year.

The students also point out how they use Wiki. I really like this and think it would help in an English class. Wiki would be a great way to have students research and understand literary works. Allowing students to create a Wiki and connect with others around the world may motivate them to be more involved in discussing and learning about elements of literature.

I think the biggest obstacle is funding. We have to have money to buy computers and we have to make sure that we have enough of them. I am big on group instruction, and that is how I plan to overcome funding issues, given that I have funding for at least a few computers. My students can take turns in groups either working on their blogs or working directly with me. This way every student will have access to computers and also have quality lesson time with me in a smaller group so that I can provide more individual instruction.

I would hope that through blogging and collaboration, my students will become interested and enlightened. I want them to imagine, create, innovate and learn. The benefits of blogging are outstanding if it is utilized correctly. My students should improve in many areas: written (and verbal) communication, organization, planning, collaboration, problem solving, etc.