As we have introduced a 1:1 netbook program in grade four this year, I have changed my approach to student blogs. Rather than having a system where students can earn their personal blog, all students in my class now have a blog as a digital portfolio. As always, we began the year focussing solely on […]
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Getting Started with Global2
Yesterday I ran a professional development day for teachers called Technify Your Teaching in 2013. While my colleagues Matt Limb and Simon Collier ran sessions on iDevices, Google Apps, Evernote and web 2.0 tools, I presented workshops on blogging with my team teaching partner, Kelly Jordan. One of our sessions was on setting up your […]
Five Steps to Starting a Class Blog
I have revised the posts I have written in the past to create a nine page, five step guide to beginning a class blog. Feel free to view, print or download the document to help you get started on your blogging journey. Five Steps to Starting a Class Blog If you’re having trouble with the […]
Our New Class Blog
After spending the last three years in grade two, I have moved to grade four this year. The first two weeks of the school year has already presented many new challenges and rewards. I’m looking forward to extending my students further with technology this year. I am continuing to team teach with Kelly Jordan. This […]
New Teacher Blog: Guiding Digital Nomads
I first met Aine Murphy (@ainetmurphy) when she was completing teaching rounds at my school in 2010. We bonded over a common interest in technologies, blogging and global collaboration. Aine taught in Ireland for ten years before moving to Australia and retraining at Deakin University. She is now teaching Grade Three/Four at Point Lonsdale Primary […]
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Attracting Blog Comments
There is no denying that students get a lot more out of blogging when they receive comments. Comments provide feedback, encouragement, advice, positive reinforcement, learning, conversation and new ways of thinking among other things. 2012 is the fifth year I have been blogging with my class and I have learnt that there are some tips […]
The Power of Twitter
In the last few weeks Kelly Jordan and I have been speaking to teachers and school leaders at the VITTA conference, ICON conference and our own school about the power of Twitter. In our presentation we shared how we use Twitter every day as a form of ongoing, personalised and invaluable professional development. We stressed […]
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My Blogging Journey
Many people have asked me how I got started with blogging. With my recent Edublog Award nominations, it has been an opportune time to reflect. In 2008, as part of my Teacher Professional Leave project I visited the DEECD Central Office to get some ideas on how technology was being used in schools. There I […]
Editing Students’ Blog Comments
Recently, a teacher asked my opinion about editing students’ writing on blogs She said “We are having a debate in our primary school at the moment – to what extent should we correct spelling/grammar in posts or comments by students? Our principal sees the posts as a finished product which reflect on our school, while […]
10 Blogging Tips for Students and Teachers
As I work with students and other teachers on setting up blogs, I find myself giving them lots of little tips that I have picked up over my own blogging journey. Many of these ideas have originally come from some of my blogging “mentors” such as Linda Yollis and Sue Waters. Here are 10 12 […]
Why I think Blogs Should be Public
I have had a number of educators have asked me in the past about my privacy guidelines for my class blog. Recently, an educator contacted me for advice when their principal would not allow their class blog to be public. That is, the principal would not allow blogging unless the blog was completely password protected. […]
New Blog: Teaching Literacy in the Early Years
This year I have been team teaching with Kelly Jordan. Combining our two grade two classes has so many benefits and we are finding we are really meeting the needs of our students this year. Our open plan classroom is a fantastic place to teach and learn! Kelly has recently started a blog called Teaching […]