We use the blog as a sort of portal. We direct folks to our blog by way of twitter. We also use the blog to provide directions and guide students as well as audience members to our workspace. We also use it to guide our students all over the rest of the internet. We're always thinking about higher-order thinking, because the technology allows us to do things we never could before. Some examples of things we could not do before are related to research tools and non-fiction writing.
Visual Blooms is a place to think about some of the tools available in terms of an updated taxonomy, which we think is a great idea. Maybe you'd like the tools organized in a different way? Any chance you haven't been exposed to enough tools yet? Remember: quality, not quantity. Sure, there are tons of resources out there, and tools galore. Pick a couple and use them well. Then move on. Try not to get overwhelmed.
One site we love to use is Bubbl.us 2.0. Bubbl.us is great because it has folder hierarchy similar to our workspace, so the students can access and save their work (mind maps in this case) easily. We've found that there is rarely anything that can't be used, placed, or accessed on your blog somehow. Timelines are another fun one to include. Here are just a couple of examples of tools you might consider using. We're really becoming interested in tools like Voicethread. We are also very happy with our Cover it Live Sessions. Both of those tools are sure to interest your audience. Right now, we're really trying to learn more about video. This is how kids make meaning, and they are much more interested and vested in getting their work "out there." They are motivated to reach their audience. Videos are accessible for many students, and allows for more creative avenues for students and us teachers to express and share our thoughts. Then we use the blog as a way to share new resources with students, parents, community members, and folks like you.
We try to explain to kids (and adults) that there are ways to search that do not necessarily include Google. Here's a post where we shared some resources. We also use the blog to share good news. We're always looking for new ways to reach out to our audience - sometimes it's a great new tool or website. Sometimes it's a new thing we're doing in the classroom. Sometimes it's some type of helping document or job aid. Always - it's something we feel has real value for our students.
What is most valuable to students about collaborating digitally is audience and purpose. The best writers think like readers and the best readers think like writers. In order to generate an audience and create this purpose, our students have to be an audience for someone else. They must think and act as real writers and readers. As the teacher we have to model this for our students: being a great audience member. This means they need to see the teacher reading, writing, thinking and commenting on the work and ideas of others. By doing this, we not only model for our students but we also begin to generate an authentic audience and purpose for the work of our students. Just a few things about commenting on the work of others...
1. You get comments by giving comments. Find ways and places to do this as often as possible.
2. Have some simple rules in place. For example: be positive, be relavent, and push your thinking
3. Consider an online posting rubric that is simple and works for comments, posts, etc.
4. Just like everything else you teach your students, this process needs to be modeled over the year as often as possible. Let the students see you learn and make mistakes. Release responsibility daily.
