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Project Description Session 2 Blog Entry #2 

 An educational need or opportunity. This element is fundamental in this project. Since we have limited time, energy, and resources, cool technology without a clear sense of why it matters or what we gain by it is of little value in the educational setting.

EDUCATIONAL PROBLEM/ISSUE: The problem that blogging with solve is two-fold

1) Huron Valley Schools, specifically Lakeland High School, has incorporated writing across the curriculum in all subject areas and therefore expects each domain to have students write.  Therefore, I must included writing in my Physcial Education courses as well as Health Education

2) I would like my students to improve their writing skills and become better writers.  

 BLOGS: Blogs are beneficial tools to be used in the classroom, if used properly.  As a teacher, incorporating technology into the classroom in a blog format would not only motivate students to become more engaged in material it will enhance their technological skills.  Weblogs, or blogs, are Web pages often likened to online personal journals. They are noted for being the “unedited, published voice of the people” (Winer 2003). Ferdig, R., & Trammell, K. (2004) Content Delivery in the ‘Blogosphere”. T.H.E Journal..  Using blogs in my health education classroom can utilize Web 2.0 technologies and apply it to my curriculum as well as hold students accountable or participation and learning.  This is an opportunity to utilize the computer labs at school in order to engage and enhance student learning.  The word blog has become part of a high school student’s diction. Why not utilize the opportunity to bring blogs to the classroom? It has been said “…teachers whose students blog within the context of lessons report improved writing and dramatically improved attitudes toward learning, classrooms and schools” (Blog Rules).  This is a great opportunity to incorporate blogging in my Health Education classroom as well as an innovative tool to motivate my students.

How you plan to address this educational issue with technology. You need to make a clear and convincing case that your proposed solution will make a real impact on the issue you identify, and that your proposed approach is a reasonable approach given its costs and possible alternatives.

Using blogs, teachers could utilize the constructivist model, which promotes inquiry-based learning.  Teachers could pose an open-ended question, which would require much thought and analytical review.  Students would have to respond to the question as well as other student’s blogs. This is considered active dialogue, which promotes inquiry and much thought.  Questions pertaining to real world scenarios would actively engage students to respond to blogged questions posed by the teacher.  Blogs itself are a motivational tool for learning.  Using the constructivist approach insightful thoughts documented by students support the constructivist strategy.  Learning through blogs is an active process; therefore the constructivist approach is a strategy that fits well.            

In addition, students can also develop and pose questions and later build upon their peer’s answers. Through this, students can gather and develop answers, look for results, and analyze and interpret information. Also, through a blog, students could post any questions or concerns they have in class. In using blogs, students would not have to turn in a hard copy of their journal, paper, or questions to be answered. Instead, they could use the blog.  Class time could be given to students to use the blogs in the computer lab. 

It has been said that, “Current educational research and theory have demonstrated the importance of social interaction in teaching and learning” (Ferdig, R., & Trammell, K. (2004) Content Delivery in the ‘Blogosphere”. T.H.E Journal. )  Face to face social interaction is just as important as virtual social interaction when teaching and learning from one’s peers and from one’s teacher.  Incorporating a blog into a classroom, one could enhance social skills as well as create an atmosphere filled with learning and fun.

Students should be informed that blogs are publicly accessible and that anything written in a blog would have to be appropriate, or the privilege would be taken from them.  One should “Clearly communicate that the messages posted on a blog are publicly accessible. Therefore, an employer, friend or parent can easily access the blog. As such, students should remember that once something is posted on the Internet, communication is irreversible, even if later edited or removed” ( Ferdig, R., & Trammell, K. (2004) Content Delivery in the ‘Blogosphere”. T.H.E Journal.).  This teaches students to be professional in their thoughts and help them grow as individuals.

As stated by Richard E. Ferdig, Ph.D., and Kaye D. Trammell, University of Florida, there are four benefits of student blogging:

1.     The use of blogs helps students become subject-matter experts.

2.     The use of blogs increases student interest and ownership in learning.

3.      The use of blogs gives students legitimate chances to participate.

4.     The use of blogs provides opportunities for diverse perspectives, both within and outside of the classroom.

In addition, I would add the following as previously expressed:

• Allows teachers to use a constructivist approach to student learning
• Social interaction with teaching and learning via blogs
• New and innovative technology that will “speak” to the students
• Educationally engaging (when used properly).

Also, Blogs serve other purposes such as:

·      Utilize Web 2.0 technologies

·      Save paper (since I am the copy total leader)

·      Blends various communication styles (verbal and written)

·      Students are held accountable for participation and learning

·      ALL students can strive – even the reluctant learners

·      Exciting for students

Relevant research and resources (from the Internet and elsewhere) including reports on the closest effort you can find to what you are planning to do as well as ideas and materials you may be able to build upon in your own effort.

(Ferdig, R., & Trammell, K. (2004) Content Delivery in the ‘Blogosphere”. T.H.E Journal.

http://www.edtechmag.com/k12/issues/november-december-2006/blog-rules.html

Brophy, J, (1999) Teaching.

In addition, Brophy supports blogging as it provides thoughtful discourse.  “Questions are planned to engage students in sustained discourse structured around powerful ideas” (Brophy, 19)  Providing students with the opportunity to blog in my classroom would strengthen Brophy’s 6th principle.  When students are given questions that pertain to the health curriculum, they will have to provide a thoughtful and insightful response to the given question.  Other peers may respond to each student’s blog. 

Blogging supports Brophy’s 11th principle of Goal Oriented assessment.  “In addition, learning activities and sources of data other than tests should be used for assessment purposes” (Brophy, 30).  Blogging in the classroom is a great opportunity to assess student learning in a way that appeals to the technological natives.

Web 2.0 Meets Information Literacy: Make new friends and keep the old

Joyce Kasman Valenza

As stated by Joyce Valenza, “Blogs foster the kind of risk-taking writing that may not happen in the traditional five-paragraph essay.  In this new form of public writing, students can share ideas before they are fully formed and solicit and use the ideas of others as they clarify build their own.  Bloggers learn to connect with audience, to express their messages in concise space and in more conversational tone.  Bloggers learn to weave their own voices into personal, unique communication products, developed over the course of time.” 

This proves why implementing Web 2.0 technologies such as blogging is beneficial for the technology natives that I call my students.

A plan for the portion you will implement during this course and the portion you will implement after this course completes.

I will implement blogging in the health education classroom by taking students to the computer lab and teaching them how to correctly use the given blog site. I will use blogging in the form of journaling and answering open-ended questions.  Students can comment on each other’s blogs and discuss relevant topics as it pertains to the health curriculum.

 How your project addresses the four common places of education:

Someone teaching

-The teacher is educating the students in a computer lab setting

Someone learning

-Students are learning from each other

Some subject matter

-Health education

In some setting

-Computer lab