Blogging, who knew?!

 Just when it seems I've given up on the idea of blogging...


This week didn't start off with me thinking about blogging. Actually, to be honest I was really glad that this was going to have to be my last blog. Ever. And then it happened...

I began to dig deeper in the realm of digital citizenship. Not only was I looking at what digital citizenship was and what my students needed to know about the dangers of being online, but I was learning how to empower my students by using online tools. 

As I first began to read the article by Castelo (2020), I was rolling my eyes because her answers sounded fluffy- and I hate fluffy! I am a practical, ‘let’s get this done’ kind of person. I don’t like theory (although I understand why it’s important). I often rely on others to do the theory and research part and I enjoy putting that research into practice. I like seeing how to make things better and actually giving it a go, revamping as necessary.

Like I said, Castelo started off weak in my opinion. She was giving vague answers about how schools can promote digital citizenship. But then…..then it happened! She gave solid advice, practical tips & real life suggestions for how teachers can embed digital citizenship in their classroom. Bam! She got me. She is a genius. I can’t wait to try this out tomorrow in my class. Here were her suggestions:

  • Classroom social media account where students have roles (like Twitter or Instagram).
  • Class blog or podcast

  • Community outreach (think helping seniors learn how to order groceries online).

I love all of these. But, thanks to this course I can now say I am comfortable enough with blogging that I can create a blog for my classroom. This way the parents know what their child is learning on a weekly basis, but that the onus is on the students, teaching them about commitment and expectations but also giving them a real life audience for their writing.

 

Wish me luck as I attempt to take blogging to my classroom! Maybe, just maybe, this won't be the end of my blogging days after all.

Reference

Castelo, M. (2020). Q&A: How to empower students with digital citizenship in the virtual classroom. EdTech Magazine. Available from: https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2020/11/qa-how-empower-students-digital-citizenship-virtual-classroom

Duckworth, Sylvia. "Top 10 Reasons for Students to Blog." [Photo]. https://www.csd4tech.com/showcase-blog/authentic-learning-with-blogger

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Digital Wellness

Image
I have to say, this week was a tough one for me in my course. It had me looking at the health and wellness aspects of being online. Although I was initially excited about it, I found the videos and articles I read very dark . Even the ones that were supposed to be light, or when we were asked to find the light in dark ones, I was overwhelmingly desolate all week. To start off with, we looked at the impacts of screen time on physical health. Although it’s recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics that screen time be limited to less than 2 hours a day, Houghton, et al. (2015) found that American children over the age of 8 are spending, on average, 6.43 hours a day of screen time . Spending this much time on technology has the following impact on children: sleep interruption, brain development and sedentary behaviours which have been linked to Type II diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. Ok. Great. How can we change that?   Next, we looked at the mental h...
Read more

Digital Citizenship in a Global Community, an Introduction.

Image
As I conclude the first week in the course I am reflecting back on my own experiences. My first reflection comes as a teacher, wondering how effective I have been in teaching digital citizenship to my students. Hamilton, Cross, Plested and Rezk (2010) state that “ Digital Citizenship is more than just a teaching tool; it is a way to prepare students/technology users for a society full of technology.” Have I done enough? Now that I think about it, the answer is a resounding 'no'. Although it’s been in the curriculum for grade 5 for many years, there really isn’t an abundance of resources available. Have I taught about digital etiquette and health? Absolutely! Has digital access come into play? More since online learning than ever before. Have I ever thought to teach about digital commerce and digital law? Not once. I didn’t even know these were aspects of digital citizenship. But as the old saying goes: you do better when you know better.    My second reflection comes as a mom...
Read more