Student learning, blogs and class web pages in Trafalgar Australia
Hey people out there in the world wide educational fish web. My class are undertaking an online interactive learning experience via our class web page. I am keen to get students and parents communicating about their learning and for parents to access their students learning from home or work and therefore I am trying this with my class's web page. We have a 'blog' of sorts where the kids can log their learning, I can add information and comments, notes and documents for the kids and their parents. The kids can interact with people via this forum, however for obvious reasons all comments and questions relating to our web page are filtered through an email account where I can approve them before uploading them to the blog. We already have parents and staff sending in emails and comments for the kids to respond to and some of them are already on our blog.
I have a grand plan for our page with the intention of creating an online collection of student reflections about their own learning, work samples and dialogue between students, staff, parents and the wider educational community. I have been looking into Google Docs but for the time being my class are going to have our web page as a hub for our learning, educational dialogue and as a means of providing parents and students access to our class documentation, links and learning 24/7. I was wondering if there are any teachers out there who are doing similar things with 8-10 year olds who might have some other ideas of what we could add to our page, or who might have some cool ideas and want to share them? What are other teachers doing? Cheers, Ben.
I have a grand plan for our page with the intention of creating an online collection of student reflections about their own learning, work samples and dialogue between students, staff, parents and the wider educational community. I have been looking into Google Docs but for the time being my class are going to have our web page as a hub for our learning, educational dialogue and as a means of providing parents and students access to our class documentation, links and learning 24/7. I was wondering if there are any teachers out there who are doing similar things with 8-10 year olds who might have some other ideas of what we could add to our page, or who might have some cool ideas and want to share them? What are other teachers doing? Cheers, Ben.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Vicki Miles on
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Ben,
THe site is fabulous, but it occurs to me after reading the blog here that we could also use the medium to keep the FISH philosphy alive amongst the students. Could they blog about their own FISH stories, what they see, what the feel and how they themselves might have changed as a result of the stuff we are doing.
Perhaps the class could offer some suggestions about how to make peoples day, this might help the kids to focus on the positive, they might even get people on this blog asking them to rate themselves and then give evidence of how they go about this?
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Permalink Reply by Ben on
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Vicki, honestly that hadn't occured to me but it is a really great idea! We use the FISH language and philosophy in class and across the school and it would be great to get them blogging their ideas, reflections and observations on our page! I might introduce this concept on Friday and see if I can get a few people to write up a blog while we're in the library using the computer pod. It would be great to then have their parents reply with their ideas and experiences of where/how FISH has been used. I am willing to take the web page to new levels and in different directions and I am sure that many of the kids would be willing to get involved in its management as well. It would be good to get them suggesting ways to make people's days and to reflect on their own skills/success in this area ( I think maybe a couple of people need to have some reflection in this area!) I'll get on to it soon! Cheers, Ben.
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Permalink Reply by Griff Wigley on
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Hey Ben, is there a way for us/others to see the blog? I poked around the TPS site but couldn't find it.
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The web page can be found at www.trafps.vic.edu.au/classes/la9 and then navigate your way around the links at the top of the page! Feel free to drop us a message via email!
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Thanks, Ben... great site and blog. Email sent!
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Thanks for the thanks Griff! We are trying to maintain and update the site everyday, if/when possible and your comment and a reply will be up hopefully by Monday (our time). Cheers, Ben.
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I see it. Cool. I'm off to find some Windows software that's do something similar.
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Griff,
I'm not sure about the kids making our day yet, but you certainly made our day here at Trafalgar. Couldnt get the big grin off Ben's face and the kids were so excited, but I'll let them tell you, and I"m sure Ben will be on to put his thoughts to you.
Ben presented his blog to staff again tonight and talked about how he wants to help students share their learning and what a wonderful person you are to assist him with that, and not only that but for providing him with other reserach or places to connect to...........so you are a Maestro of life long learning!
So thanks for your support and encouragement.................how about encouraging more of those Charthouse people to connect with us..............I heard on the grapevine there might be at least one lucky charthouse person visiting "Down under next year"? We'd love a visit! (or maybe alternatively we could visit you! ;)
The kids would love some more questions or thoughts ...........................they couldnt wait to tell you their answers.............but thats your next big suprise!
Anyone else out there interested in our kids and their learning please drop us a line!
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Again Griff, thank you for connecting with us, the class and myself are excited not only to have video and email replies, coments and questions, but to have people from overseas interracting with us via our blog and email address. The BIG IDEA behind our blog and the web page was communication and the sharing of not only our learning, but our ideas and thoughts on a variety of topics. Also, for parents, family and friends to keep up to date with what's happening in class. My focus for the blogs was getting the kids to reflect on their learning and share their reflections online and to pose questions for others to answer and visa versa, I think that is beginning to happen, so thank you, you made our day! Keep in touch and check the web site over the next few days to see the replies to you vodcast.
Vicki, thanks for the support and advice I really appreciate it!! Thanks also for giving me the opportunity to share the learning and web page, blog and educational side of what we are doing in LA9 at PAL tonight. I hope that people start to get some idea of the power of ICT and what it can mean for student's learning and taking the classroom outside of the physical school environment! It is amazing how the opportunities for learning can be expanded and challenged when you delve a little deeper into technology and/or try new ways of sharing student learning and interacting with others to see what they can contribute to your learning or what you can contribute to theirs. I am excited about the possibilities! Ben.
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Ben, I'll do some work behind the scenes to see if I can quickly find another classroom or two here in the U.S. who'd be interested in teaming up with you.
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