Sunday, September 20, 2009
Blog Use in My Classroom
I would love to begin using blogs for online literature circles. The blog's purpose would be to foster discussion of various stories and novels. Students would interact with story content and use their blogs to analyze story elements such as plot and characterization. In addition, they would discuss the many literary elements that appear in their readings. I would be thrilled to see debates about the use of symbolism in Crane's The Red Badge of Courage, the use of irony and sarcasm in Twain's Puddin'head Wilson, even the elements of the Modern Gothic in today's vampire novels by Meyer, Pike, and Cast. Blogging would help students to overcome their lack of confidence and encourage them to participate. This would be a great enhancement to the lesson because it would allow them partial anonimity as well as give them more time to think about what they want to say and how they want to say it. Additionally, I have very small numbers in my classroom as well as mixed grade groups throughout the day. A blog would be a good tool for this instructional context because it would allow morning 9th graders to interact with the 9th graders in the afternoon etc...
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Rebecca,
ReplyDeleteI get to be the first person to comment on your blog! I feel so lucky!
As I was reading through your post a light bulb flashed as soon as I saw the word debate in your post. What an awesome way to utilize a blog. How about an online debate? You could pose two different sides to a debate and have students choose a side to argue. It would be great because every student could see all of the responses of their peers which would foster a higher level of interaction.
I am going to add this idea to my blog! I wish there were ways that I could incorporate debates into my math classes. Hmmm I will have to think of a way.
Paul
Paul,
ReplyDeleteI can think of any number of ways to incorporate debate into a math class...How about this one...I am sure you hear it all the time: "Why do we need to learn this stuff if we are never going to use it in the real world?" Another might be to argue who was the greatest contributor to the world of mathematics...maybe even a debate over what the best mathematical invention in the last 100 years has been and how it changed the world? As an English teacher, I would love to be a fly on the wall and hear what the students come up with... Keep me posted!
Rebecca