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Web Log as a Classroom Tool |
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Guernsey English Teacher Uses
Blog to Enhance Classroom Discussions |
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Lisa Schuldies is a Guernsey-Sunrise High School English teacher who has brought the blogging trend into her classroom. Read our Question and Answer session with her to find out the impact integrating this technology has had on her class discussions.
Question: How long have you been in education?
Answer: I have taught English for a total of six years.
Question: What do you like best about being an educator?
Answer: The most enjoyable aspect of education is working with young people and instilling in them an excitement for learning.
Question: Explain the importance of technology in your curriculum and your everyday teaching strategies?
Answer: I use technology daily in my curriculum. We do a tremendous amount of writing, and word processing is an important piece of the writing curriculum. I also have recently become a huge fan of blogging and have used it with a level of success that has caused quite a stir in our building.
Question: Explain what your strategies are for implementing this technology?
Answer: I used blogging with my senior English class during our reading of The Grapes of Wrath. I created the blog and then invited students to join. Once they got through the initial process of posting and commenting, they were off and running!
Question: What do you think is the most beneficial use of this technology?
Answer: It was amazing to me to see how quickly the students got involved in the blog process. It was great for me as the teacher to be able to access the blog and respond to the students comments at any time. Often the students would blog after school hours, ie evenings and weekends, and I could check their comments and questions during this time as well.
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Question: What made you decide to start using this technology?
Answer: Blogging had been brought up at a staff meeting by our tech director, Clint Elliott. At first, I honestly didn't see the practical application of blogging, but mainly because I didn't really know how it worked. Once I gained an understanding of the process, I couldn't wait to put it to use in my classroom!
Question: What has been the impact on your students, i.e. Improved time on task, improved understanding of material, more engaged?
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Answer: The most amazing result of the blogging process was the level of participation and understanding exhibited by the students. The blog virtually eliminated apprehension felt by some students to be able to articulate their thoughts and ideas in a classroom forum. Students who are normally reluctant to contribute to class discussions were suddenly excited about posting their ideas and answering comments that were sent to them on the blog. Every student felt that what they had to say was valued by their peers, mostly because they all received affirmative comments from their classmates. I also noticed that the use of informal language in their discussions of the chapters was yet another bridge in the gap between what is thought and what is actually expressed. When one student can affirm another student's idea, "Right on, Dude! That was awesome!", the conversations continue and grow in scope and understanding. Trust is established within the blog community, and the conversations get deeper and more meaningful.
Question: How long have you been using this technology?
Answer: This semester is the first time I have used blogging, but I will be incorporating it into all of my English classrooms in the future.
Question: How difficult was this technology to implement? What roadblocks did you encounter?
Answer: Setting up and using a blog was very easy. The students were already familiar with the blogging process from using sites such as My Space.
Question: What hardware or software do I need to use it?
Answer: Computers and internet access.
Question: How much does it cost to implement this technology?
Answer: It cost nothing!(Lisa used Blogger.com a free product. You can find it in the link section.)
Question: Can you see any potential for cooperative and collaborative between other teachers in the district?
Answer: I see tremendous potential in using blogs during any cross-curricular activity. Next year, I see our Social Studies and English classes sharing information in a blog when the Great Depression is studied concurrently with the novel, The Grapes of Wrath
Question: Can you see any potential for partnerships with other district's, if so how?
Answer: I am excited about the possibilities of collaborating with other teachers in our state using a blog. I think it would be a fantastic way of communicating and sharing ideas with other English teachers in our rural communities where face to face contact is not frequently possible.
English teachers who would like to share ideas and collaborate in cyberspace, please e-mail me! I will send you an invitation to join a blog, and we will have a wonderful oppertunity to share what is working in our classrooms. I am looking forward to hearing from you
Question: Is there any potential for involvement with the community?
Answer: I can see community members who might have valuable input, ie personal experiences to share, becoming involved with the students through the blog. It would be very convenient for community persons as they could interact with the students as their schedules would allow.
Question: Is there any valid measuring methods to evaluate learning using your solution?
Answer: Evaluating learning is easy using the blog. Students understanding of the novel on a chapter by chapter basis is visible as soon as the teacher reads the entries in the blog. Any questions the teacher may have can also be posted and answered by the students. The teacher can also check for understanding by commenting on and questioning individual student entries. Discussion can be guided by the teacher to promote higher level thinking among the class as well. |
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