Mark Ahlness wrote a blog about using blogs for SSR for his third graders. What a great idea! I would need to modify this with lots of readable links for my kindergarteners. I hope I learn how to get something like this running on my classroom computers. I think I could do something similar to the blog, Duck with a Blog. With kindergarteners it would be very simple but I think they would have fun learning to write. Brevity is what kindergarteners do best as they learn the new skills of writing. Individual students could do a simple and short blog like Patrick in his 5th grade blog. The students could express their opinions about topics we study in Science and Social Studies like in the web about plastic bags. I have read about some great learning possibilities.
Thoughts on Reading and Writing Blogs
Reading blogs is like reading a letter from a friend but knowing that there is an underlining purpose in the communication. I read blogs differently than other reading materials. I seem to read quicker, skimming as I read selectively.
Writing blogs is a freeing experience to express honestly, but within boundaries, my thoughts and ideas.
Contributing to blogs is a form of encouragement to a friend or coworker, sharing ideas, urging them to keep going.
Blogs can facilitate learning by directing the reader to other similar areas of study. Blogging is cooperative learning on 'world wide web' scale.
I would love to see your Kindergartners blogging. I think it'd be fantastic to expose such young students to technology. I totally flashed back to student teaching in Kindergarten when I viewed the "Duck with a Blog" entries.
ReplyDeleteDo you have a projector or Promethean board? I bet students would be excited to view each others. You could do the sharing process as a whole class to save time when you get this started.
Good luck!