Thoughts on Blogging

After finishing the Blog Module,. I am reflecting on how I can integrate this into my classroom next year. I have all summer to plan on integrating various technologies into my classes to add rigor and to address 21st Century Learning standards, and I am struggling with how to do this with massive budget cuts and limited technology. I am thinking of this: I am going to have each of my students setup a blogging journal for math. Right now in the current math curriculum, the kids have "learning logs" where they write in their notebooks about certain prompted topics, etc. How boring is this? Wouldn't BLOGGING about their successes and struggles, main concepts, etc be SO much more powerful for reinforcing their learning then writing a dull note in their notebooks? Granted, we won;t always have access to a computer lab or laptop cart, but I am thinking that once a week, we will be able to use the computers and update the blogs then. And maybe I will incorporate blog responses somewhat like this iknow class. Throughout each chapter, the kids wail have to have 5-10 entries about a particular struggle they had, how they solves a particularly hard problem, or a different way of solving something a problem. So many options! I will have to seriously think about how to keep their blogs safe, secure, and probably for sixth graders, the security will have to be very tight. Val--if you read this, I may talk to you about some of the safeguards I will need to take, but I am SO exited to get this going next year!!!

21st Century Learners: The Teacher Edition (iknow Blog)

Math Current Events at Thompson SD and Turner Middle School

Mathematics is one of the few subjects left that has right and wrong answers and has a foundation set in stone based upon formulas, relationships and systems that have remained unchanged for years. Interesting, then, that the teaching of this topic is constantly evolving and finds itself the topic of so many heated conversations. We find ourselves teaching a new and improved mathematics, getting ready to implementing new standards, and completely re-vamping the way we grade this new curriculum. That's a whole lot of changed in a very short period of time. Not that change is a bad thing. The new updated grading system will be a true indicator of kids' actual mathematical abilities, and how well they know the standards being taught. The changes taking place are in response to the fact that a student can have an A in math, and yet be scoring unsatisfactory on their CSAPs, Acuity and other "indicative" tests.