"Any smoothly functioning technology will have the appearance of magic." Arthur C. Clarke

Friday, February 17, 2012

What can I use a blog for in my classroom?


·       Interactive games: DO NOT underestimate this!  Your students can “play games” while actually learning and reviewing content.  They love it, and it is educational!  There are thousands online.  Just search your grade, topic + the word interactive or game (i.e.: 5th grade polygon interactive)
·       Reading Summary:
o   Tell about what you read last night
o   Tell about the main character of the book you are currently reading
o   How can you connect the book you are reading to your life?
o   Book Sell: “Sell” your book to a friend—why should they read it?
o   Book review: write a book review of the book you just finished reading.  Was it what you expect? What could be better about it?
·       Reading Comprehension:
o   As a class, we just read _____________.  In your own words, write down the sequence of events.
o   Comprehension questions:  We just read chapter ___.  Do you agree or disagree with _______ on his/her decision to ______?  Why/why not?
o   Read the article on __________ website.  What was the main idea of this article?
o   Comprehension quiz questions
·       Writing/Conventions:
o   Map sentences, identify the parts of speech in a sentence—have the first student identify the parts of speech in your sentence, and then have them create their own for the next student.  Repeat the cycle.
o   Put up past student comments (anonymously!) to use for DOL
o   Writing journal prompt responses
o   Writing the intro or “hook” to a writing piece, and having classmates respond with compliments and suggestions
·       Math Equations and Problems:
o   Using the order of operations, how would you solve _________ ? List the steps you would take.
o   Have the first student answer a problem with certain criteria (two- digit multiplication, long division, adding and subtracting time, etc).  Then, have the student create a problem for the next student to answer, and repeat the cycle.
o    Giving real-life examples of math topics (i.e.: using add/subtract time to determine when my plane will arrive)
·       Science:
o   What steps would you take to make this experiment successful?
o   What questions do you have about ______?
o   When doing ___________ experiment, what procedures would you use to stay safe?
o   Define: ___________ , and then write a new, related word for your classmates to define.
o   Describe the water cycle in your own words.  Don’t forget to use your transitions!
·       Social Studies:
o   Respond to a debate: If you were alive during the 1700’s, would you be a loyalist or a patriot? Why?
o    Define: ___________ , and then write a new, related word for your classmates to define.
o   Write a short “diary entry” from the perspective of an important member of our history
o   What would our country be like without _____________?
·       Assessment:
o   Formative assessment: any of these posts can be used to gauge where your students are in terms of understanding.
o   Portfolio-type records: pull up your blog during ARCs, conferences, data team meetings, etc. to show student work.

**Remember—if you wait until after each student that you want to respond to a post has responded to moderate comments, then students will not be able to see one another’s comments.



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