As my plate overflows professionally and socially, I instantly and constantly think of three priorities in my academic life right now: this class, my project/independent study, and my job teaching a new curriculum. The curriculum I am working with is dry and contains no technology. As my students cry to me about the boring strategies we must utilize, I went on the web looking for an aide to utilize to make me “me” and not a robot. While searching TeacherTube, I came across a video regarding book blogging. I have never heard of the term, so I watched the video. After watching the video, I was intrigued to share it through this post. To coincide with the video, I looked for an article. Even though the article and video do not match up completely, I combined to think of useful ways to utilize blogs in a classroom (particularly Language Arts).
Site for the video: http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=e9aaf1ec9563bbac4058
Site for the article: http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/teacher_feature/teacher_feature148.shtml
The video addresses an activity, book blogging. On the video, the teacher says it can be in place of book logs, but I think there are many different ways in could be utilized in the content area. The video explains that each student would sign onto the school’s Blackboard and create a blog regarding a book that they read. Each blog must contain a picture, a background on the book (which is directed towards the student’s explanation of why and when it was chosen), a synopsis on the book, and a verdict (example: five out of five stars). It seems as the teacher utilizes this to ensure that student’s are reading outside of class. Unfortunately, I do not know how productive this activity may be for outside of my classroom. Truth is, the students could do the reading outside of the classroom. However, the book blogging would have to be done in my classroom because a lot of my students do not have the opportunity to access the Internet outside of school. On top of using book blogging for students to demonstrate outside reading, book blogging can be utilized to get the students interested in other pieces or introduce texts. They can be taken further and set up by the teacher to allow the students to participate in background knowledge activities.
Another way I felt book blogging would be effective is to utilize for online book clubs. In Cara Bafile’s article “Starring Jamie Boston,” Bafile discusses book clubs on a few different levels. From the article, I realized that Boston’s issue as a librarian was she wanted to have more people interact with the students and their book club, such as parents and staff. However, the evening meetings were not working. Therefore, book blogging can take book clubs to the next step by incorporating cyber space. Through book blogging, the discussion can be on-going and give many more people an opportunity to participate. The only issue that needed to be conquered was privacy issues. Once that is underway, book blogging can open the doors and invite more learners into the mysterious world of reading.
3 comments:
Steph,
Your blog really got my wheels spinning. My 5th graders do a monthly book report and I am always looking for new ideas on how they can respond to the book they read. This could be a great way to get them blogging and telling me about their book. Also at the end of the year I do some class novels where the students have book talks about what they read and their thoughts on the book. This could be a way that I can have more interaction with all the students and even get the parents involved in it! Thanks for the site...I can't wait to try this out with my students!
Lisa
Wow Steph! I think that the book blogging idea sounds like a great one. I always find it to be a dilemma at times to figure out ways to incorporate technology especially when your students do not have the access at home. I am in the same boat as you trying to find ways to incorporate technology into my already packed curriculum, but I think that the book blogging is something that your students would really enjoy. As you said not only would it be great to review books, but also introduce books that you will be discussing in your course.
Tamra
This seems to be a good idea, but perhaps the way in which it is implemented is a bit simplistic. The idea of using a blog to keep track of ideas and perceptions of a book is a great idea. But it would be more useful to use it as a communication tool between all the students and attempt to create discussion between them on their views. Also, I'm not sure of your grade level, but perhaps making it more cricially based rather than how much they liked it etc., could make it more stimulating. This would kind of be an extension of the book club idea at the end. But overall, very interesting and hopefully you/we can put it to use!
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