Newsletter | Nov 4, 2010 | 0 Comments

October Newsletter 2010 – New ideas for teaching writing

How many of us  have students who see writing as a painful process to be avoided at all costs? If you have a few who fit this description, blogging under controlled circumstances may be an option!

What is fun about blogging?  I have 1 of my own (www.teachingsuccesseswithells.blogspot.com), one for fellow teachers at my site (private blog), and  am a regular participant in another (www.classroom20.com).  If you blog, you already know how addictive it can be  This open forum can be a powerful tool to air one’s views, seek expert advice related to your field or interest, or offer ideas to those looking for answers.  In posting, we always want to make sure that our work is error-free, language rich, and engaging in tone so that we will attract more readers.

In this day and age of more disadvantaged kids losing interest in school success, we need to find more non-traditional ways to peek their interest thereby boosting their self-confidence.  Blogging offers them a vehicle through which they may speak to the world from a computer.  Students may also input media, photos, weblinks, etc.  This brings the traditional paper and pencil activity into the 21st century of multi-media.  This is a digital tribe so to speak.  Teachers need to allow multiple opportunities for their students to use the tech skills that come so naturally to them.  If educators build on such strengths in their students, they will open up a whole new world of opportunities for their kids.

Now, the blog site I have selected is http://edublogs.org/ , but there are many more out there just be sure that you keep your blog private (by invitation only).  I have just starting using it in my ELD class (high school ESL).  We spend some time doing several drafts before we are ready to blog, but since my students know that their writing is going on the internet, they pay more attention than usual to appearance  Even the weakest writer wants to produce a clear interesting piece of original work because he knows that his classmates will read it.  I have also told parents that no one outside of the class will see the blogs so it is a totally safe activity.
Would you like some more reasons to give this a try?  Check out the top ten reasons EDUBLOGS.ORG gives for bringing blogging into your classroom:  http://edublogs.org/10-ways-to-use-your-edublog-to-teach/ I can’t wait to explore all the rich features of this site with my students once they feel comfortable with using it.

Enjoy!
Denise, Cheryl, and Marnie
www.ellteacherpros.com