Interactive Digital Writing 101 (a.k.a. Classroom Blogging)

Interested in having this shared as a presentation or workshop for your organization? This is available as a 3 hour workshop, 1 hour interactive videoconference, and downloadable podcast. Learn more, view upcoming schedules, and find download links on learn.playingwithmedia.com.

Description: Learn how to setup, use and moderate content on a classroom blog to improve student writing skills. A moderated classroom blog is the ideal platform to use to share announcements, classroom news, and student work for a public audience. In this session we’ll use free blogging tools like KidBlog and Class Blogmeister to facilitate student writing. We’ll also explore how free blogs on Posterous.com can be used by students to not only share text, but also different kinds of rich media including images, audio and video files.

Creative Commons License

These materials by Wesley A. Fryer are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.

Contact details for Wesley are available.

Stories to Start

  1. Cooper's Poem (6th grader)
  2. The Fire (poem by 8th grader Alexander)
  3. Jarrod and The Power of Twitter (@kathleen_morris)
  4. #comments4kids project
  5. Marzano: Classroom Instruction that Works

Text resources from Playing with Media: simple ideas for powerful sharing

Blogging Tools

  1. KidBlog
  2. Posterous
  3. Blogger - (New blogger account setup instructions)
  4. Class Blogmeister (Request from david.warlick at gmail dot com)
  5. Edublogs (uses Wordpress)

Other Resources on Blogging

  1. Configure KidBlog for Safe, Moderated, Interactive Student Blogging & Commenting (27 Jan 2012 post & screencast)
  2. Support Blogging Wiki
  3. Georgetown Elementary's excellent wiki tutorial on blogs and blogging
  4. Ann Davis' wiki "Improving Instruction Through the Use of Weblogs"
  5. Wesley's Bloglines Feeds (more blog links)
  6. The collaborative Blog Tools Wiki includes many links to blog examples and different blog tools.
  7. The July 2006 skypecast on blogging tool options also includes many links in the shownotes.
  8. Kathy Cassidy's October 2008 research results for the impact of her classroom blog on parent communication is great
  9. Resources and links from my MACE 2007 and MacWorld 2007 presentations on "Safe Classroom Blogging to Improve Student Writing" are available. Refer to the curriculum for Writing Across the Curriculum for more links and tips.
  10. My Classroom Blogging World Tour
  11. Ten habits of bloggers that win! by Vicki Davis
Playing with Media