Technology Integration Workshop p. 202:
Part I:
a. 1) http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/blogtopia-blogging-about-your-942.html
I'm not sure why the creation of your own Utopia needs to be performed in blog form. But I do like the idea of teaching students how to use blogs.
As I'll get into more later, I'm a fan of informal writing such as blog posts for the purposes of building up writing skills.
2) http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/creating-character-blogs-1169.html
I think this works slightly better than the previously linked-to lesson plan. Students write blog posts as if they were a character from a work of literature. It's a nice culmination of classwork and a way to allow students to flex some creative muscles.
3) http://www.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3749958
I was surprised at how young the students this lesson plan was designed for were. It was encouraging 3rd through 5th grade students to use blogs. That seems kind of young to me. However, on the other hand, perhaps actually teaching students these skills while they're young will have major benefits later in education and life.
b. 1)
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c. I'm a fan of the idea of using an online forum or blogging site in order to have students respond to informal, open-ended prompts. These smaller writing assignments would be used to develop students' skills and give them time to think about certain topics. Later longer-form writing assignments would be given that had students combine their thoughts and writings on previous prompts, questions and writing assignments.
These longer writing assignments would be scattered throughout the year and would deal with a variety of different topics. So, to just focus on Global Studies, some writing prompts might be: Was the Agricultural Revolution a good event in the development of humanity? Does Alexander the Great deserve to be called "Great"? Is it fair to call the Germanic tribes that brought down Rome "barbarians"? What's the problem with the "single narrative" we have come up with for the history Africa? Is the "Dark Age" really an accurate title for the Middle Ages? Why is it controversial that the Native Americans may have arrived earlier, been more populous and transformed the environment more extensively than previously imagined?
Part II:
a. -The community aspect to the blogging or forum posting is a major advantage. Having students respond to one anothers' posts creates greater interactivity and can help pool student knowledge and thinking. There's also the opportunity to post wherever and whenever. Some students work better late at night under a deadline. Who am I to hold that against them? It also creates opportunities for discussion and writing outside of the classroom to reinforce what has been dealt with in class. Thoughtful conversations about questions about the historical content can lead to valuable insights and increase an understanding of the relevancy of the material.
-There's always the chance that students lack access to computers at home. That's something that has to be kept in mind.
b. The Objectives are: Students will understand how to use a blog (or similar technology). Students will understand netiquette. Students will respond to question prompts in a timely and thoughtful manner. Students will respond to all portions of the prompt. Students will relate their responses to class discussions and readings. Students will use posts to develop longer-form writings (i.e. essays).
-Students will be assessed by the quality of their writings.
-This is a combination of directed and constructivist approaches. Students are responding to assigned question prompts, but the questions are open-ended and don't have a single answer. As a result, students are encouraged to be creative and unique in how they approach providing answers.
-May be there would be a day in class where laptops would be brought in or where students would be brought into the computer lab. I would teach them how to use a blog and how to make effective posts.
c. - I'd use the Tech-Pack after the fact to self-evaluate my performance. I'd also assess the success based on students' reactions and the outcome of assignments.
d. -Some potential descriptors for this lesson include: 9th-10th Grade, Global Studies, Technologies used: Computers, blogs, ISTE Standard: Standard 2: Communication and collaboration, Standard 4: Critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making, 21st Century Standards: Standard 1: Content Knowledge and 21st Century Themes, Standard 3: Information, Media and Technology Skills
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