Technology Workshop Lesson Plan

Instructor:
Rachel Nachman
Blogging in the Elementary School Classroom
Day #1
Subject of Workshop:
What is blogging?
How do I create a blog?
Why use blogs in the classroom?
Blogging and Multimedia
How can we use blogs in the classroom?
Rules for using blogs in the classroom
Prerequisite Knowledge:
Basic computer skills
Knowledge of blogs
Using edublogs to create a blog
Content:
This workshop provides a brief overview and introduction to blogging. Participants will begin by
reviewing what a blog is as well as the steps to create a blog; however, these two topics will not be
covered in great detail (since it is assumed that participants are familiar with blogging and managing a
blog).

Participants will then learn the reasons why blogs should be used in a classroom. They will read and
discuss literature, as well as listen to guest speakers, that focus on the positive effects that blogging has
on student learning, motivation, and engagement. They will also learn that blogs can teach students the
technological and multimedia skills needed to contribute to todays society. The instructor will then
provide an introduction of the different ways that blogs can be used in the classroom, and participants
will have the opportunity to think of additional ways that blogs can be used to supplement classroom
instruction.

Lastly, the various rules for using blogs in the classroom will be addressed through discussions,
literature, and video. These rules will ensure that blogs are used in a safe manner.
Objectives:
Participants will be able to identify and explain at least three ways that blogging can be used within the
classroom

Participants will be able to identify at least three safety measures that must be taken when using blogs
in the classroom
Workshop Outline:
1. Participants will be seated in a computer lab. Each participant will be given his or her own computer.
The instructor will be in the front of the lab and will be using a computer that connects with an
Interactive White Board or projection screen.

2. The instructor will provide each participant with a copy of the course syllabus. The instructor will
read through the syllabus and present an overview of the course.



Workshop Outline (Continued)
3. The instructor will distribute a Pre-Workshop Survey to all participants. This survey will ask
participants to describe their prior knowledge and experience with blogging. The instructor will
explain that while the answers on the survey will not be graded, participants are expected to
complete and submit the survey in order to receive credit.

4. Next, the instructor will ask the following two questions. Participants will be asked to share their
thoughts with the person sitting next to them.
What is a blog?
Discuss some experiences that you have had with blogs, either inside or outside of the
classroom.
Once participants have finished brainstorming answers to this question, they will be asked to share
their thoughts with the whole group. A class-wide discussion will be held on what blogs are, what
blogging is, and when participants have used blogs in the past.

5. The instructor will explain that while participants are expected to already be familiar with blogging
and with creating a blog, the following four-minute video will serve as a refresher. Participants will
watch the What Is A Blog video, which provides a brief overview of blogging.

6. The instructor will explain that for this course, they will be working with edublogs. Edublogs is a
blog-hosting website that is designed for educational blogging, and it is free for both teachers and
students. As a refresher for how to create a blog, participants will watch a screencast that was
created by the instructor (Creating an eduBlog Screencast). This screencast will show how to
create a blog using edublogs.

7. As an introduction to why blogs should be used in the classroom, the instructor will distribute the
article The Joy of Blogging. This article provides an overview of blogging, discusses the effects that
blogging has on student learning and motivation, and highlights some ways that blogging can be
used in the classroom. Participants will be asked to divide into groups of two or three (with the
people sitting next to them), read the article, and complete the Reasons For Blogging Capture
Sheet. On this capture sheet, participants will be asked to identify different reasons why blogs
should be used in the classroom. They will also be asked to write down any thoughts or questions
they had while reading the article.

8. Once all groups have finished working, the instructor will lead a discussion about the reasons why
blogs should be used in the classroom. Participants will be asked to share the thoughts they had
while reading the article, as well as the information they recorded on their capture sheets.

9. The instructor will explain that a primary focus of the workshop will be the reasoning for why blogs
should be used in the classroom. In addition to the reasons discussed in the article The joy of
Blogging, a major reason for using blogs is because they can help students develop the skills needed
to participate in todays technological, digital society. More specifically, students must be able to
create digital texts, read digital texts, construct understanding from multimedia, communicate with
others, and collaborate with those both near and far. Students must also be technologically literate
and exhibit various technological skills. Blogs allow for students to practice in all of these areas.
Workshop Outline (Continued)
10. The instructor will ask participants to independently think of answers to these questions:
What technological skills do students need to be proficient in todays society?
How can blogs be used to teach these skills?
Time will be given for participants to share their thoughts relating to these two questions.

11. The instructor will facilitate a discussion on multimedia. To begin, participants will be asked the
following questions:
What is multimedia?
How does blogging relate to multimedia?
Participants will be asked to discuss these questions with the people sitting near them. A whole-
group discussion will then be held in which participants share their thoughts. At the conclusion of
this discussion, the instructor will explain that many blogs contain multimedia elements. As
discussed earlier, students must have experience with interpreting multimedia and incorporating
multimedia elements into their written work or projects. This idea will be discussed in greater detail
throughout the next two weeks of the workshop.

12. The instructor will introduce two elementary school teachers (grades 3-5) who have used blogs
within their classrooms. These guest speakers will be asked to discuss their experiences with blogs
and what they have noticed with regards to student learning, engagement, and motivation. They will
also be asked to discuss the ways that they have used blogs with their students, both relating to and
not relating to multimedia. Participants will be encouraged to ask questions and engage in
discussions with the guest speakers.

13. As an introduction to possible ways that blogs can be used, participants will log on to their
computers and visit a blog post on the blog I <3 Ed Tech. The blog post is titled 15 Awesome Ways
To Use Blogs In Your Classrooms. The instructor will explain that this blog post lists different ways
that blogs can be incorporated into classroom instruction. Participants will independently read the
blog post.

14. With the people sitting around them, participants will be asked to discuss additional ways that blogs
can be used in the classroom. These ideas can stem from participants past experiences, or from
what they have learned through the articles and guest speakers.

15. The instructor will distribute a How Can Blogs Be Used? Exit Card. This exit card asks participants
to identify and explain at least three ways that blogs can be used within the classroom. Participants
will complete this exit card independently and turn it in to the instructor.

16. The instructor will then explain that while blogs are fun and exciting to use, there are also various
rules that must be followed when using blogs in the classroom. These rules ensure that students
will use blogs safely. The instructor will distribute Rules For Safe Blogging in the Classroom.
Participants will be asked to read these rules independently. Once everyone is finished reading, the
instructor will lead a whole-group discussion about the importance of these rules and how they
should be implemented within the classroom.


Workshop Outline (Continued)
17. Participants will be asked to use their computers to access the Using Blogs in the Elementary School
Classroom blog. This blog was created for this course by the instructor using edublogs. Participants
will be asked to read the Hello Everyone blog post as well as the blog post titled Safety First! This
safety post describes a scenario in which blogs were not used safely in the classroom. Once
participants have read the post, they will be asked to answer the questions (found in the post) by
typing a response. These questions involve participants describing what was wrong with the
situation and identifying at least three safety rules that must be taken when using blogs in the
classroom.
Note The settings for this blog require the instructor to approve comments before
publishing. The instructor will not publish any comments until after the workshop has ended
for the day. Therefore, participants will not be able to see other responses as they type their
own response. This activity not only serves as an assessment, but also gives participants an
opportunity to respond to a blog post.

18. The instructor will explain that next week, they will be discussing how blogs can be used to develop
students writing skills.
Materials:
1. 1 computer connected to an Interactive White Board or projector
2. 30 computers
3. Course syllabus
4. Pre-Workshop survey
5. What Is A Blog - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjwUHXoi8lM
6. Creating an eduBlog Screencast - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eB4f9h7HZo
7. The Joy of Blogging article (written by Anne Davis & Ewa McGrail) -
http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/mar09/vol66/num06/The-Joy-of-
Blogging.aspx
8. Reasons For Blogging Capture Sheet
9. 15 Awesome Ways To Use Blogs in Your Classrooms - http://blog.simplek12.com/education/15-
awesome-ways-to-use-blogs-in-your-classrooms/
10. How Can Blogs Be Used? Exit Card
11. Rules for Safe Blogging in the Classroom
12. Using Blogs in the Elementary School Classroom Blog http://blogsintheclassroom.edublogs.org
Evaluation Strategies:
Participants How Can Blogs Be Used? Exit Card will be evaluated:
Can participants correctly identify at least three ways that blogs can be used in the
classroom?
Can participants correctly explain at least three ways that blogs can be used in the classroom?

Participants responses to the Safety First! blog post will be evaluated:
Can participants correctly identify at least three different safety measures that must be taken
when using blogs in the classroom?