WEBSITE

AND CLASSROOM BLOG CREATION TOOLS

Name: Kimmy Zinkel

Directions: Using the template below, describe how students could use a blog, wiki, or other website-
creation tool to learn required learning standards in your content area: For an A grade provide an idea that
reaches a Level of Technology Implementation of 4 or above. Remember higher levels (4-6) require that
students assume adult/professional roles; engage in higher-order thinking; and use technology
create/publish original content for their classmates and/or others beyond their school/classroom. The
learning activities and products should be engaging and meaningful to the students and to others who will
view/use/benefit from students work. Review your handouts on Engaged Learning, Authenticity, and LoTi.
Grade Level: 12th Grade
Content Area: Health and Physical Education
Technology Used (check all that apply):
Blog Wiki Other Website Creation Tool (list):
Content Area/Grade/Standards/Topics Addressed: 12th Grade Personal Improvement Project
HE H.S.6: Students will demonstrate the ability to use goal-setting skills to enhance health.

Brief Description of Learning Experience:

Students will address a personal health behavior to improve on (exercise, stop drinking soda, etc).
After identifying the health behavior, students will create a SMART goal for improvement. Students will
create a blog that they post in at least 3 times each week that gives a detailed explanation of progress.
Students can include pictures, videos, graphs, charts, etc. to provide further evidence. The project will last 8
weeks, and at the end of the 8 weeks, students must share their blog with at least 3 people outside of the
classroom environment, or post the link to their blog on social media for others to view. People who share
similar health behaviors and need a plan to follow can view the blogs, and improve their health as well.
As a teacher, I will send home permission forms for parents to sign stating that it is okay for their
student to create, post, and share their blog with others. I will be monitoring student blogs every week to
make sure they are posting appropriate content. In addition, I will have students sign a contract saying that
they understand the rules and regulations for internet safety, and that failure to comply with the rules will
have consequences.
Blooms Level of Critical Thinking Required (check all that apply):
See http://epltt.coe.uga.edu/index.php?title=Bloom%27s_Taxonomy
Remembering Understanding Applying Analyzing Evaluating Creating

Student Engagement/Level of Technology Implementation (LoTi): What LoTi would this lesson be and
Why?
This lesson reaches a LoTi level of 6, because students are creating a product, and sharing it with others
outside of the classroom.

Importance of technology:
Using a blog to create their project is important, because it gets students thinking at a higher level, and
gives them the opportunity to be creative with the way they share information. The project could be
completed without technology, by using a journal instead, but that would make it more difficult to share
with others, and students would lose the creativity piece. Students have the option to provide links to
websites that support their project, create their own pictures/videos, and use Word or Excel to create graphs
or charts.

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 WEBSITE AND CLASSROOM BLOG CREATION TOOLS
Inspiration (optional): If you used existing example as a model for your project (whether in part or
whole), include the URL(s) so we can visit. Explain what concepts you borrowed from others.

Internet Safety and Student Privacy: Briefly discuss some possible issues surrounding Internet safety and
student privacy that could arise while implementing this learning experience and explain how you would
(1) minimize risks to students/yourself; (2) alleviate any fears by parents/administrators, and (3) follow
common Internet Safety/Acceptable Use Policies.
Some issues with internet safety could include the visitation of inappropriate websites, postings of
inappropriate media of students, and postings of personal information. To avoid these issues, I would send
home a permission slip to parents stating that it is okay for their child to participate, I would monitor the
websites students visit during class time and provide appropriate websites that they can use, and I would
give students a contract that provides rules and regulations to sign stating that they understand the rules and
regulations for internet safety, and that failure to comply will result in consequences.
Describe your personal learning goal for this activity. What are you trying that you have not tried
before? What do you hope to learn from this activity? How do you hope it will help students learn?
By having students create blogs, I am giving students the opportunity to address an issue that is personal
and they care about in a creative way. I hope to learn how to maximize student learning by finding out new
features that blogs provide and/or other technology that could be used instead of a blog. I hope students will
find this activity exciting and that they can have fun with the way they create and design their blogs. I also
hope that others find their blogs useful, and that the students learn that they can help others by sharing what
they have learned.
Other comments about your proposed activity: