1. Excellence and Imagination - 7th and 8th grade, Joseph H. Kerr School in Snow Lake, MB
http://mr-fisher.edublogs.org/
Mr. Fisher's blog for his 7th and 8th grade classroom helps me visualize what kind of a future blog I would like to design for my library of classroom. The difference between blogs for educators and students differs in the complexity of the setup and design. I personally prefer the simplistic setup of the school blogs, expecially Fisher's. It includes archives categorized by the months, latest posts, classroom resources, connections, student bloggers, and more. It is simple to follow and difficult to find yourself "lost in the links."
I am impressed by the simplicity of this blog despite the amount of information it contains. It naturally links desired resources for students that make it an unintimidating yet progressive learning tool. I enjoyed the comment made by Dean Shareski a few years ago regarding the links under the globalization heading, "These are some pretty heady things for your 7th and 8th graders. I’d be very interested to hear their response. Knowing you, they’ll probably eat it up and offer some great reflection."
I think a blog similar to Fisher's is attainable by starting small and simple, building as you go.
2. AP Calculus AB (2006-2007) - Mr Kurupotwa
http://apcalc06.blogspot.com/
I never imagined something such as a blog could be helpful to a math class as I perceive math as a solitary activity, crunching numbers, working individually. That is quite the simple minded perception coming from someone whose worst subject in school was math. I learned very early in my upper level math experiences to befriend the smartest person in the class, get their phone number, and call them for help when I was on the verge of a meltdown over a single math problem. With a blog like this one, students have access to homework assignments, notes, support, troubleshooting, math tips, and more at their fingertips 24 hours a day without having to pick up the phone and bother someone. I would have eaten this up!!!
Not only does the AP Calculus blog make math a more social and interactive process, it also makes it more fun. There is access to class slides, notes, and quiz and test notes. Witha blog similar to this one, math may not have been my least favorite subject in high school!
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I also liked the simplicity of Fisher's blog. It was obvious that the class was engaged and doing lots of different activities. It was all very neat and inviting. Also, the class obviously grasped the concept of globalization. The latest post tells how many downloads their site had gotten...something like 8,500...but I like the last line: "The world is watching." The students truly feel they are part of a larger world than their own classroom.
ReplyDeleteAmber, I agree with your points about the AP Calculus blog making math more interactive, social, and fun. A true community of learners. Until I had seen that example, I had no idea how a blog might apply to something like math. Wow -- impressive! It sure beats having to call up your math teacher and/or barge into her house at 9 o'clock the night before a big test (man, I was such a nerd in high school).
ReplyDeleteI like the fact that Richardson included the math blog as an example in his book, too. Often teachers see examples that are a narrow focus and reading, linking and writing are skills that go in all classrooms!
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