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Rachel Nachman
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0sing blogs to encouiage wiiting anu
uevelop stuuents' wiiting skills
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Basic computei skills
Knowleuge of blogs
Ability to wiite cleai leaining objectives
Fluent typing
Ability to align lesson plans to euucational
stanuaius
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This woikshop will focus on using blogs within the wiiting cuiiiculum. Noie specifically, paiticipants
will leain about uiffeient instiuctional activities that can be implementeu in which blogs aie useu to
encouiage stuuent wiiting anu to uevelop stuuents' wiiting skills.

Paiticipants will then have an oppoitunity to collaboiate with othei teacheis at theii giaue level, access
the Nontgomeiy County Public Schools cuiiiculum, anu biainstoim possible ways that blogs can be
incoipoiateu within theii wiiting instiuction.

Lastly, paiticipants will then be askeu to uesign a lesson plan in which a blog is useu to uevelop
stuuents' wiiting skills. This lesson plan must have at least one leaining objective, must align with
euucational stanuaius, anu must centei on stuuent blogging. These lesson plans, when finisheu, will be
posteu on oui woikshop blog foi futuie access anu use.
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Paiticipants will be able to uesign a lesson plan in which a blog is useu to uevelop stuuents' wiiting
skills
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1. Paiticipants will be seateu in a computei lab. Each paiticipant will be given his oi hei own computei.
The instiuctoi will be in the fiont of the lab anu will be using a computei that connects with an
Inteiactive White Boaiu oi piojection scieen.

2. Fiist, the instiuctoi will explain that touay, the woikshop will focus on ways that blogs can be useu
to uevelop stuuents' wiiting skills. Paiticipants will be askeu to uiscuss the following question with
the peison sitting next to them:
Baseu on oui uiscussion last week, what aie some ways that blogs can be useu to encouiage
wiiting anu uevelop stuuents' wiiting skills.
0nce paiticipants have uiscusseu this question with theii paitnei, the instiuctoi will facilitate a
whole-gioup uiscussion uuiing which paiticipants can shaie theii iueas.

S. Paiticipants will be askeu to log on to theii computeis anu open oui "Blogging in the Elementaiy
School Classioom" blog (the same blog they visiteu last week). This blog seives as the "woikshop"
blog anu is maintaineu by the instiuctoi.
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4. 0nce paiticipants have accesseu the blog, they will be askeu to locate the post "Bow Can We
Encouiage Stuuent Wiiting." They will then be askeu to complete Activity #1. This activity involves
watching a viueo titleu "Elementaiy Stuuent Blogs: Innovative Classioom Technology". 0nce
paiticipants have finisheu watching the viueo, they will be askeu to iesponu to the blog post with
theii ieaction to the viueo. They will also be askeu to post any thoughts oi questions that they may
have iegaiuing using blogs to encouiage stuuent wiiting.
!"#$: Foi this activity, the instiuctoi will change the blog settings so that comments anu
iesponses uo not neeu to be appioveu. Theiefoie, as soon as a paiticipant submits a
comment, it will appeai on the blog.

S. Paiticipants will then get in small gioups anu complete Activity #2, which can also be founu on that
blog post. This activity iequiies paiticipants to view a blog calleu "Communicate Connect Suppoit"
anu ieau a blog post titleu "1u Easy Steps to Teach Wiiting thiough Blogging". 0nce the gioup has
finisheu ieauing this post, they will pick one of the steps mentioneu in the post anu uiscuss how they
woulu implement this step within theii own classiooms.

6. 0nce all gioups have finisheu this activity, the instiuctoi will leau a whole-gioup uiscussion in which
paiticipants can shaie theii thoughts anu iueas foi using blogs to teach wiiting.

7. The instiuctoi will uiscuss some of the ways that blogs can be useu to encouiage wiiting anu
uevelop stuuents' wiiting skills. Examples of each activity will be shown. These incluue:
+,94",J. K&4"?&&- &, L&5,%2' :%4,9".
o Stuuents can cieate blog posts that seive as entiies in theii wiitei's notebook oi
jouinal.
o Stuuents can iesponu to theii peeis' blog posts
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o The instiuctoi will pioviue each paiticipant with a copy of the aiticle "Let's Pie-Blog!:
0sing Blogs as Piewiiting Tools in Elementaiy Classiooms". This aiticle uiscusses
ways that blogs can fostei the piewiiting piocess. Paiticipants will be askeu to ieau
this aiticle inuepenuently.
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o Stuuents can post theii iough uiaft to theii blog. 0nce uiafts aie posteu, othei
stuuents can peei euit via the blog comment featuie.
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o 0nce stuuents ieau the feeuback they ieceiveu fiom theii peeis, they can use these
comments to euit anu ievise theii own woik. Because this wiiting is publisheu online,
it is $%#&' impoitant to make suie that spelling anu giammai aie coiiect.
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o When we cieate a blog post, it is publisheu foi the woilu to see. By publishing a piece
of wiitten woik online, stuuents can leain just how impoitant it is to cieate a high-
quality finisheu wiiting piece.
o Blogs can seive as a uigital poitfolio foi stuuents' woik. It can be useu as a piogiess-
monitoiing tool oi as a way foi stuuents to ieflect on what they have wiitten
thioughout the school yeai.
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1. Paiticipants will be seateu in a computei lab. Each paiticipant will be given his oi hei own computei.
The instiuctoi will be in the fiont of the lab anu will be using a computei that connects with an
Inteiactive White Boaiu oi piojection scieen.

2. Fiist, the instiuctoi will explain that touay, the woikshop will focus on ways that blogs can be useu
to uevelop stuuents' wiiting skills. Paiticipants will be askeu to uiscuss the following question with
the peison sitting next to them:
Baseu on oui uiscussion last week, what aie some ways that blogs can be useu to encouiage
wiiting anu uevelop stuuents' wiiting skills.
0nce paiticipants have uiscusseu this question with theii paitnei, the instiuctoi will facilitate a
whole-gioup uiscussion uuiing which paiticipants can shaie theii iueas.

S. Paiticipants will be askeu to log on to theii computeis anu open oui "Blogging in the Elementaiy
School Classioom" blog (the same blog they visiteu last week). This blog seives as the "woikshop"
blog anu is maintaineu by the instiuctoi.
+&,-.$&/ F54'9%" H=&%49%5"EI
4. 0nce paiticipants have accesseu the blog, they will be askeu to locate the post "Bow Can We
Encouiage Stuuent Wiiting." They will then be askeu to complete Activity #1. This activity involves
watching a viueo titleu "Elementaiy Stuuent Blogs: Innovative Classioom Technology". 0nce
paiticipants have finisheu watching the viueo, they will be askeu to iesponu to the blog post with
theii ieaction to the viueo. They will also be askeu to post any thoughts oi questions that they may
have iegaiuing using blogs to encouiage stuuent wiiting.
!"#$: Foi this activity, the instiuctoi will change the blog settings so that comments anu
iesponses uo not neeu to be appioveu. Theiefoie, as soon as a paiticipant submits a
comment, it will appeai on the blog.

S. Paiticipants will then get in small gioups anu complete Activity #2, which can also be founu on that
blog post. This activity iequiies paiticipants to view a blog calleu "Communicate Connect Suppoit"
anu ieau a blog post titleu "1u Easy Steps to Teach Wiiting thiough Blogging". 0nce the gioup has
finisheu ieauing this post, they will pick one of the steps mentioneu in the post anu uiscuss how they
woulu implement this step within theii own classiooms.

6. 0nce all gioups have finisheu this activity, the instiuctoi will leau a whole-gioup uiscussion in which
paiticipants can shaie theii thoughts anu iueas foi using blogs to teach wiiting.

7. The instiuctoi will uiscuss some of the ways that blogs can be useu to encouiage wiiting anu
uevelop stuuents' wiiting skills. Examples of each activity will be shown. These incluue:
+,94",J. K&4"?&&- &, L&5,%2' :%4,9".
o Stuuents can cieate blog posts that seive as entiies in theii wiitei's notebook oi
jouinal.
o Stuuents can iesponu to theii peeis' blog posts
1,"M+,949%(
o The instiuctoi will pioviue each paiticipant with a copy of the aiticle "Let's Pie-Blog!:
0sing Blogs as Piewiiting Tools in Elementaiy Classiooms". This aiticle uiscusses
ways that blogs can fostei the piewiiting piocess. Paiticipants will be askeu to ieau
this aiticle inuepenuently.
N,2A49%( 2%E 1"",M:E949%(
o Stuuents can post theii iough uiaft to theii blog. 0nce uiafts aie posteu, othei
stuuents can peei euit via the blog comment featuie.
:E949%( 2%E O"G9.9%(
o 0nce stuuents ieau the feeuback they ieceiveu fiom theii peeis, they can use these


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Paiticipants' lesson plans will be evaluateu foi the extent to which they:
Align with at least one leaining objective
Align with at least one euucational stanuaiu (CCSS oi Naiylanu Technology Liteiacy)
Centei aiounu stuuent blogging