WHAT CHILDREN THINK

Nelson Central school has provided some explanations by young children and their knowledge of blogs. This gives a great insight to drive assessment and gathering before views. The teacher can reflect on new learning as it occurs. Some children have a a lot of knowledge and others are vague. The teacher maybe able to assess based on what the children knew before. This is a great example of how this can be implemented in any classroom.

Some suggested ways to Assess childrens blog sites.

Tech learning addresses some ways that we can assess children's learning through their blog sites is to:

• Start slowly by asking students to post once a week in response to a specific assignment This allows evaluation of student writing over time, not just in one high-pressure testing situation. How can I evaluate the different explanations children have about their understanding and interpretation of what they are discovering while using ICT?
  
• Involve students in their own assessment. Assign a written self-evaluation students can submit before giving term grades where they reflect on their strengths and weaknesses. This may depend on how close the links are with the integration of a particular context of learning, as to weather the assessment will be the usage of the ICT through their blogs, or the contextual learning itself. How can I manage both?
  
• Build rubrics that evaluate quality, not just quantity, this can encourage substantive discussion in student message board communication.
  How can I effectively keep track of students communication with each other, as they are helping each other (teaching each other) how can I be informed of this new learning.
  
• Use models. Bookmark examples of well-written blogs.
  Should this be related to specific areas? could children search and find these on their own and discuss what they learn? and children could possibly pull out ides that will fit with them and help guide own blog sites.
• Consider where children are been taken to in their learning How is this evident in their sites? we can do teacher and student conferencing and check points to establish this in class discussions about how children's themes are coming to life.

Why let children Blog?

Rachel Boyd in the has proposed a question in the moving forward blog site has created a thread titled Why let children blog. She has created a you tube video to share that show the effectiveness of children using blogging and some benefits that come along with it. It is an audio, visual presentation that details some of the skills children aquire through blogging. Check it out.

Blogging: Reinventing Teaching and Learning in the Information Age

A workshop was centred around these issues in Australia.. at Casula School https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/

They note that blogging is a recent use of technology that allows teachers to create online discussions for student use. As a recent use of technology, available research and examples of best practice are limited. So that means that assessment may be limtited also, However, I am sure through my research I will uncover a path that will lead onto many other roads.

The four-hour workshop began with an overview of the successes and failures of blogging professional development for the teachers and schools from the presenters’ school district.

Participants in the workshop were introduced to blogging terminology, tools and resources. The workshop gave examples of teacher moderated blog sites, thus reducing the risk of students posting or viewing inappropriate material. It then concentrated on participants making their own blog sites. It is important to set guidelines.

This does bring up the issue of the time it will take a teacher to locate and view all children's blog sites?? I am sure that the speed of the findings (as the tree will be rapidly, growing many branches during the process, like the students brain filling knowledge) will be moderately faster than the eyes of the teacher.

Data Collection Techniques for Technology Assessment and Planning

Clausa School in Australia Provides some data collection technigues for technology assessment

They highlight tools and techniques useful for documenting the impact of instructional technology at the school and classroom level. It detailed the use and development of data collection tools such as online surveys, focus groups, classroom observations, and artefact analysis of student work and included the collection and reporting of basic user data on technology’s impact on teachers and students. This data is particularly useful in documenting ‘current status’ in a strategic technology plan and/or creating a baseline assessment of how technology impacts teaching and learning within a school or district.

This allows for the documentation using creative tools and provides the teacher with a picture of where the children are at. But, it makes me think about, what if children are way ahead, how can this be detected?

Blogging: Reinventing Teaching and Learning in the Information Age
Blogging is a recent use of technology that allows teachers to create online discussions for student use. As a recent use of technology, available research and examples of best practice are limited. The four-hour workshop began with an overview of the successes and failures of blogging professional development for the teachers and schools from the presenters’ school district.
Participants in the workshop were introduced to blogging terminology, tools and resources. The workshop gave examples of teacher-moderated blog sites, thus reducing the risk of students posting or viewing inappropriate material. It then concentrated on participants making their own blog sites.

How do teachers gather reliable assessment information through children's blog sights.

Having a individual blogs created as part of a class/school wide umbrella, is valuable. Children can record learning, make suggestions to others and generally explore aspects of a topic that we may be covering in the classroom and most of all share this information. So how do teachers assess that children are able to do this effectively and are able to create a sense of connection with the information and that is is used in meaningful ways?

Terry Freedman addresses the need to "Ask the children" and through assessing children's own blogs.. i think it is vital to, ask the children. This is an essential part of assessing ICT. Its is not straight forward and does need a considerable amount of considerations.

http://terry-freedman.org.uk/artman/publish/article_1173.php

He suggests to use blogs to facilitate feedback from your students to you, and from them to each other, and from them to parents. This is connecting children with their families, making learning more valuable and real.

Children can take charge of their learning to be assessed and by Involving them in any surveys that I undertake. Not just answering the questions, but helping to come up with the right questions in the first place.

Through their sights teachers can gather information about task the teacher may set, such as, Ask children to create how-to guides and posters for using the educational technology equipment and software. This will help the teacher gather how much is understood by the students.

Students could write articles for your school website, newsletter etc.

"Making the pupils your partners rather than trying to merely "do it to them" can help to create a much richer educational experience for everyone" (Freedman, 2007).

Investigating Emerging technology.. Kids and their blogs.

An emerging technology that enhances learning is that of children creating their own blog sites. It provides opportunities documentation of learning and also provides children to reflect on what they are learning and invites parents and teachers to better gain an understanding of where they are at.

I will be focusing on Assessment and how this can be done effectively and to meet certain purposes. Blogging in the classroom brings multiple scenarios. Emma is initially focusing on integration with the curriculum and Laura is focusing on children's portfolios. We will be connecting our findings and showing clear links to our Emerging Technology: Blogging in the classroom.