Tag: Blogging

45+ Ideas For Class Blog Posts

Blogging, Interesting WaysPublished onUpdated on38 Comments on 45+ Ideas For Class Blog Posts
  1. Share a photograph of your classroom. Explain about the different parts of it and how it is being used. Invite other teachers and classes to write a similar blog post explaining about their classroom. Encourage children from your class to leave comments about what they like about it or even suggestions for changes they would like to see.
  2. Publish children’s work. Don’t just post work that is flawless but also invite comments and suggestions on work that can be improved.
  3. Publish your shared writing. As you produce writing with the class in your lessons, post it to your blog and invite the class or blog visitors to improve something and to comment.
  4. Share your classroom rules or charter. This can be done at the beginning of the year and is a good way to share your class agreement with the wider community.
  5. Share a photograph of a classroom display.
  6. Post a video of SMARTBoard or IWB session during a maths lesson. For example the written methods for multiplication are included, the children can use it as a revision aid – the parents get to see how the school wants it set out AND the children get to comment on their favoured method.
  7. Posting images from a digital microscope for the children to comment on. “What is under our microscope?” – or even asking for people to guess what the image is and to comment on the suggestions.
  8. Posting homework tasks every week – eg. maths problems, children to comment as their task.
  9. Art gallery. Post pictures of all of the artwork created in a session, make a gallery or slideshow.
  10. Post Concept Cartoons for science prior to a lesson or a week of work. Children are asked to comment on what they think will happen and then these can be used as a start to the first lesson or as an intitial assessment.

I have started a new Interesting Ways resource which includes these classroom blogging ideas –

Please feel free to add your ideas, however simple or complex, to help develop the resource.

#classblogs

BloggingPublished on9 Comments on #classblogs

2372269050 e323e2dfa7Recently I have written a number of posts about class blogging and have begun using one again in our classroom. One of the things that I wrote about in my previous post is how useful it is to keep tabs on your visitor numbers and locations, and how children get very excited about this.

One big influence on this is a separate network that allows you to promote your class blog and drive traffic to it. I am aware that with a larger Twitter network you can drive a larger amount of clicks. I am going to put mine to good use and post on Twitter a class blog recommendation every single day.

I hope that this helps drives traffic to your class blogs, widens your audience and continues to spark curiosity about different visitor locations. But perhaps more importantly it might help you and your class make some meaningful connections with other classes around the world.

I have started the #classblogs hashtag to keep track of everything to do with … class blogs!

Here are the first 4 recommendations taken from various tweets and recent comments on blog posts.

If you haven’t already please drop by and leave them a comment, remember if they have a visitor map even if you just take a look you will add a little dot. That dot may lead to a question from one of the class…

If you have a class blog and want me to help spread the word about what you are doing I am taking examples from the existing comments on my previous post, otherwise just let me know the details.

How Do You Make School or Class Blogging Stick?

BloggingPublished onUpdated on14 Comments on How Do You Make School or Class Blogging Stick?

In a follow up to my previous post about examples of school and class blogs and the motivations behind using different platforms, I want to find out more from you all.

I have had experience of using blogging as I previously mentioned, but admittedly it didn’t stick. I moved year groups and never carried it on as part of my everyday practice. Other classes that had great experiences for a year also never returned to it, the blogs languished and became redundant.

There has been an amazing response in the previous post (over 40 great examples of class blogs with equally valuable advice and suggestions) and a good deal of reference to the whole school approach or to year on year development. As well as the motivations behind it all – can you help again?

Please leave a comment with your thoughts about:

  • How you make blogging part of your classroom’s everyday routine?
  • What is the key to whole school take-up? Leadership? Good training?
  • How you measure if your school or class blog is a success? Do you need to?
  • How you make class blogging stick in an already busy environment?

Do You Have a Class or School Blog?

Blogging, My classPublished on91 Comments on Do You Have a Class or School Blog?

When I first started blogging in 2006 I was teaching a Year 6 class. As part of my own learning process I ran a class blog too and started others across the school. We used Learnerblogs, which sadly is no more, but had some great experiences giving the class a real audience and purpose to their writing.

After Christmas I am going to get back to it with my current class and make a concerted effort to make blogging part of the curriculum we deliver and not a bolt on.

With lots of different platforms for class blogs and so many great examples I want to learn from you and hear your experiences. I hope your contributions will prove useful to everyone thinking of starting blogging at their school and provide an opportunity to find out about other class blogs around the world.

Please leave a comment:

  • Showcasing your class or school blog (don’t forget a link).
  • Explaining why you chose the platform you did (Blogger, Edublogs etc).
  • And what the most positive impact is (or anything else you want to say about it really!).