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Creat Student Blogs and Using Bloglines to Manage Them
Enrich Social Studies Exit Project with Technology
iLearn
Social Studies Session 7 of 8
Focusing Questions
How do we set up student blogs for use as electronic portfolios?
How can I manage my students’ blogs/ electronic portfolios?
Instruction
Framing The Session
Previously, we focused on how teachers can use blogs in the classroom.
Today we will learn how to set up student blogs that can be used as electronic portfolios that might document:
> Research notes> Questions and answers> Personal reflections
We will also learn to manage all the information using a Web site known as Bloglines.
Teaching: Rationale for Student Blogs
By creating a student blog, each student in your class will have an electronic portfolio to store research, thoughts, and assignments pertaining to their Exit Project online.
Information will be kept online to allow student and teacher access from inside and outside of school.
This tool creates additional opportunities for communicating and reflecting on student progress.
Teaching
Instruction shifts from teacher-centered to
student-centered
Teacher-focused
TEACHER BLOG
Students respond to teacher-generated questions that assess student progress.
STUDENT BLOG
Students keep a reflective journal of their own progress.
Teacher role is limited.
Student-focused
STUDENT BLOG
Students keep a reflective journal of their own progress.
Teacher role is limited.
Teaching:Setting Up a Student Blog
Creating a Student Blog Account:> Open an internet browser.> Go to http://www.blogger.com.> Follow the instructions for setting up a student
blog.> Once you have set up the student blog, copy and
paste the URL into your word document and save it.
Optional Refresher: Student Blogs
Go to www.blogger.com.
Follow the instructions.
Using your mouse, click on “Create your blog now.”
Optional Refresher: Student Blogs
Enter a title (which can be changed) for the blog.
Enter a URL that includes section and student’s name. > E.g., 801robertm [This is permanent. It can’t be changed!]
Optional Refresher: Student Blogs
Enter the following information:
Example of easy User Names: > 801RDM (class and initials)> RM185RDM (room and initials)
Examples of easy passwords:> IS123 (school name)> ABC123 (generic)
NEVER use a student’s
last name in the display area!
Optional Refresher: Student Blogs
Pick a template.
Optional Refresher: Blog Created!
Your student blog is created.> Copy and paste the entire URL into a Word document for
use later.> http://www.801robertm.blogspot.com
Handout: Student Blog Address Sheet
Accessing the MS Word document> Open the Word document on the Web site.> Do a file-save as:
“Class 801 Student Blog URLs”
You now have a file in which to save your students’ URLs by class.
Final Thought
Classroom Tip: After you create each student blog, copy and paste the URL onto a Word document for later use.
Review sample teacher post:> Teacher Post 3: Add your brainstorming map to your blog!
Great activity! But now how do we manage all of these student blogs?
Guided Practice: Understanding Bloglines
Using the saved URLs, create a Bloglines account that allows you easy access to each student’s electronic portfolio from one location.
Step-by-step directions on setting up a Bloglines account are available on Web site.
Create a functioning Bloglines to keep track of student postings and other sites of interest.
What Is Bloglines?
Bloglines features:> Searching for Feeds.> Subscribing for News Feeds – News sources (e.g., New York
Times Education).> Subscribing for Blog Feeds – Enter in project URL:
http://grade8exitproject.blogspot.com/. > Creating folders.> “Keep New” checkbox. (Note: Student blogs will be erased, and
have to be reloaded if the “Keep New” box is not checked.)
Instead of having to go to 30 different Web sites in your classroom, you can go to one single place.
Setting Up a Bloglines Account – 1 of 3
Go to:> http://www.bloglines.com/
click on sign up now
Setting Up a Bloglines Account – 2 of 3
Fill in the information requested:
Setting Up a Bloglines Account – 3 of 3
An e-mail will be sent to the e-mail address you used. Once you respond to that, your account will be active.
Adding Feeds to Your Bloglines Account – 1 of 3
Click on “My Feeds” to start entering the URLs you saved on your Word document. (Later click on “Add.”)
Adding Feeds to Your Bloglines Account – 2 of 3
Copy and paste the Exit Project URL into the area provided.
Adding Feeds to Your Bloglines Account – 3 of 3
Check the appropriate boxes and click on “Subscribe.”
Adding Additional Feeds and Web Sites – 1 of 2
Go back to “My Feeds” and click on “Add” to enter more, following the same steps until all of them are entered.
Adding Additional Feeds and Web Sites – 2 of 2
Also use the “Search for Feeds” feature to enter URLs for student blogs and news feeds (e.g., New York Times Education).
Accessing Your Bloglines Account in the Future
In the future, to access your account simply go to www.bloglines.com.
Enter your e-mail address and password.
Work Time
Getting Started
Save the URLs of your classmates on the “Student Blog Address” sheet.
Add the URL for the Exit Project blog.
Add the URLs for some of your classmates.
Work Time
Add any additional Web resources.>Use all of the above URLs to create
an operational Blogline account of your own.
Share
What are your thoughts on using a Bloglines account?
What did you find challenging, what worked well, and what would you do differently?
Is using a Bloglines account an essential stage in the process of using blogs for your Exit Project? Why or why not?
Share
What did you do?
Share
How does this work address the questions that began the session?
Answers
