EXTENDING THE CLASSROOM ONLINE THROUGH BLOGGING

Teaching the Net Generation: Curriculum, Pedagogy and the Challengeof 21st Century Learning10 to 11 September Cebu City, Philippines

MANUEL JAIME U. VINUYA10 September 2008

Teaching the Net Generation: Curriculum, Pedagogy and the Challenge of 21st Century Learning

Teachers should always look for ways to integrate ICT in teaching

“Can’t let the students in my classes go and end the school year without any ICT-based learning.”

Students today should be exposed more to ICT and ICT integrated learning

Teaching the Net Generation: Curriculum, Pedagogy and the Challenge of 21st Century Learning

There are plethora of programs and tools for ICT integration in the schools…

…which are easier, faster, and more accessible for both teachers and students.

Teaching the Net Generation: Curriculum, Pedagogy and the Challenge of 21st Century Learning

“Blogging” as a teaching tool?

Blogging has become commonplace in the internet

Teaching the Net Generation: Curriculum, Pedagogy and the Challenge of 21st Century Learning

What is a BLOG?

A blog is an abridgement of the term “web log”, which is a website, usually maintained by an individual, with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other materials such as graphics or video.

It enables visitors to the site to share and post their comments to the posted discussions or to other visitors’ comments.

interactive

OWNER COMMENTOR

BLOG

COMMENTOR

Teaching the Net Generation: Curriculum, Pedagogy and the Challenge of 21st Century Learning

Objectives

General objective: - extend the classroom in the cyberspace

Specific objectives:1. to encourage student participation in online

discussions and collaborations2. to serve as posting boards for assignments and

activities, 3. to serve as bulletin of information and reminders,4. to serve as class journal of activities, and 5. to serve as online publication of student works and achievements.

Teaching the Net Generation: Curriculum, Pedagogy and the Challenge of 21st Century Learning

www.research-one.blogspot.com

- for my Research I subject for 2nd year

- 2 sections with a total of 69 students

2 blogs were created

www.research-two.blogspot.com

- for my Research II subject for 4th year

- 1 section with 39 students

-Research I and Research II are add-on subjects of the Special Science Classes

- ongoing and intended until the end of school year 2008-2009

Teaching the Net Generation: Curriculum, Pedagogy and the Challenge of 21st Century Learning

Diagram of the steps in implementing the blogging project

Step 1: Creating the BlogStep 1: Creating the Blog

Step 2: Student orientationStep 2: Student orientation

Step 3: Teacher PostingStep 3: Teacher Posting

Step 4: Student Comment PostingStep 4: Student Comment Posting

Step 5: Checking of Students’ PostsStep 5: Checking of Students’ Posts

Step 6: Classroom synthesisStep 6: Classroom synthesis

Teaching the Net Generation: Curriculum, Pedagogy and the Challenge of 21st Century Learning

- Created from www.blogger.com

– a free blog hosting website owned by Google

- simple and easy to manage

Step 1. Creation of the blog

Teaching the Net Generation: Curriculum, Pedagogy and the Challenge of 21st Century Learning

Requisite for building:

a g-mail, an email account from Google

Teaching the Net Generation: Curriculum, Pedagogy and the Challenge of 21st Century Learning

Steps in creating the blog

Sign in with g-mail e-mail address

3 easy steps in creating a blog

Teaching the Net Generation: Curriculum, Pedagogy and the Challenge of 21st Century Learning

Step 2. Students’ orientation

- mechanics of using the blog in posting their comments, discussions, reactions, images, pictures and even videos

- rules regarding the use of improper languages and correct grammar and these are also placed in the blog.

- emphasized that the students’ discussions on the blog are included in the computation of their grade in class participation

- cited some relevant DepEd provisions on the integration of ICT in education and made them understand that the blogs were made in accordance with the said provisions

Teaching the Net Generation: Curriculum, Pedagogy and the Challenge of 21st Century Learning

Step 3. Posting of teacher discussions

The Blogger program is built in with commands and functions which are similar to creating a Microsoft Word document

Teaching the Net Generation: Curriculum, Pedagogy and the Challenge of 21st Century Learning

Snapshot of the first posted teacher discussion for the second year SSC

Teaching the Net Generation: Curriculum, Pedagogy and the Challenge of 21st Century Learning

Snapshot of the first posted teacher discussion for the fourth year SSC

Teaching the Net Generation: Curriculum, Pedagogy and the Challenge of 21st Century Learning

Step 4. Posting of comments (reactions or discussion) by the students.

Click “comments” to post comment or discussion

Teaching the Net Generation: Curriculum, Pedagogy and the Challenge of 21st Century Learning

Comment posting window

Writing panel

Teaching the Net Generation: Curriculum, Pedagogy and the Challenge of 21st Century Learning

Identity button

Teaching the Net Generation: Curriculum, Pedagogy and the Challenge of 21st Century Learning

Select “anonymous”

Teaching the Net Generation: Curriculum, Pedagogy and the Challenge of 21st Century Learning

Criteria

R A T I N G

Present (100%)

MostlyPresent(92%)

Partly Present(85%)

Absent (83%)

ACCURATENESS OF IDEAS

CORRECTNESS OF GRAMMAR

*Grade: Total of the ratings divided by 2 Grade =

Step 5. Checking of students’ discussions

Rubric in checking the discussions of the students

X

X

96

Teaching the Net Generation: Curriculum, Pedagogy and the Challenge of 21st Century Learning

Step 6. Classroom synthesis

After the posting period, an on-classroom synthesis of the students’ online discussions is conducted to summarize their ideas and formulate generalization.

Teaching the Net Generation: Curriculum, Pedagogy and the Challenge of 21st Century Learning

With this blogging activity

a new and innovative way of learning

students were very enthusiastic to blogging

A “first” in Manaoag National High School

Teaching the Net Generation: Curriculum, Pedagogy and the Challenge of 21st Century Learning

Problems Encountered

Students’ problems:

• Students have to spend for computer rentals at internet shops

• Unavailability of school computers with internet access since the school’s computer lab is not always available and ready for the students to use

• The students’ availability to go to the computer lab or shop to post their discussions

Teacher’s problems:

• Interrupted internet access by the service provider

• Time consuming

• Increased electricity bill

Teaching the Net Generation: Curriculum, Pedagogy and the Challenge of 21st Century Learning

Recommendations

1) To find means of reducing the expenses of students

2) To find ways of maximizing the use of the school’s computer lab for the project

3) To introduce and encourage blogging as an instructional tool to other teachers

Teaching the Net Generation: Curriculum, Pedagogy and the Challenge of 21st Century Learning

With this blogging activity

BLOG

easy to build and manage

resembles a classroom

interactive, versatile and functional

evidence of class participation

viewed by parents

No opposition to the project

Teaching the Net Generation: Curriculum, Pedagogy and the Challenge of 21st Century Learning

Consider the use of blogging as one of the regular activities in my classes

Blogging in other countries is an integral part of classroom instruction

Teaching the Net Generation: Curriculum, Pedagogy and the Challenge of 21st Century Learning