Colette Cassinelli’s edtech VISION

This past month my middle and high school students began blogging at http://vcs.21classes.com . Each student based their blog topic on this quote by Gandhi, “We must be the change we wish to see in the world”. Students chose topics such as recycling, Darfur, donating blood, AIDs, pollution, animal abuse, genocide, teen stress, depression …

This is the first exposure to blogging so I directed their beginning posts. Here are the suggestions:

1. Write two paragraphs explaining why you chose your topic. Tell about your topic and why you chose it. You might explain what you hope to accomplish by writing in this blog.
2. Find three resources that you think will be helpful (examples, advice, facts, PSA, news articles, etc). Give the URL. Write a 1-2 sentence explaining the resource and how it will be helpful.
3. Create a motivational poster at http://www.bighugelabs.com/flickr/motivator.php. Cite where you got your information or explain why you made your poster the way you did.
4. List very specific things that people can do to support your topic or change the world somehow. There needs to be 2-3 (or more) suggestions for all three categories: Personal level – what can people do personally about your topic; Local level – what can people do about your topic in your community; Global level – what can people do about your topic on a global scale.
5. Educate your classmates about your topic in a fun and creative way. Choose one of the following sites to create a cartoon, slideshow, or creative project and educate us about one aspect of your topic. Pick something that we probably don’t already know about your topic. Make it fun and educational at the same time!
6. Participate in the comment challenge. Visit a new blog every day and write comments, ask questions or give more information for each entry.
7. Embed a survey or online quiz on your blog. Report your results in a week.
8. Post additional entries of your choice: personal reactions, news story, research, YouTube video, Discussion from comment, graphs, interesting books/videos/podcasts on topic … your choice.

Some other helpful hints when blogging with students:

• Group the students into “learning circles”. the 4-5 members of that group read and comment on each other’s blogs before the rest of the class. This ensures everyone receives comments – not just the popular students.
• Give the students time to play around and personalize their blogs. 21classes.com allows students to change background colors, themes, etc.
• Make reading and writing blogs a priority. I decided to include blogging for a shorter period of time with more intensity than spreading it out over the course of the school year (this will be reevaluated when semester is over).
• Give specific ideas on what to post but allow extra postings and creativity.
• Teach the students how to comment. See Gina Trapani’s Guide to Blog Comments.
• Teach digital citizenship: only first names, don’t identify school, use avatar or creative filters in photoshop for image, be kind when commenting, take blog seriously, and write for intended audience.
• Moderate all comments.
• Have parents approve topics and give consent. Students should agree to abide by blog rules and etiquette.

I’ve only had a few issues with student blogging. I’ve had to remind students to write properly (no IM speak) and edit some posts for content. I had to remind the students to know your audience and keep information age appropriate – especially when dealing with sensitive issues like AIDs, Darfur, depression, etc. Even though it takes time, I moderate all comments I am not afraid to reject comments if they are silly, inappropriate or poorly written.

The students especially enjoyed being able to embed comics, Voki, images and surveys in their blogs. This added a creative aspect beside writing and also created interaction between the students. Students supported members in their learning circles with lots of positive comments and praise.

Blogging is a new addition to my computer curriculum and is here to stay.

Photo credit: Motivational poster made by Gloria http://vcs.21classes.com/12-Gloria

Well, I have been blogging with 2 different classes this semester and would like to give an update of how it’s going so far.  I chose to use http://www.21classes.com with my Graphic Design and Digital Video Production classes.  I chose to blog with these students because they are considered “advanced” project classes and incorporating reflective writing along with the projects will give me insights into the students thinking of why they designed projects the way they did.  Plus the blogs give an authentic audience for the student’s work and opportunities for comments create interaction among the students.

First of all, the Graphic Design students immediately taught each other how to customize their blogs with colors, backgrounds, embedded images, and tweaking CSS code (see samples).  I only pointed the way and soon I noticed kids helping kids and lots of learning happening without any of my help – thank you MySpace!

The Digital Video students enjoyed embedding their first video project into their blog.  I have also assigned them to look for examples of interesting video clips, editing techniques and add them to their blog for assignments.  Almost all written work for both classes is placed on the blogs.  I am requiring (for now) student to comment on other’s post to encourage communication – but most of the kids do it without specific direction.

21classes keeps our student’s blogs private and also has a community portal so students can easily access each other’s blogs plus it gives me a place to post assignments for both classes.  Students from Graphic Design and Digital Video classes can see each other’s blogs and this has increased interest in what the other class is doing.

So far I am please with the overall layout, user interface and ease of use of 21 classes.  We are already maxing out our free space so I will be upgrading to the paid subscription ($8.95 per month) but this gives each student 25 mb of space which will be needed by the Graphic Design students since we are posting graphic samples and student projects on the blogs.