Hi,
Blogging!!!! It is a whole new world for me to explore! I feel as many of my students have told me they feel on the first day of school...a little excited, a little scared but willing to give it a try! As a teacher in an elementary school, the world of blogging has not really been used as an educational tool. Although we are a considered a "tech" school, the staff, for the most part, is what educational theorist Marc Prensky calls "Digital Immigrants". Most of us were not surrounded by technology growing up. But even though a large majority of our students are considered ESL, they have an ease with technology that amazes me. Technology has the ability to "level the playing field" so to speak. The pride and confidence a student has displayed when showing me how they have found some interesting information on a topic we have discussed in class, or a site they want to share with classmates transcends all languages. This is the world that most of these students can delve into without the feelings of self doubt and uneasiness (which I often have!). As a classroom teacher with a high proportion of students at different stages of English Learning, I would love to link my class to another in South Asia where most of my students' families originate from. I think to be able to converse in both their native language and in English would expose all the students to a very rich learning environment.
I often bring in articles I have clipped from the newpaper or talk about the latest news item I've heard on the way to school. I think to start a blog where the students would contribute news items, whether it be world news, local or school news would be an exciting way for them to share their thoughts, feelings and opinions. I also think that a blog would be an excellent way to open the schoolroom up to parents. Many of our parents feel shy about their level of English proficiency. To have a class blog would probably be a more effective way to communicate with them than our monthly newsletters. To have the students contribute or post their work, with a brief description of what it's about and how they did it would probably get more attention from the parents than getting one more piece of paper with endless information that schools are infamous for generating! Just as the cartoon portrays.....there are "Digital Natives" and "Digital Immigrants"..... but the twain may meet at suzanne-justlearning! Let's keep our fingers crossed!
Suzanne
