Technology Training Opportunity

Creating Blogs for the Classroom Technology Training Opportunity Professional Development Chip Flemmer

Creating Blogs for the Classroom Professional Development Chip Flemmer

Creating Blogs for the Classroom Introduction • This course is designed to help teachers advance their knowledge and skills for effectively using classroom blogs to enhance learning. • The course will be a six hour session in which ideas, techniques, and sample blogs will be examined. We will culminate the day by having each participant create their own blog. • To ensure greater success, representatives from our technology department will conduct bi-monthly visits with each participating teacher throughout the course of the school year to answer any questions and help them with effectively using their blogs. Professional Development Chip Flemmer

Creating Blogs for the Classroom What are the professional development goals? Teachers enable students to: Initiate communication with parents, teachers, community members, or students. Direct their own use of technology. Showcase their work and promote public relations. Professional Development Chip Flemmer

Creating Blogs for the Classroom How will these goals improve all students’ learning? Blogs Provide an easy-to-use forum for publishing ideas Promotes collaboration with peers Allows for sharing knowledge Serves as great reflective communication tool Are engaging Can foster healthy debate Professional Development Chip Flemmer

Creating Blogs for the Classroom How will this class help improve teacher effectiveness? Blogs will Allow passive learners to become much more engaged. Show students that their opinions and collaboration are important in the process thus resulting in more buy-in. Create a much more student-centered learning environment which will improve the teacher’s effectiveness. Provide a way to go in more depth on subjects and provide opportunities for higher-level thinking. Professional Development Chip Flemmer

Creating Blogs for the Classroom Differentiating Learning With a variety of learning styles and needs present in our classrooms it is important to have a tool which teachers can use to identify student strengths and weaknesses in a quick and effective manner. Blogs allow students to respond to various topics and provide teachers with a quick and easy method for assessing whether or not learning has taken place. Professional Development Chip Flemmer

Creating Blogs for the Classroom Teacher Learning Objectives • Teachers will obtain specific strategies on how to use blogs effectively to promote learning in their classrooms. • Teachers will be able to create their own blog with the purpose of initiating communication with parents, other teachers, community members, and/or students. • Teachers will have the knowledge, skills, resources, and continued support available to help other teachers start their own blogs. Professional Development Chip Flemmer

Creating Blogs for the Classroom Delivery of Class Location: Computer Lab Duration: Six hours (one hour lunch break) Format: Discussion, question and answers session, effective blog examples will be shown. Material/Media Needed: Projector to guide those being trained through the set-up process of their blog. PowerPoint along with handouts. Follow-Up: Either personal visits, email or phone calls bi-monthly with participants to ensure effective use. Professional Development Chip Flemmer

Creating Blogs for the Classroom Class Activities and Process • We will briefly go over a Seth Godin’s PowerPoint… • http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/files/whos_there.pdf • We will look at sample blogs from colleagues of mine… https://wiki.friscoisd.org/users/hamptonk/ • https://wiki.friscoisd.org/users/reeseb/ Professional Development Chip Flemmer

Creating Blogs for the Classroom Class Activities and Process • Students (teachers) will create their own blogs in which they will use to promote learning in their classroom. The format we will use will look like… • Your first blog post : Include name and school name • Write, Format, Save, Edit • Adding Media to the blog • Add a Picture • Your picture • School picture • Linking to another page - school main page • Video • Attaching files : This PowerPoint • Podcast • TAGS! Professional Development Chip Flemmer

Creating Blogs for the Classroom Expected Outcomes All participants in the training are expected to leave the Session with their own classroom blog having been started. We will also have follow-up meetings at the campus level to Check on the progress of all the participants as well as Guide them through any obstacles they may have encountered Since the training which may hinder their blogs from being Utilized. Professional Development Chip Flemmer

Creating Blogs for the Classroom Measure Learning The blogs that are created will be analyzed by the technology facilitators as well as colleagues to assess the strengths and make any recommendations for improvement. We will conduct a question and answer session prior to leaving from the training session to gather input on what was learned from the day and what will be carried into the classroom. Participants will complete a survey to determine the strengths and weaknesses of the training session. Professional Development Chip Flemmer

Creating Blogs for the Classroom Taking Learning to Classroom We will have a separate Blog specifically for teachers from this class who will share stories with the other participants as well as interested non-participants regarding student learning and achievement from incorporating Blogs in the classroom. Professional Development Chip Flemmer

Creating Blogs for the Classroom Student Learning Measured Student learning will be obtained through their comments, answers, and discussion points posted to their classroom blog. The teacher will assess whether or not the learning objective for the particular activity has been met through their insight along with follow-up questions if necessary. Professional Development Chip Flemmer

Creating Blogs for the Classroom Student Learning Measured Sign-up today!!!! Chip Flemmer Wester Middle School Frisco Independent School District flemmerc@friscoisd.org Professional Development Chip Flemmer

Technology Training Opportunity