Thank you to those of you who have responded to the poll asking whether you'd like to continue blogging in Geography. I really appreciate those of you who took the time to write a comment and let me know what you think.
This is the first time I have taught using blogs and, like you, I am learning a lot! Your work continues to improve as you use the tools available to you more and more effectively. I am especially impressed with your work on Assignment #8. I have read some wonderfully creative and well-researched imaginary interviews.
Some issues you have raised and that I am thinking about:
More class discussion - Some people have suggested that we do some class discussion along with our blogging. I think this is a great idea. So far, you have been working fairly independently on your blogs (and doing a great job, may I add!), I will work on finding ways to interact even more.
More guidance from the teacher - In other classes you've taken in the Social Studies (History, Geography), you are used to having the teacher lead you through a concept and then you do a reading or an assignment. With our projects so far, I've been releasing the responsibility to you. You have been responsible for working with information I've given you, that I've directed you towards or that you've found on your own. Some of you want more guidance and I will be happy to provide that to you.
More clarity - You may not believe it, but you are flying through curriculum expectations for your grade. What I will do is I will let you know, with each assignment, which curriculum expectations you are covering (there is a whole bunch of stuff you're expected to learn each year and that's put together in curriculum documents that teachers refer to). Also, I've started to add more information at the end of posts to tell you how I'll be evaluating each assignment. People have also expressed that they miss learning in units. I'll add more info at the beginning of assignments to let you know which unit we're working on. I'll get even better organized and hopefully that will help you.
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Fewer Assignments - Some of you have said that you would like more time to read your peers assignments before you are given your next one. I've been trying to give you assignments of different lengths, but to also keep you busy during class time. I'm thinking about how many assignments to give you.
Distractions - Several of you have said that blogging is distracting. I'd argue that it's not the blogging that is distracting, but it's all the other cool stuff on the Internet that is distracting. It is up to you to monitor your use and make sure you are staying on task. The world is a distracting place and I think it is an invaluable tool to learn how to stay focused amidst many other tempting things.
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Once again, I really appreciate your opinions and I really appreciate the respectful, mature way in which you are expressing them. Like I've said, I am learning from our blogging project along with you, and your input helps me to continue to learn and improve my teaching. Thank you.
If there are any other issues you'd like to raise, please don't hesitate to do so in the comments area.
10 comments:
Hello miss.pollock, I think that we should continue using blogs because textbooks are boring and almost everybody hates textbooks. So blogging is somethijng we should continue doing.
Hey, Miss Pollock I think that we should still blog because people like blogging because it's more fun and easyer to type it on the computer then wrighting it on paper and reading it from textbooks plus when your on the computer you can just find things so much faster then if your looking at the textbook. I also think that if you forget your textbook at school you cann't just go back because most people take the bus so if you blog you can goon the computer and see what you have to do.So thats what I think! bye bye.
Hello miss.P I really like blogging its a cool way to learn and i found out things I never knew. I never there was Louis Riel or Louis Riel Day so i hope we continue blogging and check my blog
uumm, hi,
am I missing any assignments or uumm you know homework on his. or math? uuhh soo yeah, i'm really shy to ask anyways.. yeah bye..
I'm just kidding!!! it's just when I wanted to ask, I'm always seeing you sooo busy, so didn't asked you :D
BYE!!
Hi Miss Pollock,
I think we should keep on blogging because its not that the textbooks that boring, it's just think in blogging, there is more interaction in the assignments so we learn how to use the internet more efficiently, so when we go to university, we'll have more experience. They don't call it the information age for nothing.
Hello Mrs. Pollock,
I totally think that we should continue blogging! I think that we should, because our class textbooks are out-dated and don't have all the new information, also because it's fun and easy way to find out new information and it makes learning much more fun. Besides everyone is doing a great and spectaculer job on there blogs! So I think that we should continue blogging! I also think that it great how you are taking the time to understand the students thoughts and concerns.
Genny
I find that you are wrong about thinking that we have too many assignments. I have done nothing but edit and I even did a bonus assignment, for four days strait. Maybe you could make a few assignments at a time for those who need a challenge
Hi Mrs. Pollock,
I was just wondering if I could publish a post about a person that I look up to? Kinda like a biography of the person. I was also wondering that if i could do this biography on the person, if it would count as a bonus assignment for extra makes.? Thank you!
Byeee :)
Genny
Blogging is awesome! I just thought of a new reason... we could find more information on the internet instead of textbooks because textbooks have limited information while the computer has "endless history" information!
hey miss pollock,
i think we sholud still continue bloging because its very fun and easyer than working out of a text book. also its good to work on the computer because you get better at tyhping
Thank miss pollock
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