Thing 4: Blogs

Blogging is different from reading a book because it feels a bit like reading someone's diary and commenting on what you read. It's not something I've done and I admit that I am out of my comfort zone. It is, however, still reading and it does give you a chance to interact with the author and other readers and you can't do that with a book.

I am fascinated by the fact that kindergarteners can blog. I know that it was just a struggle to have my babies last year to even try to put their thoughts on paper. I am wondering if having them contribute to a classroom blog would make the writing process easier for them. It will be something I explore this coming school year. We want kids to interact and learn from one another and blogging is an excellent way for this to happen.

A couple of the blogs I read were about Daisy Duck and one by a teacher entitled I Don't Give Homework. The Duck blog contained entries both by adults and students. I love that the pictures the children drew in computer lab were included. I am beginning the think about how I can incorporate something similar into my classroom this fall and need to find out if there is a blogging site I can use without it being constantly blocked and needing to be overridden.

The I Don't Give Homework blog is enjoyable reading for me because I agree completely with it. I also hate giving homework and finally stopped halfway through the last school year because the kids who actually had parents sit down and help them with it were the ones who didn't need it. The ones who needed the extra practice were the same kids whose parents won't pick up a book and read with them. As a parent, I wish my son would have teachers who felt the same way. We have very little time during the hours between school and bedtime to interact with one another and much of that is spent with him doing homework. He hates it and we fight constantly over it.