Virtual Learning Network

I teach a Year 1 and 2 class and was happily bloggin away when I realised that nobody was reading it, not even the children.  I then wondered why I was doing it.  What was its purpose?  I have now timetabled it in at least once a week, and the class and I write our blog posts together.  We get an occasional comment from a parent now, and the children have more ownership.  Does anyone have any bright ideas how we can get more interactions on our blog? http://room4pirongia.blogspot.co.nz/

I am still very much a learner driver on VoiceThread but giving it a go.  It takes a while to get the children all loaded as their own identity, but we have made one about Maths strategies.  I posed a problem on the slide, they then explained using the microphone and the pen if needed how they would solve the problem.  This showed me which strategy they would use, and requires them to verbalise and show their working.

We also made one about a recent visit to the Recycling Centre, and what we enjoyed or learnt. Will load some on our class blog soon.

Spent some time investigating the options of VoiceThread.  For my Year 1 and 2 students this seems to be a fantastic tool to extend their use of ICT and empower them.  For those reluctant or slower writers this is a quick way to get their message across.  Oral language ability is challenged also.  I found it hard to record and listen to my own voice!  Looking forward to experimenting with the children.  I am sure they will be desperate to record their own ideas.

Wow! As my first tentative posting on the vln I am amazed and impressed at the quality and content of the responses I have received.  Thank you all for your responses. 

I place a lot of emphasis on making the learning visible in the classroom.  Putting up the WALTs and evidence of learning around the room.  I need to transfer this to the online forum also.  I am now actually written BLOG on my daily planner to ensure that we make a posting at least once a week. We do this together as a class.

The Pt England continuum is great.  Our current rubric focusses mostly on the skills the children need to access ICT e.g typing ability.  Having a more specific rubric can drive your teaching.  Children don't learn these things by osmosis - they usually learn them by their own mistakes.  How can we teach them before they make these mistakes?

Great to see so many ways in which we can foster this vital partnership.  I have been emailing regularly with some parents who cannot make it into school due to work commitments, but do prefer face to face discussions.  Any great ideas out there to get parents to comment on class blog?  We have a large portion of our parents online, and I am encouraging the children to share their postings at home, but no-one is commenting.  Any ideas would be valued.