Creating a 'buy-in' for blogging
This was contributed by Bex Clement, Hinuera School, and originally posted by Simon Evans 24 March 2011. This is cross-posted as part of the transition of Software for Learning to Enabling e-Learning.
Development of class blogs has been a focus for Hinuera School as part of their ICT PD contract. Every class has a blog, linked via the School website for easy access for parents. And even with the contract coming to an end staff and students are keen to see the blogging continue.
Staff have identified some key ideas to ensure the use of Web2.0 tools continues to be successful within the school:
- A strong senior management focus, ‘leading from the front', encourages and supports staff as they develop the blog.
- Blogs are viewed by staff as a genuine extension to the classroom, where students' comments, posts, and reflections have value and purpose.
- Students are keen to view the blog because the information contained is created for them, by them, and is relevant to their learning and contribution to the wider school community.
- Parents and caregivers see the blogs as a way of engaging with the school, viewing their children's work, and commenting and encouraging them in their learning.
What practical steps have led the school and its community to have reached this point in their support of this initiative?
Each syndicate and year group send a notice home periodically through the year with the blog address, encouraging their parents to participate.
It has been identified that approximately 84% of students have access to the Internet at home. For those students and parents who do not have internet access time before, during and after school is set aside for access to the computers in school to view their work, write posts, and share comments.
Parent opening evenings are used to direct and teach parents when to find the blog, how to post, and follow their children within the online environment.
For more information and practical ideas about using blogging in the classroom check out the following Snapshot of learning:
Useful links
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