Happy April 1st, and yes, it is... SNOWING! No Fooling!
So, on Friday this past week I experienced two very different and conflicting emotions. One was great frustration and had nothing to do with students (I will not go there .... here). The other was great pleasure, and this I will share :)
My students (and I) have been so excited to begin their blogs that waiting for their turn on our classroom computer or the few laptops we share during the writing component of the day was frustrating for them. So I decided that we would all venture out to use our old lab of computers (some don't work or have other problems). We found a working computer for each student and began. It was......chaos! If I could have changed course right then without a mutiny on my hands, I would have!
Picture 19 six and seven year old students all trying to access kidblog and begin a writing for the first time (3 students had posted their first blog the day before) with 1 teacher!
But wait, yes, I was the only adult in the room, but soon the students began stepping up and teaching each other. Within 5 minutes the tone in the room went from chaotic to engaged, active learning. 2 students walking around ensuring everyone was on the right site, a couple more finding the colour button for their fonts and soon many students were typing rainbow colours. Someone calling out "How do you do a period?" and "How do you do a capital letter?" again students to the rescue.
When the recess bell rang 45 minutes later groans from around the room were heard. "Can I stay and finish my writing" was the common request. I answered "No, let's take a break, but we'll come back right after recess" ! One beauty of a small school is the access to equipment. So, straight after recess we were right back at it, finishing our first posts. There was no "I'm done, now what?" only "Can I write another one?".
A teacher's great joy is to see her students actively involved in their own learning and helping one another. I am eager to see if the novelty of blogging wares off, or if the desire to communicate their own ideas with a larger audience maintains the initial enthusiasm. Either way, I am very pleased with our new venture into the world of blogging. I am continually amazed at how quickly my students learn when they are truly interested and engaged in what they are doing.
Lora this makes me so happy. Having had my students blog since early in the fall I can tell you that the novelty does not wear off. Right now my students are into commenting on each others blogs and it truly is the cutest thing ever. You are lucky that you have access to a lab, and even if the computers are old, if you're able to load up Kid Blog then all is good. I can't wait to read more about your adventures with Kid Blog. I am SO HAPPY to see that you've started this amazing journey. I can't tell you how glad I am that I started it too.
ReplyDeleteLora this is so exciting! Your students are definitely showing they have the will and determination to learn, with or without us! They have a voice and they want to share. I am pleased to support you as you take this leap of faith with your students.
ReplyDeleteI also just started using kidblog in my first grade classroom on iPads. The kids were in complete disarray for about 2 minutes and then... wham! One caught on, then two, then three, and soon enough each table had a sort of "leader" who was helping the other kids navigate, post, and even comment. One week later and they each have their own personalized blog pages, avatars, comments worth approving, and a great sense of excitement for writing about learning!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment, Steph. Yes the excitement for reading and writing is great to experience! A little patience and time for the students to work unhurried is necessary. I began with my gr 1 students after only a month of school this year and find the same success. They collaborate intuitively and the interactions they get through their blogs are meaningful!
ReplyDeleteHappy blogging!