Comments on: Blogging With Kidblog

By: admin

admin — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 16:38:54 +0000

Sounds like you all can see the huge benefits to pupils with blogging. I can see homework already coming in on the blog where they were doing some creative writing in response to a short animated video. They are really enjoying it!

By: Máire O

Máire O — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 23:45:31 +0000

My experience with kidblog has been very similar to yours so it’s great to read about your experience. I experimented with a number of blog platforms over the summer and eventually decided on Kidblog.org as I liked the idea that each child could have their own page and thereby some form of ownership of their blog while I had total control. I had worked on setting up the kidblog during the summer as I was also getting hooked on twitter and learning about it and so I literally started on the first day back to school…jumped right in as I had set up all their blog pages and all I had to do was give them their passwords and off they went like ducks to water.

Their reaction to the blog was incredible and just like you say I now know lots about the kids very quickly as they are writing non stop about what interests them. I have also seen an incredible improvement in their spellings and editing skills as I appealed to them to make a better effort in that area as I was doing a lot of editing and it was taking such a long time.. they took it on board and the posts have really improved ! . They did the first 100 word challenge and that was a great success.
I left the blog public and the kids absolutely love when someone outside of school comments on their work. We have linked up with Mr Brendan Kennys Class in Nenagh and the kids have been commenting on each others work there. Also Rang riona has linked with us as have a school in NSW in Australia so I think we’re nearly quad blogging without meaning to!

Towards the end of last week I started putting assignments up on my blog page for the class to do – our first one was geography and the countries of Europe and that was a huge hit so I began to see the potential for a type of webquest but using the blog to set it up so have now set one up for History this coming week based on the Famine and local studies.

Three weeks of blogging and my eyes are nearly gone as teachers beware! there is a lot of work involved as you have full control but this means that you are constantly trying to get ahead of the publishing and editing. I’ve discovered that I can edit and publish using my iphone!! It is really worthwhile though although I have to admit that I asked the class not to blog this weekend just to let me catch up on the posts I haven’t managed to get published yet…

For me the biggest eye opener is how beneficial blogging is to the whole idea of differentiation in a big class (I have 31). It is giving the well able kids a platform to do as much as they want and the children with difficulties are getting a great boost when they see their work published, All of the kids love the comments and they are very supportive of each other also lots of questioning etc going on

In summary Kidblog.org and kids blogging on it has massive potential, ticks many boxes and covers a lot of bases in our overcrowded curriculum

By: Roisin

Roisin — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 23:22:05 +0000

Had similar results last year with 5th class. I used Edublogs. The children took to it with great enthusiasm and blogging even continued over the summer! I had a small whiteboard where I put suggestions for posts. – some children didn’t know what to write about. I’ll hopefully get going again this year with my new 6th class.
Btw, I really enjoy your blog and site!

By: admin

admin — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 22:08:32 +0000

Thanks Nicki. The idea is to show others the possibilities of other ways of learning, rather than the traditional ways. We still do “traditional” learning but this idea just grabs the imagination of the pupils and gives them some ownership of their own learning. It’s also given me an opportunity to learn so much about the pupils. I now know who’s hugely into animals, who loves gaming, who likes coding, who’s into sports etc.

By: Nicki O

Nicki O — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 22:02:11 +0000

Wow! Can’t believe the huge potential for a project like this. So much more at work than simply writing exercises (which have great value in themselves). Almost makes me wish I had an older class to try it with. Almost! Well done to you and to the class – I’d say you’ll be inspiring many others to follow suit!