You are going to research Web 2.0 websites/programs and review them.

Visit the following websites and find one tool/application that you think we should use in class. You need to review the site by explaining what it does. Describe its features, positive and negative and why we should use it in class. You should write at least two paragraphs. Be sure to include how it will help educationally, not just why you think it might be something fun to do

You MUST take notes on paper before you write in your blog. You may save pictures to add to the blog post – the site logo or a screenshot is a good thing to add to a review post.

o   http://www.go2web20.net/

o   http://www.ebizmba.com/articles/web-2.0-Web sites

o   http://Listio.com

If there is a site that is blocked that you really want to look at, write the web address down and try it at home. But that doesn’t mean that you can do nothing in class – still find sites you CAN access and check those out.

Today you are going to write a new post about blogging. You will need to check out the webpages listed at the bottom of this post about student blogs. Read them to see what other students/teachers think abotu students blogging. Then you will write a response to these articles/videos about your blogging experiences. What do you like about it? Not like about it? What things do you want to do with your blog? How do you think it will help you be a better student? etc…..
Be sure to refer back to what you read as support for your own thoughts. When you refer to another post or webpage you need to hyperlink to so that readers can go read the whole article. Read this article on The Edublogger to see how to hyperlink (see hint #3).

Middle School Math Wiki- Students’ Thoughts

Why Should Middle School Students Blog

Blogging? It’s Elementary, My Dear Watson!

Why Blogging in School Helps

The Student Blogging Challenge starts today, but unfortunately I have to leave early. You will still write some blog posts, but you will use Word and we will copy them into your blogs on Friday.

Go to this site to see the Student Blogging Challenge blog. You are going to do some of the activities that are listed for week 1.

1. About Me – you are going to write an About Me page for your blog. Check out the sample ones listed on the Student Blogging Challenge page, and then write one of your own.

2. Write a post that answers these questions: Think about something important you have learned outside of school – remember we should all be life long learners not just learners while at school. How did you learn it? Why is it important to you? Who or what taught you about it? How has this learning helped you in your life?

3. If you finish both of those then you may visit some of the other blogs that are participating in the challenge – look at the top of the Student Blogging Challenge blog and click on Sept. Students 2010. DO NOT LEAVE ANY COMMENTS EVEN THOUGH THE INSTRUCTIONS TELL YOU TO.

Dotty-Dots lets you type in a message. Then it turns that message into cool-looking interactive connected dots.

Before you create your own blogs online, you are going to create a Paper Blog.

Just like in an online blog you will write a couple of paragraphs about something you are passionate about, something that you could do all day, every day and not even realize time had passed. It could be your favorite sport or hobby, or a topic that is of particular importance to you, like the environment or ending poverty.

After you have written a rough draft, you will be writing your blog on a piece of card stock. You will decorate your blog, adding color and artwork that speaks to your own personality. The decorations also have to go with the topic of the blog.

Blogs are interactive and what makes them that way are the comments that readers leave for the blog writer. You will be commenting on your classmates’ blogs using post-it notes.

Blog is short for weblog. A weblog is basically a journal that is available on the web. The activity of updating a blog is “blogging” and someone who keeps a blog is a “blogger.

Blogs have many uses, but my interest is how blogs are used in education. Here are some of the most common uses for blogs in education.

• Teachers can use blogs to replace the traditional webpage
• Teachers can link internet pages that are related to the subjects they teach
• Blogs can be used for class topic discussions
• Teachers can summarize lessons and post homework for students who are absent
• Students can reflect on their learning through blogs