Monday, January 23, 2006

IH Portugal Training Day - Questions for Reflection

You may not be able to answer all these questions to your satisfaction today, but you can start now and always come back to them later! They'll be here!!

1. What are the advantages or disadvantages of doing activities on a blog (most you could do in class, traditionally)?
2. Would this appeal to your sts? Who? Why? Ages? Levels?
3. Any immediate ideas on how you could do activities differently?
4. What questions is blogging throwing up in your mind?
5. What other uses can you see for blogs as we go along?
6. How do you feel about making what you write on a blog public?
7. What format of blog do you see working best with which group of students or for which type of activity:
  • Teacher-student blog - Teacher posts for students to follow instructions or 'comment'
  • Class blog - where sts all post to the same group blog
  • Individual blogs - where each students has their very own blog
  • WIKI - webpage where anybody can access & edit the original post - not just 'comment' on it - eg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

7 comments:

Bee said...

Hi Paddy,
Great questions. Some on them, Aaron has answered in a most inspiring post on Dekita
Bee

PaddyG said...

Thanks Bee - but I couldn't follow the link to the article on Dekita... what's the address?
Paddy

PaddyG said...

Bee, as you may have gathered, I'm trying to encourage colleagues here in Portugal to get into Blogs. Thanks for the help and enthusiasm in last years' EVO course. Is the a blogging session this year? I'm doing the PODcasting one! Fun!!
Paddy

Anonymous said...

Great fun, non-threatening for students as it's not on 'public display', ie. in the classroom, and the fact that it relates to modern tech makes it interesting, cool!

Dee & Sheila

Anonymous said...

We liked the individual student blogs, they give sts a chance to express themselves. The vocab record idea can be looked at outside IH. Perhaps they could write q's mini-exercises for themselves, to make personalized revision for themselves/ each other.

Anonymous said...

1. What are the advantages or disadvantages of doing activities on a blog (most you
could do in class, traditionally)?
Ss get stuff 'published' - immediately. Can get feedback and can give it too. Motivating?
But how long will this interest be sustained until it begins to fade?
Ss can write what they want - and their idea of what is acceptable or insensitive may differ from ours or other readers.
Other people can make offensive and sarcastic comments and add links to other sites. However, these can be removed by the blogger.

2. Would this appeal to your sts? Who? Why? Ages? Levels?
Yes. 10 to teens. Most levels.

3. Any immediate ideas on how you could do activities differently?

4. What questions is blogging throwing up in your mind?
SECURITY. I don't ususally write in capitals, but this is a major concern.
Tell Ss never to reveal any of their contact details.
As for reading other blogs, is there a way of searching for a blog about an area that I'm interested in?

5. What other uses can you see for blogs as we go along?
Penpals?
Surveys - info gathering.

6. How do you feel about making what you write on a blog public?

Generally I don't mind - I'm unlikely to say anything personal.

Andreas & Martin

PaddyG said...

4. What questions is blogging throwing up in your mind?error correction???
...err yes this would! I can refer you to a long and v.interesting discussion on this very topic on the BAW06 yahoo group - let me know if you want it, give me an email address and I'll send it to you!
Paddy