End of the Year Ideas

Haven't posted much lately but have some ideas to share.  Summer would be a great time to get students into blogging or to introduce them to yours.  Students could blog about their summer experiences, including trips, books they have read, or any other special events.  Teachers could blog about anything and everything they experience that could relate in any way to the curriculum.  Teachers could also recommend movies, tv specials, books, events, or other content to students that could benefit the students and extend their experiences.

Awareness of Issues

A blog would be a great way to promote classroom discussions on issues that effect our students every day.  Bullying, self-esteem, internet safety, and many other topics could help students express themselves concerning these issues.  What is a Hero?  After watching this video please leave comments or your reaction.

I have another video to link.  This one is more content specific but another good one in my opinion.
Story Elements

Are You Getting The Idea?

Students could use this format to write their essay and actually feel like they are becoming the expert on the topic they are choosing.  Their work could be published in a secure location on the web for you or their classmates to view and comment on.  In addition to just words, they have the capability to post links to supporting sites or to include pictures to aid with description.

I will post some links to some sites that you could use to set this up.  I am also working on developing a template that you could use with your students if you don't have time to go to the computer lab.  You could frame this lesson as learning about blogs and then later use that to tell them how sneaky you were and they now know how to write an expository essay.

Rainy Days - Introduction / Thesis Statement

Have you ever had one of those days?  You are awakened by the sound of raindrops pounding against your windows and the rhythm it provides makes it harder to get out of bed.  Those days happen way too often and I dread days like that.  Dripping clothes, crazy drivers, and the thought of being stuck inside make me dread those days.

Purpose of this Blog

To recreate the process of writing an expository essay in a way that incorporates technology that is engaging and relevant to students.  I realize that this blog will actually show the essay in reverse order but the process is what I am focusing on.  After create the six posts it will take: Prompt, Thesis / Introduction, Three Body Paragraphs, and Conclusion the students can then go back and copy and paste into essay form if we need to do that.  I think framing the assignment in this way may results in a higher completion rate and an overall better essay.  We'll see.

Rainy Days: An Expository Blog Prompt

Prompt #4: How Do You Feel About Rainy Days?

Think about what you do on rainy days. Do you enjoy rainy days or dislike them? Write a paper explaining several reasons why you like or dislike rainy days! Remember to use specific details to support and explain your reasons. Use interesting adjectives and descriptions to make your paper interesting to read. Include a short personal story with one of your reasons. This can be started by explaining a reason for liking/disliking rainy days in a supporting paragraph and then writing something like this..."I remember one rainy day when there was nothing to do. My brothers and I decided to play hide and seek....."