WeLikeOurBloggingBuddies

=**Welcome to the We Like Our Blogging Buddies: The Write Stuff with Blogging Mentors**=


 * Category:** ** Prove It **
 * Presentation Title:** ”We Like Our Blogging Buddies: The Write Stuff with Blogging Mentors” (18:04) **__2 CATNIP HOURS__**
 * Webpage:** http://k12onlineconference.org/?p=319
 * Description:** In the winter of 2008, Patrick Lewis’s university class of pre-service teachers were blogging mentors for Kathy Cassidy’s grade one students. This presentation talks about that collaboration and the results of the research that was conducted about the effect this mentorship had on the students’ writing.
 * Presenters:** **Kathy Cassidy**, Moose Jaw, SK & **Patrick** **Lewis**, Regina, SK Canada

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 * Essential Questions and Summary.** (Please follow this format.)

1. Your name: Deanna K. Wagner Session Title: We Like Our Blogging Buddies: The Write Stuff with Blogging Mentors Essential Question 1. Can Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) be integrated with current Language Arts Curriculum? I think that using ICTs helps students connect to a wider audience. It is very clear how important the feedback from their blogging buddies was to the 1st grade students in this video. If there had been less focus on conventions, it may have been a little more developmentally appropriate. That is, if students were asked to think more about “who” they were writing to and “what details” they needed to include.

Essential Question 2. Is it necessary for primary aged children to be immersed in ICTs? I don’t ICTs are necessary for learning, but they are definitely prevalent. Students see important people around them using technology for communication with other people all the time, whether it is on their computer or cell phone. This fact can provide the basis for discussion about the writing process and improve our students‘ understanding of writing for an audience and meaning-making through print.

Essential Question 3. What is writing in the 21st century?

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In the 21st century we write much more collaboratively than in the past. Short texts and entries into web pages that are designed to inspire conversation are common. We don’t just write something; we often write for audience with the expectation that it will be reviewed immediately. Question marks are no longer rhetorical, intended for a general audience. Now they are specifically posed to inspire comments, even though some comments are not what the writer (or other readers) may want to hear. ====== 

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Summary: Technology for writing is all around our children. The importance of writing and learning about the writing process has not changed. However, the response from our audience through the use of blogging has changed the way we write. It is important that even young students learn about meaning-making through print and how important it is to include details that are appropriate to the audience. Blogging is the best way to get that immediate feedback. If the mentors had kept this in mind a little more, the 1st graders in this project may not have been so concerned about writing conventions.======


 * Bari Candy**
 * Session Title:** **“We Love Our Blogging Buddies”**

Response: -Absolutely! It can be integrated for example when teaching punctuation and letters; capitalization and spacing, which can all be applied to reading. The idea of setting up blogging buddies can be very helpful for the early learner, especially when the blogging buddy takes on the role of teacher.
 * Essential Question 1:** **Can ICT to be integrated with current language arts curriculum?**


 * Essential Question 2:** **Is it necessary for primary aged children to be immersed in ICT?**
 * Yes. AS stated above, the blogging buddy idea can make the activities in language arts more interactive and less teacher driven. The buddy can help the young learner through posting comments on blogs about writing that has been displayed for their viewing. Buddies giving feedback on linguistics/phonics encourage students to try new things, take risks, and positive comments are helpful for improvement in learning and achievement. The young learner has the opportunity to practice skills such as typing and Internet use.**
 * Allowing for the buddies to make a connection to their young learner is very helpful on a comfort level. For example, having pictures of the buddies available for students is a positive approach. This aides in gaining positive attitudes and achievement by “seeing” them and putting an image with their helper.**
 * Blogging ideas about subject matter such as art, gives the young learner and opportunity to se the world through more experienced eyes.**


 * Essential Question 3:** **What is writing in the 21st century?**
 * Writing in the 21st Century is successful based on attitude and achievement in writing. Positive support and feedback is key to the success of any age learner. Using the innovative technology tools, such as blogging, allows for practice. With in the classroom, it is a more independent setting for a young learner when implemented. Students can use this as a tool for communicating with family, as well as an interactive approach to creating social environment. Blogging buddies are an influence on developing technology for the young learner. This type of interaction also helps the young learner to develop an understanding or writing with meaning; writing for an audience. All of these can create a successful writer in the 21st century.**


 * How can I utilize this in my teaching?**
 * The options are unlimited with blogging. My mind is filled with ideas. For example, communicating with a professor of art history and linking with college aged students to be blogging buddies with 8th grade students. A collaborative project in conjunction with application of art history from a more advanced art student can be very beneficial when talking about and criticizing art. The students can learn from the blogging ways that are more student friendly when discussing art. It could aide me by acting as an independent tool for their criticism skill development. Reading others ideas on art and periods in history are always different. Applying likes and dislikes could lead to a compare and contrast lesson or activity. It is so difficult for students at Park to identify with the subject matter in art history. Blogging would be an innovative approach that these particular students can relate to and hopefully gain ideas beyond their comfort zone (which is the challenge I face everyday at here).**

3. Your name: Rob Lazarus Session Title: We Like Our Blogging Buddies: The Write Stuff with Blogging Mentors Essential Question 1: (type the question) Can Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) be integrated with current Language Arts Curriculum?

Response: Even in science, I consider myself a language arts teacher. Since I became a teacher in 1996, the tools used in teaching the fundementals of writing has expenontially grown. It is not a matter of Can ICT's be integrated, but to what extent. The way we communicate has a direct impact on what the students at a younger age should learn. Since the 21st century is showing signs of new ways of communicating through technology, the students should be learning language arts, to a certain extent through the use of those technologies, and certainly with help from a mentor. The mentors not only help the students learn the fundenmentals of technology, but the mentors, in turn, learn how to use the technolgy themselves, that they will be able to implement in the classroom. Essential Question 2: (type the question) Is it necessary for primary aged children to be immersed in ICTs? Response: Throughout history, students have learned language arts skills without the technologies we have today; however, we now know the importance of having technology skills in the workplace. People who do not have the technology skills are sometimes being left behind. Students at an early age who are learning communications and language arts skills through the use of ICT's will be able to have better opportunities in the future.

Essential Question 3: (type the question)**What is writing in the 21st century?** Summary Writing has changed in the 21s century. For example, the audiences are different. There are books on tape, books on tape and electronic tablets, It seems that the world is moving at a much faster pace, and that this is having a direct impact on communication between people. Today, newspaper companies are in trouble, as the number of readers are declining. Where are people getting news in written text from? They are getting news from news websites,blogs,and even text messages that are very short and consise. As writers, we need to understand the reading habits of our audiences, and understand that there is now the ability to reach a wider audience through the ever changing technologies.

Summary: Blogging Buddies is a great way for students learn the writing process and at the same time have a mentor that helps them in their success. It allows for real feedback on a regular basis using technology as the vehicle. It allows students to become better communicators with the help of the technology, and helps them in their writing to a larger audience in the 21st century.

5. Your name Alec Fick Session Title: **“We Love Our Blogging Buddies”**

Essential Question 1: **Can ICT to be integrated with current language arts curriculum?** Response: Without a doubt ICT can become a integral part of the language arts curriculum. Students training to be teachers gain incredible insights into how children develop their language skills. By giving positive feedback to their blogging buddy, the children are more apt to express themselves more fully and creatively. The student teachers are also able to point out mistakes that are made, but more as mentors then as teachers, thus becoming a social exercise as well. Essential Question 2: **Is it necessary for primary aged children to be immersed in ICT?** Response: Those students that are exposed to ICT at an early age certainly gain confidence in writing that they would be hard pressed to develop in a "normal" teaching environment. Through their blogging buddies, they are encouraged to write more creatively and along the way, learn about punctuation, spelling and sentence structure. Essential Question 3: **What is writing in the 21st century?** Response: Because communication in general has changed considerablely in the 21st century, so has the art of writing. E mailing, texting, blogging, and the internet as a whole has changed how we connect with one another. As a result, the way we write has changed as well. We no longer rely just on paper and pen to convey our thoughts. The keyboard and the interface it provides to the web has transformed our way of writing. You don't need to look any further than the words I am writing on the web based educational site to see dramatically writing in the 21st century has changed. Summary: I feel that blogging is a great way to stimulate students to start writing, even at a very early age. Moreover, blogging doesn't loose its appeal for the older students as well and helps to stimulate creative thinking, improve self asteem and provide a social enviroment for networking in the new millenium.

6. Your name: Erin Campbell Session Title: We Like Our Blogging Buddies: The Write Stuff with Blogging Mentors Essential Question 1: Can Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) be integrated with current Language Arts Curriculum?

Response: Yes, the idea of blogging buddies is great! Students would not only be able to get feedback from their buddies, but it would help them understand that they are writing to an audience. Sometimes I don't think this is clear to them. The feedback from a blogging buddy was shown to be powerful and if they expanded feedback to more areas it could impact the students' abilities even more.  Essential Question 2: Is it necessary for primary aged children to be immersed in ICTs? Response: I don't think that students need to necessarily be immersed in ICTs, but it would be beneficial for them to be exposed to them a great deal. Being exposed would not only help them with their language arts now, but it would prepare them for their future in technology.

Essential Question 3: **What is writing in the 21st century? ** Summary Writing in the 21st century is not just writing on paper or in journals anymore. Writing now is done in email, blogs, texting, instant messaging, etc. Our forms of writing have changed quite a bit, now our challenge as educators is to maintain and teach proper writing and writing skills to our students in this texting era.

Summary: Blogging Buddies is a great program for both primary students and college students. It allows for the primary students to get feedback and develop their writing and it allows the college students to have practice giving specific positive and informative feedback while gaining the knowledge of invented and phonetic spelling. 

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