Sunday, March 17, 2013

Kidblog Keeps Getting Better

For all those Kidblogging or to-be Kidblogging teachers, in case you missed this announcement, I am posting a link to learn about the new features.  Click on the image below to access the information about the 14 New Kidblog Features. And if you're not using Kidblog, you might start wondering why you're not. We already know blogging empowers students and avails them of powerful ways to communicate, interact, and engage.  Although I don't endorse any individual product, I must say the folks at Kidblog figured out a lot to make blogging safe, easy, and productive for students. Plus, the platform easily creates a community of learners within the classroom as well as outside the classroom, especially as students join with other blogging classrooms. And don't let the name put you off. High school teachers, not just elementary and middle school teachers, have adopted Kidblog for its ease of use and versatility.



A great way to explore how teachers use platforms such as Kidblog is by checking #comments4kids on Twitter. Just enter the hashtag and term in the Twitter search box, and you'll find teachers inviting you to read their students' blogs.

For beginners, Linda Yollis, a long-time blogging teacher, suggests these tips for getting started.


And if you say you don't have time for students to blog, check how blogging meets the new Common Core with this resource:


In particular, note that "production and distribution" are included in the writing standard. Blogging does both and also addresses collaboration, another skill included in the writing standard.

So will you implement blogging any time soon with students? Why or why not? If you already have integrated blogging, how's it going for students? How are they reacting? Are they meeting the standards noted in Digital Literacy Demands of Common Core?







3 comments:

  1. Thanks for the info Judy. I would very much like to find a way to make summer reading an ongoing endeavor for my students rather than just a book they all read the week before we return to school and take a written test on. Would KidBlog provide a suitable platform for conducting an ongoing discussion on the summer reading book throughout the months of July and August or should I seek another vehicle?

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  2. Paul, I don't know if you will check back here, but I would suggest Ning and learning about how to get a free account through Pearson. Ning has a discussion board feature as well as a blogging feature. If you like, I can show you some examples of Nings.

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  3. Judy, thanks for sharing this! It will come in handy when I use kidblog with my students. It definitely has some awesome features that makes it a really safe tool to use with students. I added the 14 new features page to my diigo library for quick reference.

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