This will be my last week teaching before I begin maternity leave. I’m definitely looking forward to my new adventure as a mum but know there will be a lot I will miss about being in the classroom. In packing up my classroom to make way for the new teacher, it has been interesting to […]
Creative Commons Infographic
I’ve long been aware that many people don’t realise that you can’t use just any image off the internet for your own purposes. Many of my students join my class with the habit of reproducing Google Images strongly ingrained. This habit is often either taught or not questioned by parents or previous teachers. I also […]
There’s Blogging and There’s Blogging…
Blogging is becoming increasingly common in schools, but are all blogging programs helping to improve student learning outcomes? This is an issue I was discussing with a member of my professional learning network recently. There seems to be two main schools of thought on educational blogging programs: The unrestricted program: this may involve all students […]
Student Blogs: Digital Portfolios
As we have introduced a 1:1 netbook program in grade four this year, I have changed my approach to student blogs. Rather than having a system where students can earn their personal blog, all students in my class now have a blog as a digital portfolio. As always, we began the year focussing solely on […]
Benefits of Blogging by Linda Yollis and Class
My good friend in Los Angeles, Linda Yollis, recently created this excellent video with her second and third grade class about the benefits of blogging. This video may give you more of an insight into what you could get out of blogging with your students, or you might like to share it with your staff. […]
Our World, Our Numbers Global Project
My class is currently involved in a wonderful global project called Our World, Our Numbers. We launched Our World, Our Numbers alongside our blogging buddies on Monday 25th February. In late 2011, many of us worked on a global project called Our World, Our Stories. This latest project is based on a similar format with a […]
The Benefits of Educational Blogging
In August 2017 I wrote a comprehensive post on the benefits of educational blogging for The Edublogger. Find that updated post here! 2013 is the sixth year that I have maintained a classroom blog. When I first began I didn’t know much about blogging at all and I didn’t realise there could be educational benefits […]
A Guide to Involving Parents in Your Class Blog
This is an update of some of the posts I’ve written in the past about getting parents involved in blogging. About parents and blogs One of the many benefits of having a class blog is the strengthening of home-school relationships. A class blog can provide a virtual window into the classroom. After having a class blog for […]
10 Tips for Introducing Blogging into Your Classroom
With the new school year beginning in Australia, many teachers will be introducing blogging into their classrooms. Some teachers will be continuing an established blogging program with a new cohort of students, while others will be introducing blogging for the first time. If you’re totally new to blogging you may like to check out Five […]
Getting Started with Global2
Yesterday I ran a professional development day for teachers called Technify Your Teaching in 2013. While my colleagues Matt Limb and Simon Collier ran sessions on iDevices, Google Apps, Evernote and web 2.0 tools, I presented workshops on blogging with my team teaching partner, Kelly Jordan. One of our sessions was on setting up your […]
A New Blog Design for a New Year
As 2012 comes to an end it is timely to reflect on what a fabulous year it has been. I’m also launching a new theme to mark the start of a new year. Integrating Technology in the Primary Classroom is now called Primary Tech. The URL has not changed. Some of my 2012 highlights include: […]
- General News
- ...
Going 1:1 – Any Advice?
While the school year is quickly coming to an end, I’m looking forward to teaching grade four again in 2013. Next year my school is introducing a 1:1 netbook program for grade four students. Early this term we held a parent information night and we are now delighted to have around 90% of families signed […]
Edublog Awards – Please Vote!
The Edublog Awards have been running since 2004 and showcase some of the most popular blogs in education around the world. The purpose of the Edublog Awards is to promote and demonstrate the educational values of blogging. This is something I really believe in! Voting is now open for the 2012 awards and my students […]
Developing Blogging Skills: Simple Rubric
I’ve been toying with the idea of creating a blogging scope and sequence for a while. However, something about that idea makes me uncomfortable. I don’t like the thought of limiting blogging skills to certain age levels. For example, a number of my grade two students were sourcing and attributing Creative Commons materials for blog […]
Technify Your Teaching in 2013: PD Opportunity
As well as this blog and my class blog, I write Tech Tools for Teachers. This is a collaborative effort with my colleagues, Matt Limb and Simon Collier. Each fortnight we review an online tool and provide step-by-step instructions on its use. In January of this year we ran a professional development day called Technify […]