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This is a presentation for a workshop at the Elkanah House EdTech Conference in September 2011
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34 ideas for a
classroom blog
Fiona Beal
@fibeal
http://fionabeal.edublogs.org
http://schoolnetsa.blogspot.com
What is a classroom blog?
This is a two way connection between a school-
based environment and the world.
It allows the world to peek into the school
environment and see what is happening –
and the class to venture into the world and
learn from other classrooms.
There is sharing of thoughts, ideas, events and
resources.
#1.Blogging platforms
Edublogs: http://www.edublogs.org
Blogger: http://www.blogger.com
Wordpress blogs: http://www.wordpress.com
Posterous blogs: https://posterous.com/
and many more…..
#2. Make a nice header for
your blog.
#3. An ‘about me’ section
Try to say something about yourself. Even if you
keep your location private say who you are.
http://2kmand2kj.global2.vic.edu.au/about/about-our-teachers/
#4. A photo of your class
It is great to include a photo of your class in your
‘About me’ section.
‘Zoom.it’ (a free programme) gives a great close-
up view.
http://zoom.it/dhlX
View this in a post:
http://schoolnetsa.blogspot.com/2011/08/will-you-
be-next-to-attend-partners-in.html
It could even be an
autocollage picture
Make sure everyone in your
class is in the picture!
#5. Add widgets to your
blog
Widgets are the little side items one puts on a blog
to make it more interesting.
Take a look at widgets on my classroom blog
http://fionabeal.edublogs.org
#6. Add your curriculum at the
side
It is always so
interesting to see
what the class is
learning about
#7. Use Live-writer to
write posts
http://schoolnetsa.blogspot.com/2011/09/why-not-
try-using-live-writer-for-blog.html
Download and use Windows Live Writer.
You can appoint children in your class to
write the posts and just save them of-line for
you to check what they have written
#8. Invest in a digital
camera and use it a lot!
Photos just make a blog. The parents will
love seeing what the class does
#9. Join Picasa to upload your
photos and share them with
parents.
Use Picasa slideshows
when you have a lot of
photos
http://picasa.google.com/
#10. Make slideshows regularly
Use the different sites
•Picasa - http://picasa.google.com/
•Photopeach - http://photopeach.com/
•Picture cube- http://www.picturecube3d.com
#11. Make a photosynth of
your classroom!
Download photosynth and let people look at
your wall decorations etc.
http://photosynth.net/view.
aspx?cid=fd71f194-6973-
42ca-85f2-f6633b18ab26
#12. Use talking photos.
These are great to record an outing or
something you have just done in class.
http://www.fotobabble.com/
http://fionabeal.edublogs.org/2011/05/31/report
-backs-using-fotobabble/
#13. Take photos of
projects
Add
pictures
of projects
to your
blog.
#14. Make videos of your
class activities and upload
themUse your camera to
take videos and
easily upload them to
your blog. You can
upload hem directly
or use a channel as
shown in the next
slide
http://2kmand2kj.global2.vic.edu.au/2011/09/2
1/2km-2kj-dinosaur-conference/
#15. Get a class or school
channel on School Tube
This is a safe place for teachers to post their
videos
#16. Add inspiring videos
from YouTube
http://icteducator.blogspot.co
m/2011/08/21st-century-
learner.html
http://schoolnetsa.blogspot.com/2011/09/in-one-of-our-pre-assignments-before.html
#17. Add pages to your
blog Blogs can look like websites with their
different pages
http://karenstadler.wordpress.com/
#18. Use a podcasting
programme for reading.
Vocaroo.com is so
easy for the
learners to read
into.
http://fionabeal.edublogs.org/2011/05/04/fun-with-vocaroo-com
#19. Display your class’s
art
#20. Keep a record of Science
experiments on your blog
#21. Post resources for projects
#22. Use tags for your posts
#23. Keep a record of your
collaborative projects
Bonding through blogging project
Creative writing project
http://fionabeal.edublogs.org/our-stories-with-sound-project
The Flat Stanley Literacy project
http://grade3fishhoekprimary.blogspot.com/2010/05/british-
flat-stanley-friends-yippee.html
#24. Use a blog to write a
class book
Many people use blogs for writing.
What about starting a class novel with
different people writing each week?
A teacher from Rustenburg Primary
http://5bwrites.blogspot.com/2009_12_01_archive.html
#25. Keep copies of your
class’s stories and
poems
#26. Take photos of your
students at their extramurals
#27. Set up your blog so that
you have to moderate
comments
Set up your blog so that you always
get notified by email when a new
comment is posted
#28. Use Microsoft Photostory 3 to
make photostories of outings or
projects
http://grade4fishhoekprimary.blogspot.com/2011/05/learning-about-fish-hoek.html
#29. Keep a record of special
days at school
#31. Make blogging friends
It is wonderful to peek into a teacher’s classroom via their classroom blogs.Examples:Grade 1: http://mrspatterson.edublogs.org/ Grade 2: http://2kmand2kj.global2.vic.edu.au/Grade 3: http://yollisclassblog.blogspot.com/ Grade 4: http://www.classblogmeister.com/blog.php?blogger_id=152060
Grade 5: http://trefz.blogspot.com/Grade 6: http://partlowpowerhouse.edublogs.org/Grade 7: http://millwardb.edublogs.org/Middle School: http://tefltecher.wordpress.com/
Grade 2: http://thesmarties2.blogspot.com/
Grade 3 -
http://yollisclassblog.blogspot.com/
Grade 7 - http://millwardb.edublogs.org/
#32. Keep track of technology
blogs
http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/
http://www.freetech4teachers.com/
http://theedublogger.com/
http://askatechteacher.wordpress.com
#33. Start a Google Reader
account to easily keep track of
blog updates
#34. Turn your blog into a book
at the end of the year
Price list for the various types of books
http://www.blurb.com/create/book/blogbook
