I
chose this lesson plan because utilizing an online blog is great medium through
which to practice some creative writing.
A blog that every group member has access to is a space that allows for
great group collaboration, because the final product is something tangible,
created solely by the students. It also
demonstrates the accessibility of online technologies. If the students had access to a computer and
internet, they could access their project from anywhere. If they didn’t have access to those tools,
the lesson plan gave them options to do work in class.
Overall
I thought the lesson plan had little to no gaps. The lesson plan did a great job channeling
what the students know to help them produce an online blog. They learned HTML coding, as well as how to
navigate blogs, to ultimately help their creative writing style. I think where there was a gap was when it
came to examples. The United States is
not an example of a Utopian society they may find in literature. I think the lesson plan needs to incorporate
more literature that helps target the learning standards. Incorporating Utopian examples from more
literature will bolster the how much it targets the standards.
Utilizing
a blog site is essential to achieve the curriculum goal because it allows for
students to simulate the collaboration necessary to establish any
community. Students could have filled
information out on a poster, but using a blog site they could be anywhere, and
work on the project. It allows for a
more fluid group work experience than just an in class assignment could
provide. Since each member can make
their own blog post, the Utopian society becomes a group effort with personal
touches.
Do you have a favorite blogsphere that you think would be best used in this lesson? Livejournal, Blogger, Tumblr, etc. Is there one that would effectively do everything you want, but not overwhelm the students? I find Blogger really hard to navigate and difficult to use sometimes, would students also feel this way, especially if they have little or no knowledge of HTML or Blogger experience? Tumblr is a lot easier to use, but it's less blog-gy, so maybe it wouldn't work too well either, but is there a blogsphere that you think would work best?
ReplyDeleteLike I mentioned in one of my other comments, I love how the internet can be used in combination with writing. The aspect of a public forum is great for students to learn how to direct their writing for a specific audience. Also, it would be great for peer review. Because the writing in available for all to see, a student would be able to learn from another student's writing style and model it in their own writing. Every class that has integrated some sort of online writing in my past has proved to be fun and interesting because of the aspect of freedom. Students are able to exercise their creativity while working within the constraints of an educational environment. The lesson also serves them with the basic instruction for HTML coding that will serve them well within their professional life.
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