Friday, July 13, 2007

Blogging through 2006-07: Intro

I don't know how many parts this series will have, if or when I'll finish it, or exactly how it will turn out. I just know I have to write it.

At the end of the 2005-06 school year, after a phenomenally exciting first year blogging with my third graders, I wrote three posts. The idea was to track the progress of the kids' blogs, my progress as a teacher using blogs for the first time, and so on:

I mention them here again because maybe this will be useful to somebody. There are a lot more teachers blogging with their kids now, and if there's something here to help a teacher get started, or plan, then great.

It was also good for me to go back a little and get some long term perspective.

In 2006-07, I blogged again - with a different group of third graders, using classblogmeister. The kids were wonderful writers. They took to the medium so easily, more easily than the 2005-06 class - but it always happens that way. Kids are just getting tech savvy so much earlier.

I also had an incredibly exciting year personally, from presenting at the K12 Online Conference, to being awarded a $10,000 grant for technology in my classroom, to presenting virtually and live at the IRA National Convention in May, 2007.

And yet in the things that mattered the most to me this year, working with my kids on computers, and trying to be a good steward of web 2.0, well... it was the most frustrating year I've ever had. I have never been so angry.

Taking a deep breath now, and looking forward to Part 1, maybe tomorrow.

5 comments:

Mrs. V. said...

Mark,
Thanks for posting this...as you know I am contemplating how I blog with my 3rd graders, and this will be good reflection/comparison for me.
Amy Vejraska
Branson, MO

Monica Edinger said...

Mark,

Having just completed my first year (well, half year) doing student blogs (with my fourth graders) I enjoyed going back and reading your reflections on your first year.

At the meetings you attend (in person or online) are there specific places for elementary teachers who have student blogs? I see class blogs, but I'm interested in seeing and interacting more with others who do student blogs with this age group.

Monica Edinger said...

BTW, Mark,I do know of quite a few bloggers already (and have them on my class blog) so my question is more about actually meeting up with like-minded elementary classroom teachers like us --- say at NECC or NCTE (where I will be as it is in my hometime).

Dean Mattson said...

Yes, I'm sure this will be very helpful. I'm sharing your experiences with the teachers at my school, and I know your examples and your perspective will inspire some to take the plunge. I'm looking forward to reading your experiences in 2006-7.

Mark Ahlness said...

Glad to hear some may find this helpful. What I write this time will be quite different from last year's reflections, so I hope it is useful as well...

Monica, in regard to a F2F at a conference with elementary teachers using blogs, I'm not aware of one planned - although edubloggercon at the recent NECC gathering in Atlanta had a few of our types in the mix. Online, there is the classblogmeister list, with lots of elementary teachers involved....