2011-CPA1

=Elementary Blogs & Tools =  This session will focus on how blogs can have their place in a classroom or school, some ideas to get started and a few tools to help manage them.
 * Room 413 **


 * Presentation **
 * Keynote [[file:colearningpreskey.zip]]
 * PowerPoint [[file:colearningpres.ppt]]

**Blogs** A few examples of class and student blogs.
 * Monroe4A - My first blogging project with 4th graders using edublogs.
 * 5th Grade MES Mustangs - My current blogging project with 5th graders using self-hosted WordPress.
 * BES Blogs - A local elementary school blogs using self-hosted WordPress.
 * Mrs. Andersen - A local elementary school blogs using kidblog.


 * Current Events Blogs - Student blogs used in conjunction with Mr. C's Class Blog.
 * Kindergarten Tales - Class blog from an Illinois kindergarten class.
 * Mrs. Wood's Kindergarten Class - Class blog from a kindergarten class in Texas.
 * Wojtera's Words - First graders exploring technology.
 * Mrs. Quigley's Classroom Blog - A classroom blog from a second grade class.
 * Mrs. Yollis' Classroom Blog - Classroom blog for some third graders.
 * Mr. O'Brien's 4th Grade Blog - Fourth grade class blog.
 * Mr. Watanabe's 4th Grade Class Blog - Yup, it's Mr. Watanabe's 4th Grade Class Blog.
 * Mrs. Daugherty's Fifth-Grade Class Blog - A class blog from some 5th graders.

**AUP Examples** Acceptable Use Policies for students.
 * My original class AUP from this year[[file:ClassAUP.pdf]]
 * Student Blogging Guidelines

**Resources** A few extras thrown in.
 * #Comments4Kids - A way for students and teachers to find blogs to comment on.
 * Google Reader - Great tool for reviewing student posts and comments.
 * Kid Blog - Safe and simple blogs for students.
 * Wordpress, [|Blogspot], Edublogs - Blogging hosts.
 * Wordle - Word cloud generator.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Prezi - Presentation creator.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Scribd - Document embed tool.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Xtranormal - Video creator.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">[|Zamzar] - Capture YouTube videos.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Always Learning - <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 10px;">[|Students as Contributors on Edublogs: the Quick and Easy Way] shares the Gmail trick.

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">**Reading Further** Here are a few links to resources that have helped shape my use and implementation of blogs in my 4th and 5th grade classrooms.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">#edchat Archives - Do class blogs, student, or even teacher blogs have a place in our education? from November 9, 2010.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">NEA - Blogging? - It's Elementary, My Dear Watson! from 2007.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">On an e-Journey with Generation Y - What I need to teach students in order to blog from September 8, 2008.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Always Learning - Blogging is Elementary! from December 5, 2008.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Notes from McTeach - Learning to Blog Using Paper from September 5, 2010.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Mobile Learning - Workshop Activity: Paper Blogs from March 16, 2007.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">No Matter, There - Paper Blog LP from September 1, 2007.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Blog Walker - Five Tips for Helping Students Become Better Bloggers from August 28, 2009.

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">**About the Presenter** <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Layne Arakaki is currently a 5th grade teacher at Monroe Elementary School and is in his third year of teaching in Thompson School District. You can follow him on Twitter @MrArakaki or email him at layne.arakaki@thompsonschools.org.