Chris Fuller Mrfulleredgehill@yahoo.co.uk

1. Chris Fuller Mrfulleredgehill@yahoo.co.uk www.chrisfuller.typepad.com – where all of today’s presentations will be available to download www.edgehillcollege.typepad.com www.edgehilleuro08.typepad.com

2. Session 1 Practical ways to use Blogs

3. First, important things to know... • I AM NOT AN ICT EXPERT!!! • I am a Spanish teacher, who was taught how to use PowerPoint 3 years ago. • I do not know how the Internet works, I just push buttons, especially the back button when things go wrong.

4. First, important things to know... • 2) The ideas that I pass on in this session are not... • Completely comprehensive • They will not destroy your life • 3) No notes needed- will be on www.chrisfuller.typepad.com

5. Who am I? • Spanish teacher in Bideford, North Devon • Spanish committee of A.L.L. • Recently contributed to BBC Jam for 14-16 year olds in Spanish • - Speak at various events about the use of technology for Specialist Schools and Academies Trust

6. “If school is to be a truly rewarding experience for today’s students, it must be relevant to them.” Connected magazine, Learning and teaching Scotland

7. Is this the future? “Young people’s familiarity with ICT offers a great opportunity to language teachers. It seems to us that a determined commitment to use this world, which is so familiar to young people, is a key to increasing the engagement of young people of all ages with languages. New technologies can facilitate real contacts with schools and young people in other countries. They can also provide stimulus for creative and interactive work.” (Lord Dearing - Languages Review March 2007)

8. Blogging

9. Blogging • Objectives for this session; • to understand what a blog is • to understand the motivational benefits of a blog • to understand the AfL benefits of a blog • to learn about possible skill area uses of a blog • to learn about different blog providers • to explain the practical session

10. Blogging What is a blog?!?!?! • Blog= weblog • Traditionally used as an online diary • A typical blog combines a variety of media forms • Key element is huge increase in interactivity- INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY.

11. Blogging • In educational terms, usually divide into 2 types of blog Class blogs www.edgehillcollege.typepad.com http://thegordonschools.typepad.co.uk/ratemymates/ Reflective teacher blogs http://edu.blogs.com/edublogs/ (Ewan McIntosh) www.joedale.typepad.com (Joe Dale)

12. Blogging • What can we actually use a blog for?!?! • Showing pupils’ work • Sharing files • Showing pupils’ videos etc • Increasing Assessment for Learning • Increasing pupil independence and self-evaluation

13. Blogging Why use blogs? • Motivation- make the world your classroom wall • Learning no longer confined to exercise books • Who is the audience for work which goes into an exercise book? • Truly global perspective • Can be demonstrated by visitors maps on blogs

14. The last 100 visitors to the Spanish blog

15. Blogging Why use blogs? • Writing • Increased motivation- will be viewed by more than just the teacher • Very obvious to all when their peers’ work is missing from the blog

16. Blogging Why use blogs? • Reading • Principal skill gain- pupils constantly reading each other’s work • Allows free choice of which sections to read • Aids pupil independence

17. Blogging Why use blogs? • Speaking • Oral vocab lists to aid pronunciation • Pupil and teacher generated podcasts • Speaking tests / exercises =learning opportunity rather than just an assessment opportunity • Provides a platform for pupil-made videos

18. Blogging Why use blogs? • Listening • To podcasts • To videos (pupil created, music, adverts, football commentaries etc) • To peers’ work

19. Blogging Why use blogs? • Assessment for Learning • Comment function allows peer assessment using “Two Stars and a Wish formula” = 2 positive elements + 1 element to work at next time • Self-assessment as pupils comment on their own work and thus self target set.

20. Blogging That’s the theory- how have I actually used the school blog?

21. Blogging Listening

22. Blogging • On the blog this is a listening exercise, but... • Pupils had to write scripts • Pupils read and peer-assessed each other’s scripts • Pupils read the script out

23. Blogging Music video - great cultural input - an interesting homework to find body parts/ weather types - Year 8 pupils were mostly humming the song round school for next few days

24. Blogging Speaking

25. Blogging • www.gizmoz.com • www.voki.com • - Pupils write scripts • Peer assess • Practise • Record • High level of enjoyment

26. Blogging Reading

27. Blogging • Year 8 wrote Guess Who style self-descriptions • For next homework, pupils read the descriptions and left a comment saying who they were

28. Blogging Let’s have a look at the blog...

29. Blogging Who provides the blog facility? • TypePad - www.typepad.com • Easiest for inserting fun stuff (provider that I use) • Blogger - www.blogger.com • Edublogs - www.edublogs.org • Wordpress - www.wordpress.org • Many, many more…

30. Blogging To learn about further tools to complement blogs • www.slideshare.net • www.slide.com • www.flickr.com • www.zamzar.com/url • www.blip.tv

31. Blogging • Desires for this year • Higher Level pupils to leave comments in TL • Potential for pupils to use gabcast.com to leave voicemail messages for on the blog • Put online video conferences for viewing after the event, either using Skype / Pretty May or Flashmeeting

32. Blogging How to find out new ideas? - keep reading other blogs!

33. Google Reader - Uses RSS feeds to update you when your favourite blogs have changed Blogging

34. Blogging Plenary- Frequently Asked Questions • Won’t it all take ages? • Will anyone actually look at the blog? • What effect will it have on my department? • What about Child Protection?