Technology Workshop Lesson Plan

Instructor:
Rache Nachman
Blogging in the Elementary School
Classroom
Day #1
Subect o! Workshop:
What s boggng?
How do I create a bog?
Why use bogs n the cassroom?
Boggng and Mutmeda
How can we use bogs n the
cassroom?
Rues" for usng bogs n the
cassroom
Prere"uisite #no$le%ge:
Basc computer sks
Knowedge of bogs
Usng edubogs to create a bog
Content:
Ths workshop provdes a bref overvew and ntroducton to boggng. Partcpants w
begn by revewng what a bog s as we as the steps to create a bog; however, these
two topcs w not be covered n great deta (snce t s assumed that partcpants are
famar wth boggng and managng a bog).
Partcpants w then earn the reasons why bogs shoud be used n a cassroom. They
w read and dscuss terature, as we as sten to guest speakers, that focus on the
postve ehects that boggng has on student earnng, motvaton, and engagement. The
nstructor w then provde an ntroducton of the dherent ways that bogs can be used
n the cassroom, and partcpants w have the opportunty to thnk of addtona ways
that bogs can be used to suppement cassroom nstructon.
Lasty, the varous rues" for usng bogs n the cassroom w be addressed through
dscussons, terature, and vdeo. These rues" w ensure that bogs are used n a safe
manner.
&becti'es:
Partcpants w be abe to dentfy and expan at east three ways that boggng can be
used wthn the cassroom
Partcpants w be abe to dentfy at east three safety measures that must be taken
when usng bogs n the cassroom
Workshop &utline:
1. Partcpants w be seated n a computer ab. Each partcpant w be gven hs or her
own computer. The nstructor w be n the front of the ab and w be usng a
computer that connects wth an Interactve Whte Board or pro|ecton screen.
2. The nstructor w provde each partcpant wth a copy of the course syabus. The
nstructor w read through the syabus and present an overvew of the course.
3. The nstructor w dstrbute a Pre-Workshop Survey" to a partcpants. Ths survey
w ask partcpants to descrbe ther pror knowedge and experence wth boggng.
The nstructor w expan that whe the answers on the survey w not be graded,
partcpants are expected to compete and submt the survey n order to receve
credt.
Workshop &utline (Continue%)
4. Next, the nstructor w ask the foowng two questons. Partcpants w be asked to
share ther thoughts wth the person sttng next to them.
What s a bog?
Dscuss some experences that you have had wth bogs, ether nsde or
outsde of the cassroom.
Once partcpants have nshed branstormng answers to ths queston, they w be
asked to share ther thoughts wth the whoe group. A cass-wde dscusson w be
hed on what bogs" are, what boggng" s, and when partcpants have used bogs
n the past.
5. The nstructor w expan that whe partcpants are expected to aready be famar
wth boggng and wth creatng a bog, the foowng four-mnute vdeo w serve as a
refresher. Partcpants w watch the What Is A Bog" vdeo, whch provdes a bref
overvew of boggng.
6. The nstructor w expan that for ths course, they w be workng wth edubogs.
Edubogs s a bog-hostng webste that s desgned for educatona boggng, and t s
free for both teachers and students. As a refresher for how to create a bog,
partcpants w watch a screencast that was created by the nstructor (Creatng an
eduBog" Screencast). Ths screencast w show how to create a bog usng
edubogs.
7. As an ntroducton to why bogs shoud be used n the cassroom, the nstructor w
dstrbute the artce The |oy of Boggng". Ths artce provdes an overvew of
boggng, dscusses the ehects that boggng has on student earnng and motvaton,
and hghghts some ways that boggng can be used n the cassroom. Partcpants
w be asked to dvde nto groups of two or three (wth the peope sttng next to
them), read the artce, and compete the Reasons For Boggng Capture Sheet". On
ths capture sheet, partcpants w be asked to dentfy dherent reasons why bogs
shoud be used n the cassroom. They w aso be asked to wrte down any thoughts
or questons they had whe readng the artce.
8. Once a groups have nshed workng, the nstructor w ead a dscusson about the
reasons why bogs shoud be used n the cassroom. Partcpants w be asked to
share the thoughts they had whe readng the artce, as we as the nformaton they
recorded on ther capture sheets.
9. The nstructor w expan that a prmary focus of the workshop w be the reasonng
for why bogs shoud be used n the cassroom. In addton to the reasons dscussed n
the artce The |oy of Boggng", a ma|or reason for usng bogs s because they can
hep students deveop the sks needed to partcpate n todays technoogca, dgta
socety. More speccay, students must be abe to create dgta texts, read dgta
texts, construct understandng from mutmeda, communcate wth others, and
coaborate wth those both near and far. Students must aso be technoogcay
terate and exhbt varous technoogca sks. Bogs aow for students to practce n
a of these areas.
10. The nstructor w ask partcpants to ndependenty thnk of answers to these
questons:
What technoogca sks do students need to be procent n todays socety?
How can bogs be used to teach these sks?
Tme w be gven for partcpants to share ther thoughts reatng to these two
questons.
Workshop &utline (Continue%)
11. The nstructor w factate a dscusson on mutmeda. To begn, partcpants w
be asked the foowng questons:
What s mutmeda?
How does boggng reate to mutmeda?
Partcpants w be asked to dscuss these questons wth the peope sttng near
them. A whoe-group dscusson w then be hed n whch partcpants share ther
thoughts. At the concuson of ths dscusson, the nstructor w expan that many
bogs contan mutmeda eements. As dscussed earer, students must have
experence wth nterpretng mutmeda and ncorporatng mutmeda eements nto
ther wrtten work or pro|ects. Ths dea w be dscussed n greater deta throughout
the next two weeks of the workshop.
12. The nstructor w ntroduce two eementary schoo teachers (grades 3-5) who
have used bogs wthn ther cassrooms. These guest speakers w be asked to
dscuss ther experences wth bogs and what they have notced wth regards to
student earnng, engagement, and motvaton. They w aso be asked to dscuss the
ways that they have used bogs wth ther students, both reatng to and not reatng
to mutmeda. Partcpants w be encouraged to ask questons and engage n
dscussons wth the guest speakers.
13. As an ntroducton to possbe ways that bogs can be used, partcpants w og on
to ther computers and vst a bog post on the bog I <3 Ed Tech". The bog post s
tted 15 Awesome Ways To Use Bogs In Your Cassrooms". The nstructor w
expan that ths bog post sts dherent ways that bogs can be ncorporated nto
cassroom nstructon. Partcpants w ndependenty read the bog post.
14. Wth the peope sttng around them, partcpants w be asked to dscuss
addtona ways that bogs can be used n the cassroom. These deas can stem from
partcpants past experences, or from what they have earned through the artces
and guest speakers.
15. The nstructor w dstrbute a How Can Bogs Be Used?" Ext Card. Ths ext card
asks partcpants to dentfy and expan at east three ways that bogs can be used
wthn the cassroom. Partcpants w compete ths ext card ndependenty and turn
t n to the nstructor.
16. The nstructor w then expan that whe bogs are fun and exctng to use, there
are aso varous rues" that must be foowed when usng bogs n the cassroom.
These rues" ensure that students w use bogs safey. The nstructor w dstrbute
Rues For Safe Boggng n the Cassroom". Partcpants w be asked to read these
rues ndependenty. Once everyone s nshed readng, the nstructor w ead a
whoe-group dscusson about the mportance of these rues and how they shoud be
mpemented wthn the cassroom.

Workshop &utline (Continue%)
17. Partcpants w be asked to use ther computers to access the Usng Bogs n the
Eementary Schoo Cassroom" bog. Ths bog was created for ths course by the
nstructor usng edubogs. Partcpants w be asked to read the Heo Everyone"
bog post as we as the bog post tted Safety Frst!" Ths safety post descrbes a
scenaro n whch bogs were not used safey n the cassroom. Once partcpants
have read the post, they w be asked to answer the questons (found n the post) by
typng a response. These questons nvove partcpants descrbng what was wrong
wth the stuaton and dentfyng at east three safety rues that must be taken when
usng bogs n the cassroom.
Note - The settngs for ths bog requre the nstructor to approve comments
before pubshng. The nstructor w not pubsh any comments unt after the
workshop has ended for the day. Therefore, partcpants w not be abe to see
other responses as they type ther own response. Ths actvty not ony serves
as an assessment, but aso gves partcpants an opportunty to respond to a
bog post.
18. The nstructor w expan that next week, they w be dscussng how bogs can
be used to deveop students wrtng sks.
*aterials:
1. 1 computer connected to an Interactve Whte Board or pro|ector
2. 30 computers
3. Course syabus
4. Pre-Workshop survey
5. What Is A Bog" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N|wUHXo8M
6. Creatng an eduBog" Screencast - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eB4f9h7HZo
7. The |oy of Boggng" artce (wrtten by Anne Davs & Ewa McGra) -
http://www.ascd.org/pubcatons/educatona-eadershp/mar09/vo66/num06/The-
|oy-of-Boggng.aspx
8. Reasons For Boggng Capture Sheet"
9. 15 Awesome Ways To Use Bogs n Your Cassrooms" -
http://bog.smpek12.com/educaton/15-awesome-ways-to-use-bogs-n-your-
cassrooms/
10. How Can Bogs Be Used?" Ext Card
11. Rues for Safe Boggng n the Cassroom"
12. Usng Bogs n the Eementary Schoo Cassroom" Bog -
http://bogsnthecassroom.edubogs.org
E'aluation Strategies:
Partcpants How Can Bogs Be Used? Ext Card" w be evauated:
Can partcpants correcty dentfy at east three ways that bogs can be used n
the cassroom?
Can partcpants correcty expan at east three ways that bogs can be used n
the cassroom?
Partcpants responses to the Safety Frst!" bog post w be evauated:
Can partcpants correcty dentfy at east three dherent safety measures that
must be taken when usng bogs n the cassroom?