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I was inspired by a blog post written by Silvia Rosenthal Tolisano (known as @langwitches on Twitter) which begins by saying

"Blogging should not be an add-on, not an isolated project, but should be seen as PEDAGOGY"

It made me consider my approach to blogging, something I have developed only in the last 4-5 years. I now have a collection of blogs I write, each serving a different but valuable purpose.

Teaching

The first blog I created was actually to demonstrate what blogging was to my students and to show them how to create a blog, insert images, video and audio. They were the writers and used the blogs to create online newspapers. When I then introduced how social media could be used to promote the blogs using Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Google+, it occurred to me that rather than just talk about the topic using a few PowerPoint slides, I could develop a blog to capture this information. This provided two outcomes - I could demonstrate blogging in practice and I was curating information in an open space that could be of value for anyone interested in the topic.

Academic Development

In addition to teaching I was also introducing colleagues to social media. This in turn raised questions and I found that by writing a blog post to answer these also contributed to a useful collection of information I could help the person raising the question but also signpost to others when the same questions came up again.

Reflective Practice

I then went on to create a blog I used for reflective writing. I was inspired by my colleague Professor Richard Hill to adopt this process when he told me that each day he writes for 15 minutes to collect his thoughts and goes on to reflect upon these, develop ideas and take these on to write academic papers and indeed a book. My reflective blog is private and this provides a space to write freely and often disjointedly although it makes sense to me!

Curation

Another blog I keep which again is private is my treasure chest of resources I gather. Here I can create anew post, grab the url of the item I am reading and make a few notes. Then I can tag each of these posts with keywords and by adding a tag cloud to the blog (a visual of all tags) click on a particular tag word to then bring up all the posts I've written with that tag. It helps me to organise the vast array of things I read that I may wish to come back to. Because it is private I don't have to worry how each post looks or explain what it means - I can write a sentence or a page. It is my scrapbook if you like.

Open Courses

With my colleague Chrissi Nerantzi we have run an open course called Bring Your Own Devices for Learning twice nowand have used WordPress to create the course site. The blog posts introduce the participants to the course and in this instance the daily themes. The comments facility enables anyone to interact with the posts.

TweetChats

Another project with Chrissi Nerantzi and colleagues David Walker and Peter Reed is #LTHEchat which is a weekly twitterchat about learning and teaching in higher education. The chat will take place in Twitter but we also have a WordPress site http://lthechat.com/ where we share information about the tweetchat, a poll to vote for topics for future chats and as a space to archive the chats once they have taken place.

My own learning

I personally learn from other peoples' blogs and am immensely grateful they openly share their knowledge, their views and perspectives on topics, but also the processes they go through. Silvia's blog is a case in point. Below is her blog about why she thinks blogging should be seen as a pedagogy in itself and how it can be used to facilitate learning through the process of reading, writing, reflecting and sharing.

Silvia's post:

Blogging can support the strategies, techniques and approaches to facilitate the learning in your classroom no matter what grade level, age group and subject area. Blogging supports four primary areas:

In each one of these areas, blogging can be a strategy to facilitate learning

Reading

in digital spaces support students' skills in our increasingly digital reading environment

becomes a personalized content experience versus one size fits all approach

turns into a collaborative and connected experience

in digital spaces supports organization via archiving, categorizing and tagging of information

blogs is the start that continues to deepen with writing on blogging platforms

is part of research with non- linear platforms

is an essential component of content curation

supports content annotation which links to future writing

Writing

is about more than text (how do we communicate in a variety of media forms?)

gives students choices to communicate ideas in different media platforms

on a blog is writing for an audience

is about a conversation through commenting

becomes multi-layered and non-linear by using hyperlinks to connect ideas, concepts and resources

in digital spaces give students skills for our increasingly digital world

Reflecting

can't be just for reflection sake, but needs to drive improvement

is the basis of re-evaluating your teaching and practices

techniques can be supported by Making Thinking Visible Routines

is part of a meta-cognitive (thinking about your thinking) process

Sharing

is part of the feedback loop

is an integral part of the process of learning

is how you disseminate your students' work to a global audience

as a technique of building and maintaining a digital footprint

is the foundation of a remix culture

Read more at: http://langwitches.org/blog/2014/06/03/blogging-as-pedagogy-facilitate-learning/ | Langwitches Blog

Silvia's blog is a treasure chest of information and I recommend you also follow her on Twitter.

About Sue Beckingham

A National Teaching Fellow, Educational Developer and Principal Lecturer in Computing with a research interest in the use of social media in higher education.

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Why you need to consider blogging as a pedagogy to facilitate learning

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I was inspired by a blog post written by Silvia Rosenthal Tolisano (known as @langwitches on Twitter) which begins by saying "Blogging should not be an add-on, not an isolated project, but should be seen as PEDAGOGY" It made me consider my approach to blogging, something I have developed only in the last 4-5 years.

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Focus on English senior curriculum enhancement and pedagogies.

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Queensland's new senior curriculum, standards and assessment processes will commence in 2018. Internationally there are calls to enhance teacher assessment literacy to position systems to enhance the outcomes of such changes. This research focuses on a case study of the subject with greatest enrolment, senior English. It will investigate how teachers and their students negotiate and resolve issues of validity, reliability and equity as they make curriculum, assessment and pedagogic decisions. It will develop resources and an open-access, online professional development module to provide critically reflective assessment literacy at scale, as well as a model for policy and future research. Access resources and professional development materials that are designed to support teachers and schools as they strengthen the links between their assessment systems and student learning.
The Problem

Assessment is not always a topic that engages students in learning. Yet assessment is really an invitation to students - "show me what you have learned". Well-designed invitations to engage in authentic assessment can inspire students to demonstrate and celebrate learning progress, and make plans for new learning.

Educators around the world look up to Queensland teachers as they are trusted to create authentic summative assessment. Since 1972 senior school teachers have developed their skills as assessors, and maintained the quality of assessment through a system of peer review or social moderation. This system is currently undergoing substantial and rapid change.

New senior curriculum, standards and assessment processes, including high stakes external assessment, commence in 2019 in Queensland. We know from the experiences of many other countries that increasing the quantity of external assessment usually leads to a narrowed curriculum and diminished development of students' agency, creative and critical thinking. There is a real risk that the rich assessment knowledge that teachers create through social moderation will quickly disappear.

The Project

The challenge for Queensland teachers, and for us as researchers, is to find ways within the developing new system to develop and extend the role of teachers as innovative assessment professionals. We also want to know from our students, especially those who find assessment challenging, how they think we can improve assessment design. There is an opportunity to create new ways of approaching assessment, so that all students can find success.

Teachers and students in two case study schools with track records for quality English teaching are being early adopters. They will try and be as innovative as they can within the guidelines of the new Senior English syllabus. Their challenge is to find new ways for students to develop their critical and creative agency.

The teachers will get feedback from the research team, and from students about their curriculum design, assessment task and pedagogy. Along the way they will be asked to reflect on what has been successful, what has been challenging and how they resolved any issues of validity, reliability and equity in assessment. Also the teachers and researchers will share what they have learned so other teachers can build on that learning.

It is still early days, but from this in-depth collaborative research we hope to communicate our findings through (a) resources and an open-access, online professional development module to support teachers as they develop their new assessment practices, and (b) recommendations and a model for policy and future research.

Future Directions

The experiences of these early adopters will inform the developing policy, making the transition to the new ways of doing assessment in Queensland smoother for students and teachers. It is hoped that the resources and processes might also inform teachers in other subject areas, and lead to a larger scale study. If we can find ways for teachers to advocate for the intellectual quality of their work, we hope that we can build on Queensland's proud history of teacher assessment literacy.
The views expressed are those of the authors and do not represent the views of the Department of Education and Training or the Queensland Government.

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strengthening senior curriculum and assessment pedagogies

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Strengthening senior curriculum and assessment pedagogies - The Centre for Inclusive Education

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Queensland's new senior curriculum, standards and assessment processes will commence in 2018. Internationally there are calls to enhance teacher assessment...

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Clothing The Gaps honours Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the rightful Custodians of the lands and waterways across the country.

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Full instructional video and transcript including commentary on differentiation in business studies class in senior years.

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Tom uses a differentiated instructional approach that meets the diverse learning needs of his students. He shares the assessment strategies he uses to understand where students are in their learning.

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It's time to improve literacy skills during social studies instruction and ensure that readers of all abilities have what they need to access grade-level social studies concepts.

Join us on Thursday, December 7 for a look at scaffolded materials that provide extra literacy support while building key social studies concepts and skills.

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Newsela | Content and assessment platform

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Content Aligned To National & State Standard, Flexible To Support Relevant Curriculum. Find the Perfect Piece Of Content For Lessons. Go beyond the book.

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Ryan posted this one in his Padlet. I've seen teachers do similar activities in class such as rewrite this paragraph using adjectives or write a compound sentence using this prompt. I would love some more time to look into this as I feel students can be self motivated to improve punctuation if left to reach certain milestones in the program.

Thanks Ryan.

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Skip to content

Writing and grammar curriculum designed for today's classrooms

NoRedInk simplifies the process of building strong writers and critical thinkers in Grades 3-12. Our writing platform facilitates effective instruction by helping teachers engage students through modeling, scaffolding, practice, and feedback.

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NoRedInk in the news

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Unlock Every Writer's Potential | NoRedInk

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NoRedInk offers authentic assessments, adaptive practice, personalized content, and actionable data to improve your students' writing and grammar skills!

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Worksheets, lessons, resources galore. Poetry made interesting. Thank you Ryan for posting this!

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Articles, teaching materials, and other resources for teachers of all levels.

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Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority

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Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority

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The Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority is a statutory body of the Queensland Government. We provide Kindergarten to Year 12 syllabuses, guidelines, assessment, reporting, testing and certification services for Queensland schools.

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I started following Sybil Hall after learning of her book "Burn Bright Not Out". It's on my Christmas List of reading to do!! She has a collection of resources and well being courses for teachers on her site.

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Ask Sybil Hall a question. They will receive an automated email and will return to answer you as soon as possible. Please Login to ask your question.

With 22 years of experience as an educator including 8 years as an instructional coach I love to develop and implement learning experiences for the young and old alike. I have taught overseas at International Schools for the last 9 years and loved every minute of it.

Reggio inspired, inquiry based, student driven

HONORS/AWARDS/SHINING TEACHER MOMENT

National Board Certified Teacher Apple Distinguished Educator

MY OWN EDUCATIONAL HISTORY

Masters in Arts (MA) in K-12 Literacy Teaching Certificate out of the USA

ADDITIONAL BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

Yet to be added

English Language Arts, Balanced Literacy, Reading, Grammar, Spelling, Vocabulary, Specialty, Math, Numbers, Science, Environment, Arts & Music, Instructional Technology, Writing, Holidays/Seasonal, Back to School, Halloween, Earth Day, Phonics, Classroom Community

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Browse over 10 educational resources created by Sybil Hall in the official Teachers Pay Teachers store.

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Love this word play quiz!! Great warm-up or brain break in class!

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Puns, Palindromes, And More: 14 Types Of Wordplay

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Word play is no joke! It’s what makes language so lively, after all. Whip your words into a frenzy with these entertaining types of word play.

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A relevant, engaging easy to understand lesson for teaching safe, ethical and responsible use of ICT's.

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Our digital footprints can impact our future. What others find about us online shapes how they see us or feel about us. Help your students learn about their digital footprint and the steps they can take to shape what others find and see about them online.

Define the term "digital footprint" and explain how it can affect their online privacy.

Analyze how different parts of their digital footprint can lead others to draw conclusions -- both positive and negative -- about who they are.

Use the Take a Stand thinking routine to examine a dilemma about digital footprints.

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The Power of Digital Footprints | Common Sense Education

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How might our digital footprints shape our future? Check out The Power of Digital Footprints, a free digital citizenship lesson plan from Common Sense Education, to get your grade 7 students thinking critically and using technology responsibly to learn, create, and participate.

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This site was found for my Blog Post in AT1. Various methods of delivering this important message to our students. Provides lesson plans also.

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Key outcomes for students

Students will learn about how their digital footprint or reputation builds up over time, and how cyberbullying, sending nudes and sexting can have impacts on themselves, their family and their community. They will discuss the concept of respect in relation to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and how this can be applied to online activities.

Using this resource in schools

There are three short animations as well as three issue-based videos and posters featuring the same characters.

Show the videos or pin up the posters and use the lesson plan activities to structure discussion. You can choose one video, based on the topic most relevant to your students, or show all of them over a series of lessons, in any order.

Introduce your students to the other pages in the resource, for self-directed learning.

Note that the animations contain mild coarse language and themes that may not be suitable for all ages. We suggest you review the content to ensure it is suitable for your audience.

You can also send your students the link to the student and community homepage and let them explore on their own.
Student home
Lesson plan structure

Two discussion-based lesson plans are available.

Secondary lesson plan

This lesson plan has two activities, each focusing on a different topic:

Activity 1 - sexting and sending nudes: uses the video That's Not Team Spirit to introduce the concept of sexting and explore the potential social, emotional and legal consequences as well as how to manage sexting-related issues

Activity 2 - digital footprint: uses the video Dumb Stuff to introduce the idea that everything we do online contributes to our digital footprint or reputation. It explores the potential social and emotional consequences of this as well as how to manage social media related issues.

Both activities place the issue within an Aboriginal cultural context and start by using the Respect Circle video to examine the impact of online behaviour on yourself, others and family/community.
Resources
Watch the videos That's Not Team Spirit, Dumb Stuff and Respect Circle on the Be Deadly Online student home page

Yarning circle lesson plan

This activity uses the poster series and the Digital Footprint video.
It may be suitable for upper primary students as well as lower secondary. For primary students, the Digital Footprint poster, the Positive Uses of Technology poster and the Dumb Stuff animation may be the most appropriate.

Resources
Watch the videos Digital Footprint video on the Be Deadly Online Digital Footprint page.
Downloads

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Key outcomes for students Students will learn about how their digital footprint or reputation builds up over time, and how cyberbullying, sending nudes and sexting can have impacts on themselves, their family and their community. They will discuss the concept of respect in relation to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and how this can be applied to online activities.

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Technology has done more to change school curriculum and practices than nearly anything else-and in such a short amount of time! While it can be hard to keep up with every trend in educational technology, the mindset you have when it comes to classroom tech matters just as much as which ones you use. By learning to view it as a means of enhancing your lessons and resources, you can provide your students with tools and opportunities they may not otherwise access.

So, why and how should you use technology in your classroom? Read on to discover the impact of technology in education and how to get the most from its unique benefits.

What Is the Proper Role of Technology in the Classroom?

If you struggle to use technology in your classroom, you're not alone. Many educators aren't motivated to use digital resources in class, often because they're unsure how to use them effectively or are unaware of the benefits.[1] In such cases, it's easy to question not only how to make technology useful, but also whether technology should be used in schools at all.

Even with the latest and best digital technology, classrooms will not benefit unless the students and faculty understand how to use it.[15] In fact, educational technology should never be viewed as a perfect resource to teach your students everything they need to know to succeed. Instead, view it as a tool that can inform and supplement lessons, and even then, only if teachers and administrators are well trained in its use.

While technology can be an excellent resource in a classroom, it's important to set limitations. Technology-no matter how good-should never be a substitute for face-to-face interaction with a teacher or classmates.[4] Technology is best used to augment non-digital lessons rather than the other way around. The goal when using technology should be to enhance your teaching rather than replace it.[6]

Benefits of Using Tech and Digital Media in Education

With the help of technology, you can introduce your classroom to opportunities and resources they may not otherwise be able to access.[5] In fact, this is one of the greatest ways technology has changed education. You may not be able to take your students to one of NASA's space centers to witness a rocket launch, for example, but you can teach them all about rockets using resources on NASA's website. Video clips, educational games, and virtual simulations are just a few examples of technology resources you can use to engage and educate in the classroom.

Plus, the vast majority of today's careers require at least some digital skills (which include anything from complex skills like coding to simpler ones like composing and sending emails). Using tech in class can prepare students to successfully enter the workforce after graduation.[4] Even though the technology is likely to change from their early school years to the time they start their first career, teaching digital literacy in elementary school is a great way to get students started.

Why else is understanding how to use technology in the classroom important? Using technology alongside non-digital lessons can have many academic and behavioral benefits for your students, including:[2,7,11,12]

Longer attention span

Increased intrinsic motivation to learn

Higher classroom participation and student engagement

Greater academic achievement

Stronger digital literacy

And finally, the benefits of classroom technology can expand far beyond the classroom and right into your students' homes.[4] Rather than handing out paper worksheets, you can send your students online lessons or activities to complete at their own convenience. This practice provides better flexibility, plus the opportunity for you to provide audio or video clips alongside homework assignments. Additionally, if you have under-resourced students in your classroom, you may be able to supplement the resources available to their families by providing take-home technology.

How to Get the Most from Technology in Schools

One of the major concerns parents and educators have with classroom technology is how to limit excessive screen time. The American Association of Pediatrics suggests the following screen time recommendations by age. Keep these guidelines in mind when you teach lessons that involve screen time in your classroom:[17]

2-5 years old: No more than one hour of high-quality digital activities or programming

6 or older: Consistent limits to prevent screen time getting in the way of sleep, physical activity, or other healthy behaviors

It's important to keep in mind that older students may have differing needs in comparison to the youngest students, where one hour of high-quality digital activities is always the limit. Regardless of your students' ages, set consistent limits to keep technology as effective as possible and limit distractions.

Whenever possible, prioritize active digital screen time over passive.[16] Active screen time, like playing an educational game or learning a new digital skill, engages a student's mind or body in a way that involves more than observation. Passive screen time-think watching a video or listening to an online lecture-involves limited interaction or engagement with the technology. Active digital activities are more likely to help your students experience new concepts, and they encourage your class to work together during the lesson.

Although teachers at under-resourced and rural schools are less likely to use technology, any tech you have available can greatly add to the opportunities you provide your students.[13, 18] Technology can remove some of the physical or financial barriers to educational resources and experiences.[17] If you're unable to go on a field trip, for example, you can access plenty of virtual field trips at no cost.[16] Use the technology you do have to supplement your lessons and provide students with information you may not otherwise be able to access.

And finally, use school technology to teach your students digital citizenship.[14] Broadly defined, digital citizenship is the safe, ethical, informed, and responsible use of technology.[16] It encompasses skills like internet safety, setting healthy screen time habits, and communicating with others online. Lessons that involve digital citizenship can help a student use technology responsibly well beyond their elementary school years.

6 Quick Tips for Using Technology in the Classroom

The benefits of technology in education can revolutionize your classroom, but only when used intentionally. All it takes is a little time and personal training to help you understand the ins and outs of useful classroom tech.

Keep these six strategies and ideas in mind to help you get the most out of your classroom technology:

Always use technology or learning programs yourself before trying it with your students so you can troubleshoot any issues in advance.[9]

Most of today's students are digital natives and have grown up around technology for their entire life. Listen to what your students know about technology and ask them for tip. They may just teach you something new![8]

Use digital resources (like apps, texts, or social media groups) to keep parents informed about class activities and upcoming assignments.[5]

Prioritize active digital activities, like online learning games or interactive lessons, over passive activities (like watching a video).

If you're an administrator, schedule a faculty training session on how to use your school's technology and answer any questions.[10]

Focus your technology-based lessons on teaching your students digital citizenship, or skills that will help them thoughtfully and effectively navigate digital media.[14]

Sources:

1. Groff, J., and Mouza, C. A Framework for Addressing Challenges to Classroom Technology Use. AACE Journal, January 2008, 16(1), pp. 21-46.

2. Levy, L.A. 7 Reasons Why Digital Literacy is Important for Teachers. Retrieved from usc.edu: https://www.rossieronline.usc.edu/blog/teacher-digital-literacy/.

3. Van Dusen, L.M., and Worthen, B.R. Can Integrated Instructional Technology Transform the Classroom? Educational Leadership, October 1995, 53(2), pp. 28-33.

4. Rosenberg, J. Technology in the classroom: Friend or Foe? Retrieved from huffpost.com: hhttps://www.huffpost.com/entry/technology-in-the-classro_2_b_2018558..

5. Venezky, R.L. Technology in the classroom: steps toward a new vision. Education, Communication & Information, 2004, 4(1), pp. 3-21.

6. Buckenmeyer, J.A. Beyond Computers In The Classroom: Factors Related To Technology Adoption To Enhance Teaching And Learning. Contemporary Issues in Education Research. April 2010, 3(4), pp. 27-36.

7. Bester, G., and Brand, L. The effect of technology on learner attention and achievement in the classroom. South African Journal of Education, 2013, 33(2), pp. 1-15.

8. Reissman, H. 7 smart ways to use technology in classrooms. Retrieved from ted.com: https://ideas.ted.com/7-smart-ways-to-use-technology-in-classrooms/.

9. Edutopia Staff. How to Integrate Technology. Retrieved from edutopia.org: https://www.edutopia.org/technology-integration-guide-implementation.
Winters-Robinson, E.How Tech Can Engage Students, Simplify the School Day and Save Time for Teachers. Retrieved from edsurge.com: https://www.edsurge.com/news/2019-10-15-how-tech-can-engage-students-simplify-the-school-day-and-save-time-for-teachers.

10. Couse, L.J., and Chen, D.W. A Tablet Computer for Young Children? Exploring its Viability for Early Childhood Education. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 2010, 43(1), pp. 75-96.

11. Filer, D. Everyone's Answering: Using Technology to Increase Classroom Participation. Nursing Education Perspectives, 2010, 31(4), pp. 247-250.

12. Friedman, S. How Teachers Use Technology in the Classroom. Retrieved from thejournal.com: https://thejournal.com/articles/2019/04/15/how-teachers-use-technology-in-the-classroom.aspx.

13. Mace, N. 8 Strategies to Manage the 21st Century Classroom. Retrieved from education.cu-portland.edu: https://education.cu-portland.edu/blog/classroom-resources/using-classroom-technology/.

14. Keswani, B., Patni, P., and Banerjee, D. Role Of Technology In Education: A 21st Century Approach. Journal of Commerce and Instructional Technology, 2008, 8, pp.54-59.

15. The Office of Educational Technology. Reimagining the Role of Technology in Education: 2017 National Education Technology Plan Update. Retrieved from tech.ed.gov: tech.ed.gov/files/2017/01/NETP17.pdf.

16. Courville, K. Technology and its use in Education: Present Roles and Future Prospects. 2011 Recovery School District Technology Summit, 2011, pp. 1-19.

17. Klopfer, E., Osterweil, S., Groff, J., and Haas, J. Using the technology of today, in the classroom today: the instructional power of digital games, social networking, simulations, and how teachers can leverage them. The Education Arcade, 2009, pp. 1-20.

18. American Academy of Pediatrics. American Academy of Pediatrics Announces New Recommendations for Children's Media Use. Retrieved from aap.org: https://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/Pages/American-Academy-of-Pediatrics-Announces-New-Recommendations-for-Childrens-Media-Use.aspx.

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Technology and Digital Media in the Classroom: A Guide for Educators - Waterford.org

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Technology has done more to change school curriculum and practices than nearly anything else-and in such a short amount of time! While it can be hard to keep up with every trend in educational technology, the mindset you have when it comes to classroom tech matters just as much as which ones you use.

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SpiderScribe maps can combine elements like text, images, files, calendar events and geographic locations. More type of stencils will be added in time.

Stencils can be customized - change colors, resize, format, etc.

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SpiderScribe maps can combine elements like text, images, files, calendar events and geographic locations. More type of stencils will be added in time. Stencils can be customized - change colors, resize, format, etc.

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Create, Share, Collaborate, View your mind maps !
Try now !

Why WiseMapping ?

How it works ?

What's a mind map?

A mind map is a diagram used to represent words, ideas, tasks, or other items linked to and arranged around a central key word or idea.

WiseMapping is based on an Open Source project. Depending on your requirements, there are two options available.

WiseMapping is perfect for individual note-taking, collaborative planning, teamwork and class rooms.

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WiseMapping is a free, fast and simple online mind mapping for individuals and business. Sign up to start organizing and sharing your ideas and thoughts.

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Powered by NCTE | Read Write Think

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Not your everyday calendar, here you can find important events in literary history, authors' birthdays, and a variety of holidays, all with related activities and resources that make them more relevant to students.

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Not your everyday calendar, here you can find important events in literary history, authors' birthdays, and a variety of holidays, all with related activities and resources that make them more relevant to students.

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About the educational games

The educational games are based on Nobel Prize awarded achievements and were produced between 2001 and 2012. Most games have not been updated since production (including potential scientific facts changes) and are provided here on an 'as is' basis by popular demand.

Some of the games run in modern browsers without the need of any plugin (either as a new version or using Ruffle), but many of the games still require Adobe Flash Player. Flash is an old technology that has reached end of life. These games will no longer work without a dedicated setup. If you are depending on these games in your profession, please advice your local IT support. We do not have the resources to provide support.

We are working on supporting more games without Flash.

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Nobelprize.org, The Official Web Site of the Nobel Prize

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Free Educational Photos: Find & Download - Storyboard That

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Storyboard That’s Photos For Class: Access free, safe, and high-quality images for education. Search and download Creative Commons photos today!

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Business Class Activities

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TPACK is the knowledge teachers use to integrate technology in their teaching. Each of the seven components of the TPACK framework are explained.

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Simple, well explained article with relevance to modern education.

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It has lately come into my attention that teachers tend to deny the use of technology due to a variety of reasons. The most commonly used is that technology transforms the lesson into something completely different than it is supposed to be. Yes, technology has the potential to transform a boring lesson into a funny one, that's undeniable, but how teachers use it is what makes the difference between just having fun and having fun while learning at the same time.

The TPACK model explained

Mishra and Koehler created the TPACK model due to the lack of other sufficient theory to explain or guide effective edtech integration. It consists of 3 circles that represent the qualifications and abilities that an educator should pocess. The blue circle represents the knowledge of one's content, aka the subject of expertise. The yellow circle represents the Pedagogical knowledge, which is necessary in order to develop the right strategies for managing the students and the classroom efficiently. The purple one, is about the Technological Knowledge. This one is about choosing the most advantageous tools and applications that may boost the learning process.

The three types of knowledge are combined within the TPACK framework.

The modern teacher should be well educated regarding the field of his expertise (content knowledge) Is this enough? What about the right pedagogical approaches regarding every individual student of his (pedagogical knowledge)? Is this enough? Well the answer is a double no. Teachers should also be able to identify and use the right technological tools which will enhance their teaching skills in order to improve the learning outcome of their students (technological knowledge)

I bet dinosaurs were extremely cute back in the day , but they all vanquished because they failed to adapt to the new era.

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What is TPACK and how is it crucial for modern educators? - Educraft

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It has lately come into my attention that teachers tend to deny the use of technology due to a variety of reasons. The most commonly used is that technology transforms the lesson into something completely different than it is supposed to be.

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Materials for each curriculum area, ways to improve your teaching, assessment, reporting, excursions.

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Bloom's Cognitive Taxonomy Overview

Site has embedded links to topics and further examples such as Assessment, Outcomes, Goals, Demonstrated learning.

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Using Bloom's Revised Taxonomy in Assessment

These levels can be helpful in developing learning outcomes because certain verbs are particularly appropriate at each level and not appropriate at other levels (though some verbs are useful at multiple levels). A student might list presidents or proteins or participles to demonstrate that they remember something they learned, but generating a list does not demonstrate (for example) that the student is capable of evaluating the contribution of multiple presidents to American politics or explaining protein folding or distinguishing between active and passive participles.

Remember

Definition: retrieve, recall, or recognize relevant knowledge from long-term memory (e.g., recall dates of important events in U.S. history, remember the components of a bacterial cell). Appropriate learning outcome verbs for this level include: cite, define, describe, identify, label, list, match, name, outline, quote, recall, report, reproduce, retrieve, show, state, tabulate, and tell.

Understand

Definition: demonstrate comprehension through one or more forms of explanation (e.g., classify a mental illness, compare ritual practices in two different religions). Appropriate learning outcome verbs for this level include: abstract, arrange, articulate, associate, categorize, clarify, classify, compare, compute, conclude, contrast, defend, diagram, differentiate, discuss, distinguish, estimate, exemplify, explain, extend, extrapolate, generalize, give examples of, illustrate, infer, interpolate, interpret, match, outline, paraphrase, predict, rearrange, reorder, rephrase, represent, restate, summarize, transform, and translate.

Apply

Definition: use information or a skill in a new situation (e.g., use Newton's second law to solve a problem for which it is appropriate, carry out a multivariate statistical analysis using a data set not previously encountered). Appropriate learning outcome verbs for this level include: apply, calculate, carry out, classify, complete, compute, demonstrate, dramatize, employ, examine, execute, experiment, generalize, illustrate, implement, infer, interpret, manipulate, modify, operate, organize, outline, predict, solve, transfer, translate, and use.

Analyze

Definition: break material into its constituent parts and determine how the parts relate to one another and/or to an overall structure or purpose (e.g., analyze the relationship between different flora and fauna in an ecological setting; analyze the relationship between different characters in a play; analyze the relationship between different institutions in a society). Appropriate learning outcome verbs for this level include: analyze, arrange, break down, categorize, classify, compare, connect, contrast, deconstruct, detect, diagram, differentiate, discriminate, distinguish, divide, explain, identify, integrate, inventory, order, organize, relate, separate, and structure.

Evaluate

Definition: make judgments based on criteria and standards (e.g., detect inconsistencies or fallacies within a process or product, determine whether a scientist's conclusions follow from observed data, judge which of two methods is the way to solve a given problem, determine the quality of a product based on disciplinary criteria). Appropriate learning outcome verbs for this level include: appraise, apprise, argue, assess, compare, conclude, consider, contrast, convince, criticize, critique, decide, determine, discriminate, evaluate, grade, judge, justify, measure, rank, rate, recommend, review, score, select, standardize, support, test, and validate.

Create

Definitions: put elements together to form a new coherent or functional whole; reorganize elements into a new pattern or structure (design a new set for a theater production, write a thesis, develop an alternative hypothesis based on criteria, invent a product, compose a piece of music, write a play). Appropriate learning outcome verbs for this level include: arrange, assemble, build, collect, combine, compile, compose, constitute, construct, create, design, develop, devise, formulate, generate, hypothesize, integrate, invent, make, manage, modify, organize, perform, plan, prepare, produce, propose, rearrange, reconstruct, reorganize, revise, rewrite, specify, synthesize, and write.

Source: Anderson, Lorin W., and David R. Krathwohl, eds. 2001. A Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching, and Assessing: A Revision of Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. New York: Addison Wesley Longman, Inc.

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Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy - Colorado College

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There are six levels of cognitive learning according to the revised version of Bloom’s Taxonomy. Each level is conceptually different. The six levels are remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating.

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Group work instructional strategy with examples, challenges and useful links to other teaching tools, case studies for teaching with group based learning.

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Group Work | UNSW Teaching Staff Gateway

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Overview Group work or cooperative learning is a method of instruction that gets students to work together in groups. Employers value a person’s ability to work cooperatively. Indeed, studies show that they value it more highly than the ability to work independently. This is because, in most contemp…

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A collection of resources of First Nations stories, cultures and histories. Covers Prep to year 10 and individual content areas.

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How Indigenous ecological practices can help reduce emissions

Our resources cover a wide array of topic - not just history. For example, this Year 10 science resource provides a lesson plan that explores how First Nations approaches are being used in the fight against climate change.

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Curriculum resources for teachers. Confidently bring First Nations stories, cultures and histories into your classroom with our free curriculum resources, covering key learning areas from Foundation to Year 10.

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Hello fellow PST's! Here is my twitter link (new user so little content at this stage)

Happy Tweeting!

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I can see this being a vital resource for senior students at my placement school. They don't have access to laptops very often however, so may take some time to instruct and implement!?!?

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The best economic simulation games of all time for any console or system, ranked by readers around the world. These highly rated games are ordered by popularity, so only the most popular titles are at the top of the list. This list includes all the challenging and most popular economic simulation and tycoon games that have ever hit the shelves, so it doesn't necessarily have all the more obscure games.

From popular games like Tropico and Capitalism II to gems like Zeus: Master of Olympus, this list answers the questions, "What are the best economic simulation games?" and "What is the greatest economic simulation game of all time?"

Vote up all your favorite releases throughout the years, and vote down all the releases you didn't like.

Over 3.8K Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The Greatest Economic Simulation Games Of All Time

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The Greatest Economic Simulation Games Of All Time

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The best economic simulation games of all time for any console or system, ranked by readers around the world. These highly rated games are ordered by popularity, so only the most popular titles are at the top of the list. This list includes all the challenging and most popular economic simulation...

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Fantastic resource for all students however particularly for remote and regional.

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Hey, I'm Dale! I'm a traveler, educator, and parent of a special needs child. These three passions are why I founded Virtual Field Trips and created these videos for you to use in your classroom.

Visiting 40+ countries on six continents taught me the educational value of exposure to other places, cultures, people, wildlife, and landscapes. As an M.Ed. in Instructional Technology, I'm also passionate about serving other educators. And as a proud mom to a son with special needs, I understand the power of visual learning.

Virtual Field Trips and all its videos, quizzes, and activities are my way of helping you introduce your students to the marvels of the world around them, in a visual form that will engage and educate all your young learners.

It's easy, it's affordable, and, most importantly - it'll help you teach your curriculum in the most fun & memorable way.

Become a member today! Your students will love you for it.

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Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest 440 LinkedIn

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I often hear the whining question in class "When am I ever going to need to write this, Miss?" Kathleen explains how the benefits of educational blogging encourage reluctant writers to write for a purpose. Through blogging, students purposefully communicate and converse with others in literacy they are familiar with.

There are also printable graphics for display in the classroom, visible reminders for when these questions are asked!

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Please note, this post was last updated in 2019 and I no longer update this website.
It's almost 11 years since I first began blogging! Who would have thought that simple decision to begin a blog would have led to so many fantastic outcomes for me, for my students, and for my community?

Back in 2008 I didn't know much at all about blogging but nevertheless took the opportunity to set up a blog on Global2. After setting up my professional blog, I established a class blog.

I naively thought having a class blog would just be a bit of fun and perhaps a good way to connect with parents.

Little did I know there can be so many educational benefits from having a well-run classroom blogging program.

This post unpacks 18 benefits of blogging for teachers and students. But first, let's explore why blogging has lasted while other tools have come and gone.

The simple reason is, a blog is more than a tool. It's anything you want it to be. A blog is a blank canvas and a virtual home for you to set up however you like.

Blogs are simply websites. The only real difference between a blog and a traditional website is that it is generally updated more frequently and usually offers interaction in the form of comments. Do websites have expiry dates?

18 Benefits Of Educational Blogging

Check out the summary below then scroll down as I dig into the benefits of blogging for teachers and students.

Note: You're welcome to use this poster or PDF for your own classroom or blog. If you publish it online, just link back to this post!

You might be reading this post because you're wondering whether you should look into setting up a blogging program. Or, you might be gathering ideas so you can convince your school leaders to let you start blogging.

Read on to find out more about the benefits of educational blogging.

1) Owning Your Content

There are many places online where you can publish your thoughts and artefacts including a whole heap of social media platforms. The fact is though, this can be building on borrowed land.

Social media algorithms change (e.g. Facebook), platforms close (e.g. Wikispaces), pricing structures change, and accounts are suspended. There can be a lot of uncertainty. The safest option is to have a blog to house all your work and then use other platforms in ancillary ways.

Tip: Choose an export-friendly blogging platform like Edublogs, WordPress, or Blogger to ensure your data is portable.

2) Your Online Hub

A blog can be a place where all the bits and pieces you create and explore in the online and offline world can be housed. This could include videos, podcasts, graphic designs, articles, links etc. Blogs can keep your virtual world well organised (and they're searchable!).

You can keep your blog going year after year. In that way, it's a great way to keep track of your thoughts, your creations, and your learning.

A blog can also be used as evidence of student learning over time, whether or not you set out to capture this. It's like a digital filing cabinet!

3) Traditional Literacy

Many years ago, I wrote about how my students had improved their reading and writing skills greatly through blogging. It's important to note that an improvement in literacy skills doesn't come automatically with a blogging program. I've found that it requires a variation of the following formula.

I also found that through integrating blogging into the literacy curriculum, not only did students' literacy skills improve, but engagement levels increased. Reluctant writers wanted to write for a purpose and students were using blogs to purposefully communicate and converse with others.

I've heard these sentiments being echoed by many other teachers worldwide.

4) New Literacies

All teachers know that the meaning of being literate has changed. There are so many new literacies and skills that are essential to master to successfully navigate 21st century life.

These new literacies include things like digital citizenship, curation, critical evaluation, visual literacies and so on. And then there are essential skills like problem solving, critical thinking, and cultural awareness.

Reading and writing online is different. It's not linear. It's hyperlinked and requires you to put the pieces of the puzzle together and connect the dots.

How do we cover all these new literacies? There are only so many hours in the day.

You know what the answer is!

A high quality blogging program can offer the perfect avenue for developing traditional and new literacy skills in an authentic and ongoing way.

5) All Subject Areas

While blogging as an ideal avenue for teaching and learning literacy, blogs can also be used in any subject area: maths, history, physical education, art...the list goes on!

Maths can be incorporated into blogging in so many different ways. For example, I used to use Clustrmaps on a daily basis for authentic place value discussions. I also created the Our World, Our Numbers global blogging project to explore maths concepts with other blogging classes around the world.

In any subject, you can showcase learning, post reflections, post question prompts, and embed all sorts of tools.

6) Creativity

Blogging allows you to be creative! This is one of the things I have always loved about the blogging process.

Of course, there is the element of creative writing and the opportunity to explore different topics. But there's also the aspect of problem solving and coming up with different solutions (a skill a blogger always needs).

Additionally, blogging lets you express yourself visually through custom themes, headers, photography, layouts, and designs. There's an art to that...and it's fun!

If you remember that a blog is just a blank canvas, you can innovate and mould it into anything you like!

7) Home-School Connections

Effective two-way communication between home and school is so important.

Many parents and families enjoying using a class (or student) blog as a virtual "window into the classroom".

Through commenting, families can be a part of what is happening in the classroom and have real time access to their child's education. I also love the way that information published on a class blog can be used as conversation starters at home.

Educating families and encouraging parent participation in your blog is something I have written about on The Edublogger.

8) Digital Citizenship

Everyone would agree that teaching students to be safe online is an important issue. However, one-off lessons on digital citizenship are just not going to have a long-lasting effect.

Blogging is an excellent method for learning to be a responsible member of an online community in an authentic and ongoing way.

I believe the best approach is to neither block young people from being online, or allow them unsupervised access. The sweet spot is in the middle where we work with our students to mentor them and build their skills and understandings. Blogging provides the perfect avenue to keep the lines of conversation around this topic open.

Read more about blogging and digital citizenship in a post I wrote for The Edublogger.

9) Digital Footprints

One specific area of digital citizenship that deserves a special mention is digital footprints. Put simply, digital footprints are the traces of what an individual does online.

There is a lot of negativity associated with this term. The message I like to promote is that we should protect our digital footprints and try to ensure that they are positive. Encouraging students to avoid posting or doing anything online just seems counterproductive.

A blog can be used to shape the digital footprint of a teacher or students in a carefully curated and positive way. Of course, you need permission for students to post publicly.

10) Social Skills and Confidence

While some people may be quick to say blogging and social media can inhibit social skills, I see blogging as a terrific starting point.

Blogging can allow certain individuals to practise their skills with communication, conversation, empathy and so on. These can then be transferred to the "offline world". Many years ago I shared a parent's perspective in a post about how students on the autism spectrum made progress in different ways through blogging.

In the year 2019, it's essential that individuals can communicate well both online and offline.

I've also always loved using blogging to explicitly teach students how to be polite and considerate of others. This can be done in simple ways like ensuring you reply to people when they comment on your blog, asking questions to show interest in others, and asking permission before posting about someone else.

11) ICT Skills and Digital Literacy

Blogging assists students (and teachers) to become digitally literate.

Through blogging, many skills are able to be discussed and practised, often incidentally. These can range from keyboard shortcuts, coding, Creative Commons, research skills, using multimedia, troubleshooting and a lot more.

Some of these skills are more specific to blogging (e.g. using plugins, tags/categories etc.), while others are more general ICT skills (e.g. using images, managing passwords etc).

This learning is all for an authentic purpose rather than through skill and drill exercises.

12) Developing Thinking

Many bloggers talk about the phenomenon where the process of writing down your thoughts helps to straighten out your thinking, develop your thinking, and basically help you work out what you think.

Personally, I find this to be very true. I often have vague thoughts which develop and come to life as I tap away at the keyboard.

13) Reflections

Constantly consuming information isn't an ideal way to learn and grow. We need space to be able to process information and reflect. Blogging can be a great way to incorporate regular reflection into the classroom program.

Some teachers like to allow this to happen naturally, while others scaffold the reflective process with prompts. Perhaps striving to make your prompts redundant at some stage is a good aim!

14) Classroom Community

Creating a blog requires teamwork and collaboration. Students and teachers learn and share together.

A real sense of classroom community can be developed through blogging and establishing a class identity.

One element I've always particularly enjoyed was seeing students ask each other "how did you do that?" This leads to organic peer tutoring which is a joy to see play out.

The teacher does not have to be the expert, and the experience does not have to be "easy".

A class blog mascot can be a fun way to represent your classroom community too.

15) Authenticity

In the traditional classroom, the only audience for student work was the teacher and sometimes classmates and parents.

Blogs provide a much larger audience for student work. They also offer an avenue for feedback and self-improvement through commenting.

I've found students really take pride in the work that goes on the blog and want to do their best for their impending audience. Motivation seems to increase when students are writing for a purpose.

As Dan Pink says, students need autonomy, mastery, and purpose to feel motivated.

16) Having a Voice

When publishing online, as opposed to writing in the analogue way, students have the chance to have their voices heard. What a wasted opportunity to not tap into that!

Students can write about their passions, concerns, their learning, and more. They can start to feel empowered about making a difference in the world and they can help others understand them.

Of course, this links back to the area of confidence as well. There's an element of "risk" to put your thoughts out there but with support, this can really be a benefit for students.

All of the above applies to teachers who blog too!

17) Global Connections

I have found this to be one of the most exciting benefits of blogging. Blogging can help flatten the classroom walls and offer priceless experiences for students and teachers.

A sense of understanding and tolerance can develop and students can learn a lot about the world in which they live.

If you're interested in global collaboration, I've compiled a list of tips which might help you get started.

18) Purposeful, Productive, and Fun!

We know students (and teachers) can spend a lot of time playing around with things online. Whether it's looking at social media, watching videos, gaming, or going on a trail of link clicking, there can be a lot of wasted time.

We all need downtime occasionally, but why not tap into this interest by doing something purposeful and productive online? Blogging allows you to socialise, consume content, create content and have fun while learning and making a difference.

Conclusion

Since I began teaching in 2004, I haven't come across a program that provides as many benefits to students as a well-run classroom blogging program.

This doesn't mean blogging is better than other digital tools, and applications. It's just that almost everything can be integrated into blogging.

It's also important to remember that a blog is simply a tool. It's the application that counts.

The benefits for teachers who put themselves out there as bloggers are plentiful too. I hear many people talk about the importance of teachers being "readers" so they're role models for their students, but what about writers? And learners? And members of personal learning networks?

Blogging can provide a really diverse learning experience for teachers and students. It might not be for everyone, and it takes a lot of work to do it well but once you dive in, you'll reap the rewards!

If you're interested in learning more about blogging, check out my page which links to lots of posts on this subject.

You Might Also Enjoy

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Why Teachers And Students Should Blog: 18 Benefits of Educational Blogging

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There are many benefits of educational blogging. This updated 2019 post unpacks 18 reasons why teachers or students should have a blog. These advantages are summarised in a free PDF poster. Find out about the importance of teaching students to blog in the 21st century classroom.

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There are many benefits to having a blogging program in your classroom. One advantage is that blogging can be the perfect avenue to teach digital citizenship.

What is digital citizenship? Not so long ago "cyber safety" or "cyber bullying" were key terms associated with our "internet safety" programs. Now as our world becomes increasingly digital, our associated challenges, rights, and responsibilities are changing.

Digital citizenship is used as more of an umbrella term for our goals to help our students to be safe, happy, productive, and ethical online. These same goals that we have for our students' online experiences also apply to their offline world.

Common Sense Media's curriculum identifies eight topics under the umbrella of digital citizenship including: internet safety, cyberbullying, copyright and more. They describe digital citizenship as,

empowering your students with skills to think critically, behave safely, and participate responsibly online, allowing them to connect and collaborate in meaningful ways.

All teachers know how important digital citizenship is.

Students don't always have the life experience or brain development to navigate technology safely and effectively. So, like many other areas of life, they need guidance from trusted adults.

We also know what a big role technology plays in our students' lives. Even if students are not online very much during the school day (or online on "protected" platforms), many begin connecting, sharing, viewing etc. as soon as they walk out the school gates.

As educators, we can't ignore this fact or waste the opportunity to tap into students' interests and help steer them in the right direction.
But how do we teach digital citizenship?
There are many stand-alone lessons or units of work out there. Some schools "tick the box" by covering digital citizenship in the first few weeks of the school year and then move on.

I believe digital citizenship education is most beneficial when it is ongoing and authentic. A blogging program offers this.

I also believe that digital citizenship education should begin very early on, as soon as children begin accessing the internet. Blogging allows a simple awareness of digital citizenship to start being developed at any age, even in kindergarten classrooms. Then, students can progressively build on their knowledge and skills.

Blogging can offer not only a safe space to practice digital citizenship, but also authentic dilemmas, discussions, and interactions. And hopefully blogging is something that's weaved into your classroom program so it's ongoing throughout the year.

Let's look at eight ways blogging can be used to teach digital citizenship.

1) Netiquette

Netiquette, or online etiquette, describes the positive standards we set for online behavior. Like many aspects of digital citizenship, the same standards you'd set for offline encounters apply to online interactions. So, being courteous, polite, responsive, friendly, respectful etc.

Commenting on other blogs is a fabulous way to practice and discuss netiquette.

When deciding what makes a quality comment, classes can discuss things such as:

giving compliments

delivering feedback constructively

using positive language

asking questions and engaging in conversation

being a reliable online friend

staying relevant and on-topic

avoiding ambiguous communication (eg. ALL CAPS could be interpreted as shouting)

A one-off lesson just wouldn't have the same impact as ongoing authentic communication through blog comments.

2) Digital Footprints

The whole concept of digital footprints or online reputations is becoming more important than ever.

Publishing on a public blog means putting yourself out there for others to see. While this might seem scary at first, blogging can offer the ideal opportunity to learn and practice the skill of managing your digital identity.

We must consider if we'd rather our students:

a) are guided in the process of publishing online on an authentic yet "less risky" platform, or

b) go it alone and publish online without guidance

We know that having no digital footprint at all is no longer an ideal option. Potential employers and higher education institutions increasingly consider individuals' online profiles and search results when making selections. Who knows how else digital footprints will be used as our students grow up.

3) Content Curation And Creativity

A big part of being an internet user is being able to effectively research, curate, and share information. This involves critical thinking and creativity.

Students could practice this skill randomly. Or, they could develop their skills over time through a blogging program.

John Spencer explains how content curation is a vital part of the creative process in his post, "Getting Started with Content Curation in the Classroom".

..if you watch people engaged in creative work, they are often critical consumers of the same type of work they create. There's this ongoing cycle of critical consuming, inspiration, and creative work. As they create more, it leads to a deeper ability to consume critically, where they find more inspiration, and the cycle continues.

Creativity is a skill that's always going to be in high demand. How amazing would it be if all our students graduated being able to confidently and fluently follow this cycle of critical consuming-inspiration-creative work?

4) Methods Of Communication

Blogging is a popular method of communication. But when you break it down further, you can see that there are many elements to using a blog for communication. These could be:

written posts

audio posts

written comments

video

multimedia and embedded content

RSS and email subscriptions

Then when you begin to form connections through blogging, there might be new opportunities for communication. For example, skyping or emailing blogging buddies, or collaborating on Google Docs.

A blogging program offers an amazing way for students to learn and practice various forms of communication. Not so long ago, students had limited choice in how they could communicate. It was basically pen and paper, or Microsoft Word if you were lucky.

Now there has been an explosion of tools for online communication and the biggest dilemma is often now finding the right tool for the job, and learning how to communicate clearly and responsibly.

As students progress as bloggers they can begin to make their own choices about communication. This independence and experience will certainly benefit them both as students and members of society.

5) Copyright and Creative Commons

Bloggers quickly learn that they need images to enhance their blog posts. But where do they find images?

Blogging is the perfect way to teach students that the can't just rely on Google Images and they need to either create their own pictures or use Creative Commons work.

Through blogging, students can learn how to become fluent at sourcing, using, and attributing images. These sorts of lessons would have little meaning or impact without a real purpose.

Our Educator's Guide to Copyright, Fair Use, and Creative Commons is a popular resource with more advice on this topic. I have also published a guide on my own blog to finding free images with a breakdown of some websites you mind find useful.

6) Health And Wellness

Encouraging children to be healthy both physically and mentally has always been a key concern for educators and caregivers. With mounting (real or perceived) pressure to be constantly connected comes the need to set up healthy habits.

Through blogging, there can be classroom discussions about taking breaks from digital devices (for example, you can set boundaries as to when you'll reply to blog comments).

Another interesting topic is staying focused Vs multitasking. It's easy to multitask when you're writing blog posts. You have the distractions of the internet at your fingertips. Even if you put aside email and social media, it can be tempting to switch between researching, writing, finding images, and all the other things you need to do to put a post together.

Research shows that true multitasking just isn't humanly possible. Being able to stay focused is certainly a healthy habit and also seems to be a desirable attribute of our future workforce. This is something that can be practiced through blogging.

7) Passwords

The divisions between our online and offline worlds are blurring and many of our most valuable possessions and information are now housed online. Students need to learn to use passwords/passphrases. This can be practiced through blogging if students have their own blog or have user accounts for the class blog.

Through blogging, students can seamlessly learn:

what a strong password is

how to create a strong password

how to remember passwords

how to keep passwords safe.

If you want to learn more about passwords, we have a post with advice for teachers and students.

8) Digital Access

Digital access is often an invisible issue in education. There are all sorts of barriers to equitable access to technology for students.

These barriers might include:

physical or learning challenges

having limited access to devices or internet

living in rural areas

being part of a low-income community

gender or ethnicity

The list goes on!

What does this have to do with blogging? Firstly, blogging can be a way to raise awareness about digital access. Students could also help come up with some practical ways to make technology more accessible. This could include anything from lunchtime or after school clubs for those without technology at home, to finding ways to make blog posts more accessible to the vision impaired.

When connecting with other classes globally, I personally found that we were connecting with a lot of classes from similar "wealthy"/first world/English speaking backgrounds. Once aware of this, I began making a concerted effort to broaden our horizons. Sometimes an awareness is a good spark to initiate change.

You might introduce students to a website like Internet Live Stats which presents live data on internet use worldwide. It's easy to live in a bubble of your own community. Students might be surprised by some of the data on this website, including the fact that only 40% of the world's population has internet access.

When we get going with technology in the classroom, the gap between the "have" and "have not" can widen. It's important to not only keep this in the back of your mind as an educator, but raise the issue with students as well.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, there are many ways that blogging can be a useful catalyst for bringing digital citizenship into the classroom. Sometimes, stand-alone lessons or even mini-lessons on digital citizenship are useful and necessary too. But if you're looking for something that provides authentic and ongoing opportunities for teachable moments, blogging is ideal.

Also remember, digital citizenship education is not just about protecting but also about empowering. Blogging is an excellent way to begin empowering students with the skills, knowledge, and practice they need to navigate their evolving digital lives.
What do you think? Have you taught any elements of digital citizenship through blogging? What other strategies do you use to cover digital citizenship in your classroom?
Poster

We have adapted the infographic in this post into a poster which you're welcome to print or display on your blog!

Thank you to Ines Pinto for the Portuguese translation of this post and the infographic.

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How To Teach Digital Citizenship Through Blogging

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There are many benefits to having a blogging program in your classroom. One advantage is that blogging can be the perfect avenue to teach digital citizenship. What is digital citizenship? Not so long ago "cyber safety" or "cyber bullying" were key terms associated with our "internet safety" programs. Now as our world becomes increasingly digital, our associated challenges, rights, and responsibilities are changing.

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A two-part spotlight highlighting evidence for Educational Technology. Summarises research findings on the impacts of selected edtech to help support teachers to make evidence-based decisions about including edtech in their own practice. This Spotlight primarily focuses on research from developed countries.

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evaluating the evidence for educational technology - part 1 - the technologies

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evaluating the evidence for educational technology

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Evaluating the evidence for educational technology - Part 1 - the technologies

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Evaluating the evidence for educational technology - Part 1 - the technologies

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Interactive and engaging tool. Students can compare and contrast economies around the world.

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The Atlas of Economic Complexity by @HarvardGrwthLab

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Visualize global trade data and economic growth opportunities for every country

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Free, recent and visually appealing information and printables.

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A non-profit site which allows students to create digital stories, games, and animations.

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Scratch is a free programming language and online community where you can create your own interactive stories, games, and animations.

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Every day Pobble releases a writing prompt with story starters, sentence challenges and word banks. There are several free customisable learning opportunities including themed lessons on topics such as Fair Trade, able to be selected according to age group.
There are customisable lesson plans, theme based, curriculum-based lessons, literacy and writing prompts, lesson activities, exemplars and collaboration options available for a paid premium membership.
You can also edit and share unlimited Pobble content through printing/pdf, creating a lesson link (for 3rd party applications) and through Pobble's pupil tools.

Students can be guided through complete lessons using imagery as prompts then create their own response and share on the site.

There are ample opportunities for professional development on the site with webinars, moderation tools, and training.

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Instead of groans at the beginning of a writing lesson, your class were excited to pick up their pencils and you were the teacher that sparked their imaginations!

Even your most reluctant writers are generating adventurous vocabulary, perfecting punctuation and filling the page with no signs of stopping!

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Access a free inspiring image, story starter and short burst writing activities, every day! Inspire your most reluctant writers and improve writing stamina

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This is a Quizz I completed in another unit for a peer. This site looks like it could be a terrific use for formative assessments.

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Quick quiz general knowledge quiz for Professional Development. Find other quizzes for Other and more on Quizizz for free!

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Thank you Madison Westbury. A popular gem you've found! This provides an interactive plethora of activities for secondary aged students in Business studies. Australian based curriculum.

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Financial education made easy for secondary schools

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Another study confirming the benefits of Brain Breaks!

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Another study confirming the benefits of Brain Breaks!

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5 minute ‘brain breaks’ can increase productivity by over 50 per cent

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In the University of Sydney experiment, 72 students undertook a self-taught lesson and two gruelling mental maths tests. Those who took 5-minute breaks between tasks achieved 57 per cent higher marks.

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An engaging way to involve disengaged students in Business classes to present their findings in creative ways such as comics or magazine articles. Thank you Kat.

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Blog post about Blogging! Business specific examples and outcomes.

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Benefits Of Blogging: 23 Compelling Reasons To Start Today!

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Blogging has endless advantages but are you sure you’re using these 21 blogging benefits to your advantage? Check out to see what you’re missing out on in life.

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Networking - opportunities for sharing practice and creating professional learning communities

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ACECQA’s National Education Leader, Rhonda Livingstone provides insight into National Quality Framework topics of interest. One of the things that inspires me in the national workshops I’ve been facilitating is…

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We empower teachers with skills to transform how they think and feel as educators.Through Positive Psychology and Coaching Psychology, we enhance wellbeing literacy and contribute to the collective efficacy of ... Read more

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Debates, flash cards, drama activities can all be used as skill building for presentations or quick oral warm ups before presentations.

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Every day, you'll find an interesting picture, writing prompts and questions to spark a lesson. Present on your smartboard screen, create a link to share or print them out!

Fellow teachers tell us that Pobble 365 is a powerful teaching resource for many reasons. Its popularity in schools around the globe makes us very proud. Here are some of the brilliantly creative ways it is used:

1. Morning writing warm-ups - Each Pobble 365 activity has different writing challenges to choose from: ideal for a quick ten-minute warm-up.

2. Class debates - The philosophical questions that accompany each Pobble 365 image make great discussion points for your class: ideal for speaking and listening activities and developing inference skills. As an extension, try getting children to come up with their own questions about the picture.

3. Guided reading carousel - Use one of the activities as part of your guided reading carousel.

4. Pobble 365 flashcards - Printing the images out on flashcards and giving them out to the pupils is a super quick oral starter task. What can they say about the pictures? What can they see? We have seen many teachers using the images to generate vocabulary.

5. Combining pictures - Use a sequence of Pobble 365 pictures to write a story. This will really get the creative juices flowing. You could choose different images for characters, settings, openers and endings. Can your class combine them to create their own story?

6. Drama sessions - A drama session not only gets your class up and moving, but is also a great way of practising speaking and performing. Can your class pretend to be the characters in the image? Maybe they could be a new character entering one of the settings?

7. Senses into super sentences - With your Pobble 365 image on the board, set up five stations around the room, one for each of the senses. Ask your class in small groups to spend one minute at each station and write down what they think they would hear, smell, taste, touch or see if transported into the image. Bring all the ideas to the middle. Use the ideas to create an awesome sentence. As an extension, give them success criteria - e.g. "must include a subordinating conjunction", or "must contain a simile."

8. A ready-made lesson - Pobble 365 is a brilliant option for something that's high quality when someone has to step in unexpectedly (supply cover, support staff). It's all ready and prepared for them so there's no panic and last-minute planning!

9. A whole week's worth - Many teachers use one picture for the whole week. Try sending home the chosen picture and questions on a Friday. Discuss the answers early the following week. You can also complete the sentence challenge, do the sick sentence activities and use the photo to generate vocabulary. At the end of the week, use the story starter for a bigger piece of writing. Don't forget to throw in a writing example from .

Don't forget, on you can easily search Pobble activities, save them to use later, share them and present them in class or print! Even better, you can edit Pobble presentations too!

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Fellow teachers tell us that Pobble 365 is a powerful teaching resource for many reasons. Here are 9 brilliantly creative ways you could use it...

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F-10 Curriculum | V9 Australian Curriculum