A while back I wrote about blogging in our new media room and about trying to decide how to set up a set of individual blogs for my class. Since then we have had a couple of weeks of 4 classes, 2 children for each trying to post daily and I’ve set up blog for my class.

The main blog effort on Sandaig Otters has a pair of children from each of our two primary sixes and two primary seven classes being appointed bloggers for a day, they come to the media room from 9-9:30 am the next day to blog. The idea being to give all children in these classes regular (every 2 or 3 weeks) opportunity to blog, report and reflect on their learning. I am in the media room to supervise.
So far we have manage a fair posting rate, but a few issues and points of interest are coming up.

• The children are encouraged to take photos to illustrate their posts, often this means that they turn up in the morning to look at the photos and figure out what to write about, this takes time and in some cases has meant that children have been turning up to finish writing for a couple of extra mornings. This obviously has a knock on effect on the rest of their classwork and on their teacher.
• Also taking time is the fact that with only 2 pcs in the class in previous years quite a few children are very slow keyboarders.
• As the children are not all in my class the blogging/photo editing instruction is on the hoof, I guess it will take longer than I anticipated to have them blogging without thinking of the mechanics.
• We also need to find time to talk to the children about refining their post, more ‘what we learnt’ as opposed to what is exciting.
• Talking to my colleagues some note that the children are reluctant to post about everyday things: maths and language. Again we need to explain that it is valuable to give details of learning rather than just go for something photogenic.
• I will only be able to look at so many photos of children bent over books and jotters, we need to develop ways of picturing learning (I’ve not got many ideas about that one, ideas welcome, post a comment).

I’ve now given each class a reporters pad to write notes as well as take photos and hope that may encourage some though before arrival in front of a screen. I’ll add pointers and starters to the inside covers of these when I collect some (ideas welcome, post a comment). I’ll also try and knockout some posters about blogging for the classrooms at the weekend.

I was going to write about the new blogs I’ve set up for my class, but that will keep. Primary Six SJ – Blogs.