Personal Learning Network (PLN)

Classroom blogs can be very helpful for teachers, parents, and students! I have developed a Personal Learning Network to get ideas on different ways that teachers use blogs in their classroom.
Mr. William Chamberlain uses his class blog to model technology use to teachers and students. His students can post on the blog with video, text, and pictures. He has links to useful websites that students can use to help them with their classwork. He even has a link to where his students can call him for help via Google and Skype. I think that is really great that he has the link because a lot of times when I have a question for a teacher, I don't know how to type it in words that the teacher will understand. Skype can really help students because they can talk for free through computer using the Skype phone; allowing the students to contact Mr. Chamberlain in an easier way than email.

Mr. Jarrod Lamshed uses his class blog to communicate with his students. He posts announcements for both his students and the community to see. He posted a video of a performance that the class had at Festival Theatre. He even has a schedule of events coming up in the classroom. Mr. Lamshed encourages the use of blogs saying they are great because you can give and receive feedback from other students, parents, and the community! I agree with him.

Mrs. Candace Follis uses her class blog to inform students what they will be doing throughout the school year. She has tabs for each of her subjects so that her students can find their way around the blog easily. The studens can look at the blog to find out what they are getting into before even signing up for the class. Not only can Mrs. Follis' students use her blog, but also new teachers. She posts her lesson plans so that other teachers can get ideas on how to cover a certain story covered in the literature class. I think it is great of her to share her ideas and I know that if I were teaching High School Literature I would definitely visit her blog on a regular basis.

Mr. Michael Fawcett has a really organized class blog that is wonderful for his students. He posts his class newsletter in a tab at the top of his blog for easy student access. Not only does Mr. Fawcett have the newsletter for his students to access at the click of a button, but he also has addition and subtraction practice tests. He has the spelling words posted onto his blog and links for students to access helpful websites. I also really like his blog because he adds pictures from classroom assignments.

Mrs. Kelly Hines has a class blog, but I like her blog for teachers better. She gives new teachers really good tips on classroom procedures and even the unwritten rules for new teachers. I really appreciate her tips because they will be very helpful as I work on my Classroom Management portfolio. She gives teachers some really great ideas on how to incorporate technology in the classroom. I also like Mrs. Hines class blog for her students. I like how she tells about what her class has done outside of the classroom and posts pictures. She also posts questions for the students to think about and answer in a comment.

All the blogs that I have looked at are wonderful classroom blogs. It is hard for me to choose a favorite! The information on the blogs is helpful for anyone who looks at the blogs. The students look at the blogs for homework, classroom information, and anything else the teacher decides to post onto the blog. The parents look at the blogs to stay connected with their child and being involved in their education. Other teachers look at the blogs as a PLN to learn ways that they can change their classroom blogs to make it easy for the students to navigate, answer questions, and even communicate with the teacher.