Current Events components can be a time chewer, can’t they? We know we need to incorporate them into grade 9 social studies, but sometimes there doesn’t seem to be enough time to allow for it. There is so much to cover in this Provincial Achievement Test year and I know I am guilty of letting current events slide.
Why not let your class blog about current events? Setting up this type of forum for your students to comment on different news stories is ideal and there are many benefits.
Blogging allows students to comment as soon as they have reviewed an event. They don’t have to wait for class to share their thoughts; they can do it immediately. You may find you’ll get a lot more discussion out of your students this way too because they are responding when they are actually interested, not because it is 9 in block 1, day 4 (or whatever your daily schedule looks like).
Not all students are aware of the same news items, either. Blogging provides an opportunity for students to share links to their stories, thereby enabling all participants to check out the news story. Class discussions regarding current events often require students to briefly describe every story they comment on so the rest of the class knows what's going on. Blogging simplifies this sharing.
Hopefully you’ll see responses from average Joe Public
Give it a try and let us know how it goes. Or, let us know what hurdles you see in this approach.
The more we share, the more we know.
Deanna
I agree that blogging about current events is a perfect way to use this technology tool.
ReplyDeleteIt provides a perfect platform for sharing different opinions and points of view on similar events and doe disseminating information of events that others may have missed.
As a teacher what I like most about your suggestion is the opportunity to see how different student present, argue and respond in different ways and at different levels of cognitive thought.
I watch a video on wwwp21.org by the National Teacher of the Year and she mentioned how constraining the task actually increase the amount of background research her High School students are likely to take on. I feel that that would absolutely be the case here too.
Constraints might be something along the lines of "Report on three events. Each event must be from a different country (or continent). When selecting each event, look for a connection. State the commonalities between each event."
Bloggus,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment. I think putting limits on our students, as you have suggested, certainly helps them to maintain their focus. With a limitless supply of news items for them to attend to, limiting their scope keeps them on track and on time.
Bringing in specific requirements, like commonalities among stories, can guide them towards a higher level of thinking. Imposing specific requirements can also make this type of assignment perfect for all curricular subjects.
When students can see how their math classes, for example, are relevant to real life, they are more likely to buy into them. Asking for students to look for news items relating to whatever math concept they are currently investigating helps drive home the point that what they are learning really does matter.
Deanna, posting to a blog about current events is an excellent idea. As a high school English teacher, I am always looking for ways to engage students about the stories we're reading and I think blogging is a great way to do it.
ReplyDeleteOne idea I had for you was with respects to the constraints you mentioned. What if the students had to first find a print source to use as a springboard for discussion and the next time they had to find a video clip from a news broadcast, local or national, and then embed the link to the clip in their comment? This would expose them to more tech to explore.
Just a thought for you.
Rachel T.
Hi Rachel, T.
ReplyDeletePrint sources can make great springboards, but they are not always readily available. With the advent of online versions of major newspapers, fewer readers purchase in-the-hand copies. The Internet is growing in popularity as a news source and ranks second as a preferred source, with TV ranking higher: http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2010/Online-News/Summary-of-Findings.aspx
I like the idea of finding a video clip and embedding them in blogging comments. One of the best things about blogs is being able to embed links for additional resources. This adds to the reader's experience and should be something our students learn to do early on.
I really like the idea of using a blog as a current events discussion board. I can see how it would enhance the process by allowing students to view other students' current events articles/websites rather than just hearing a summary of them. You mentioned that you hoped to get other people to comment on your blogs. You might want to prepare your students for how to interact in these scenarios. I don't know about Freshmen at your school, but where I teach they are not always blessed with the greatest social skills. Learning to interact with people outside of their learning community could be a great opportunity to teach some like skills and common courtesy. Whatever approach you take, I do think it is something you should address with your students.
ReplyDelete-Bryan Horn
Hi Deanna - great post, thanks for getting me thinking!
ReplyDeleteThanks again
Maxine Nelson (aka the dippy hippy)
Deanna, your post made me realize there are so many blogging possibilities, even for a foreign language class. I really like your idea and see an easy way to implement this by having students blog about current events in Spanish speaking countries. Even though my eighth graders have limited knowledge of Spanish, blogging about current events in Hispanic countries in English will expose them to culture and other ways of living. Hopeful, it will not only teach them about other countries’ problems and challenges, but it will open their eyes to a global world.
ReplyDeleteI can see students finding blogging engaging and my initial thought is... "how much blogging is too much blogging?" I am going to limit the amount of posts they can write or share and, much like in our class, they will have to comment on at least two of their classmates’ posts per week.
Do you incorporate blogging into your grade? Is blogging an extra credit or enrichment assignment?
Bryan,
ReplyDeleteI agree it is important for students to learn to respond to blog comments with respect. I also think it is important for students to learn that they should take a stand on issues when appropriate. If a reader disagrees with them, that is ok. If they disagree with a comment, that is ok too; and they should feel confident enough to voice their disagreement.
I have come to realize that students will often err on the side of not offending when it comes to public responses that might impact their grade or evaluation. As such, it is imperative that students learn how to express differences of opinion without being slanderous or judgemental. We must, at the same time, remind ourselves and teach our students that it is these differences of opinion that make blogs interesting to read. Not only do they make for better blogs, but well formed and supported arguments help other readers form their own opinions.
Mariza,
ReplyDeleteYou write, "...I am going to limit the amount of posts they can write or share...".
What is your reasoning for imposing limits on their participation? If students are engaged, are reading blog posts, and responding, why would you limit this activity?
Using the blog as a current event discussion is a great way to engage the students with this type of technology. Those who do not already have a blog would most likely create their own and then begin sharing with the rest of their peers. I agree with setting limits. Otherwise, some students might take advantage of the entire class time and wonder off task. Setting limits keeps them focused and on task.
ReplyDeleteDeanna,
ReplyDeleteUsing a blog to discuss current events would be a wonderful way to create strong conversation between classmates. I also like the idea of the students posting links to the articles they find. This is a wonderful way for students to be aware of things going on in the world around them.
Also, by using this in 9th grade children are able to find and comment on articles that are meaningful in our society. In my third grade class each week a different child researches an appropriate current event and presents it to the class. In younger grade, such as third it is much harder to find appropriate articles. However, in 9th the children are exposed to a lot more and able to discuss deeper topics.
My own concern is what is appropriate to discuss in 9th grade? Are you able to put a restriction or guideline on the events they choose to discuss? Or is it open to any and all topics. Since I do teach a younger grade it is hard for me understand what is appropriate in the older grades..
Lyndsay
Lyndsay,
ReplyDeleteI have found that in teaching students in the older grades, pretty much anything goes. I never knew from one day to the next what their hormone-induced moods would produce in discussion! I never was a believer in censorship of discussions. Whatever topic the students brought up was clearly something they were thinking about.
I know that isn't much of an answer, but grade nines are pretty much creatures like no other. They are tons of fun, completely irrational (at times) and on the cusp of adulthood.