Assignment 2 Week 2 Task 1: Now, for 50 points, go to your blog and create a blog post in - post a response to the reading and questions listed above.

Week two – Review of five blogs

http://blog.mrmeyer.com/?p=133   “Why I don’t Assign Homework,”\

http://twowritingteachers.wordpress.com/2010/02/04/letters-of-gratitude/

http://www.ahlness.com/2007/02/is-this-ssr-20.html  Sustained Silent Reading turned out to be reading blogs and writing comments

http://debbiestephens221.edublogs.org/2011/12/08/what-did-we-learn/

a digital farm http://reading221.wikispaces.com/Trumpet+of+the+Swan

http://langwitches.org/blog/2011/06/11/action-the-digital-learning-farm/

Sylvia Tolisano shares examples of student-directed learning using Alan November's concept of the "Digital Learning Farm," emphasizing students as contributors.

·  What do you notice about the genre of blog writing in general? Often the blog was written by an adult for other adults to read and observe or gain insight into new teaching techniques.  I found that the blogs/webpages/wikis that were made by the kids with adult supervision of course, were the most interesting and advantageous.  I believe that as adults we are often ‘overwhelmed’ with good information.  This is the age of information – I frankly have more ideas than I have time to read them! However, for the kids it’s a creative form of journaling. The can act-out, audio/video themselves and their ‘art’ and place it on the webpage. They can draw and post their drawings, there are really endless ways to asses their knowledge of the book they read or the project they’ve completed by using webpages.

·  How is blog reading different from other types of reading? How is it similar? The reading is harder for me when the text is smaller – I struggle with on-line reading for very long. The reading is sometimes more interesting than reading a text book.

·  How is blog writing different from other types of writing? How is it similar? The writing is similar in most ways I suppose. You must know how to type fairly well, and at least there isn’t a handwriting prerequisite for blogging!

·  How does commenting contribute to the writing and meaning-making?  Commenting can be beneficial to an ongoing work – a project or class assignment.  Commenting could be an opportunity for the kids to use improper language or terms. I think the posting of finished projects by the kids is beneficial in many ways.  It is a good way to assess their knowledge, and improve their technical skills, as long as every student has the opportunity to actually do the online work.  Often one technically skillful student will ‘hoard’ the opportunity to do the posting.

·  How can blogging facilitate learning? Certainly, blogging can facilitate learning,  As we know there are many hands-on learning benefits.  My kiddos have to watch “Vimeo” films to complete their assignments at home. That a great way for the kids to learn new information and finish their homework.