Blog Reflection 3

Blogs can be utilized in the classroom in a variety of ways. Earlier in this course we were challenged to create a Project Based Learning activity that incorporated one of the tools learned in this class. An idea that I had, and would still like to implement, is to use blogs to teach point of view. My students would read the novel The Giver and one each choose a character. The student would be responsible for maintaining a blog from the perspective of that character through the duration of the novel study. Students would be required to comment on other classmate's blogs as if they were their chosen character.

Blog Reflection 2

One of the great things about blogs is the personalization. There are numerous items that can be added to pages to make them unique and more informational. While I was working through my blog I couldn't help but to think of how I could use this in my classroom to encourage student participation and also for students to practice reading and writing informational text. Informational text is the highest percentage domain on the Reading CRCT and it is also the hardest for most students. This will be an excellent way to teach these skills in a technology format that will reach today's students.

Blog Reflection 1

Blogging is quite different than I expected it to be. I can easily see why so many people view it as an excellent forum for expressing their opinions. Blogging can be used in the classroom in a number of ways. This experience has taught me that a blog has a place in the classroom. Teachers can use blogs as a classroom web page. Students can use blogs for a variety of projects. Blogging really encourages students to practice their writing skills. I was surprised at how time consuming it can be to maintain a blog. It is easy to let a week slip by without even realizing it. I will admit that watching my blog grow from week to week has been very exciting!

Blog Entry 11: Project Based Learning

Project Based Learning is the future of education. Project Based Learning is exactly as the title suggests, learning through projects. Ideally the students are creating projects that teach them the relevance of their education in the real-world setting. Our group worked together to create a Project Based Learning activity that would span across the curriculum. Our projects focuses on improving student's writing skills while also putting the "magic" back into learning. Students are all learning about history from different perspectives. Students are required to create projects from different points in history and write a letter, newspaper article, or a summary of the events from different perspectives. My part of the project focused on the Civil War. For my specific example the student was to write a letter from the point of view of Stonewall Jackson. The letter was written to his wife and described details of the Battle of Chancellorsville and mentioned other important battles. It was evident from the letter that the student had a strong understanding of the historical events that occured during this time, first person point of view, letter writing, and summarizing. The student was then to narrate the letter in Moviemaker with accompanying images. To view Stonewall's Story click the link.


Gifted in the Regular Classroom
This article views PBL as a tool that differentiates instruction and transitions a general education classroom into a gifted classroom. The article challenges novices to PBL to think about why PBL is effective and how to incorporate it into the classroom. Teachers need to ask themselves whether or not higher order questions are being asked, if they are the facilitator, is the assessment appropriate. It is important to remember to "think big, but start small." PBL will develop over time as your skills and the student's skills develop.

Blog Entry 10: Emerging Technology that Supports eLearning

Online learning is increasing in popularity every day. More commonly called eLearning students of all ages are participating in a number of different ways. As discussed in the Egbert text there are three main scenarios for eLearning. (210) The first scenarios is Videoconferencing. Students complete most work online and typically videoconference twice a week with the teacher. The second scenario is an Online course. This type of situation usually involves the students never or very rarely meeting their instructor. Online learning environments, like the very popular WebCT are used as a moodle for the class. Students are able to participate in discussions, chats, and e-mails, upload assignments, and maintain a calendar of readings and assignments. The third scenario is Blended learning. In a blended class students are usually released from their classes early to work on Project Based Learning Activities. They then utilize an online format to maintain contact with their teacher and classmates. Online learning is only effective because of the wide variety of eLearning tools. Web spaces such as WebCT and eClassroom provide a learning environment. There are also many tools available to students such as videoconferencing sites (Skype, iChat, Yahoo Messenger, etc.) and Digital libraries. (221)

As with anything involving technology there will always be advantages and disadvantages. The thing that interest me the most about eLearning is the amount of responsibility that is placed on the student. With so much emphasis being put on the teacher to become a facilitator I think eLearning is a great way to ensure that that is happening. In my personal experience I have found that I learn a great deal more from my online courses because I am in charge of my own learning. It is up to me to utilize my resources. My professor is truly the facilitator. While it may be more frustrating initially I think that long term effects are well worth it. I am excited about e-learning in the future. The possibilities are endless and I can't wait to see where it goes!



Egbert, J. (2009). Supporting learning with technology: Essentials of classroom practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson-Prentice Hall

Blog Entry 9: Challenges with Project Based Learning

The major hindrance that I can visualize occurring with my PBL lesson is the student’s ability to understand that there is more than one correct answer. As pointed out in Egbert Chapter 6 “students have been trained to think that problem solving is getting the one right answer (163).” When writing their own persuasive editorial many students may feel that they can’t out-argue a professional writer. Students may feel that they didn’t leave any room for debate in their editorials and since it has been printed online or in a newspaper that their point of view must be the only correct point of view. This is especially true with middle school students who are still very easily influenced.

As with any project there is always the pressure of standardized testing. With a tightly packed curriculum that requires every standard to be taught in the most efficient method possible objectives from administrators, other teachers, or the community might easily arise when a student is assigned a project that will more than likely double the time scheduled to spend on that standard. (Egbert, 187) A third challenge that will also occur in most PBL tasks is the teacher’s ability to scaffold the project. (Egbert, 187) Since this project will require all students to create the same final project it will be very important that proper modifications are in place throughout the project to help differentiate instruction for learners. It is difficult to know how much scaffolding should take place without interfering with the student’s ability to learn how to implement persuasive writing in the real world.


Egbert, J. (2009). Supporting learning with technology: Essentials of classroom practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson-Prentice Hall

Blog Entry 8: Emerging Technology that supports Creativity and Production

Supporting student production involves an understanding of the preproduction stage, the production stage, and the postproduction stage. (186) I was most intrigued by the preproduction stage. The idea presented by Egbert is that students should help their teacher design the project. Students should take an active role in laying out steps, conducting research, finding sources, brainstorming, and creating rubrics. I agree with all of these, but leaving the students to contribute to all of these would lead to an elongated project. Students need to know their objectives and should take an active role in their learning. However, I have found that my most effective projects stem from a great deal of pre-planning on my part. I worry that if I did not already have a step by step guide and a rubric in place how I would manage my classroom and help the students with the project. The more detailed my expectations are at the beginning of the project the more that I am able to spend my time managing classroom disruptions and helping students with questions. It is similar to this class. The assignments in this class are written out with very clear directions. We do not take part in the creating of the rubric or objectives but I still feel that we benefit from the creative nature of the projects.

Egbert, Joy. (2009). Supporting learning with technology: Essentials of Classroom Practice. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall.