Student Blogs
The following includes a brief explanation of Student Blogs, as well as examples of how Student Blogs is being applied in current practice in the VTaL Google+ Community. Included are different aspects of the Practicing Teaching Criteria that links to the use of Student Blogs. There are also references of how Student Blogs connects to the 7 Principles of Learning from the Nature of Learning, published by the OECD Project Innovative Learning Environment.
Student Blogs
The purpose of the Student Blogs is that students can share ideas and reflect on various areas of their learning, with authentic audiences who share an interest in the same topics of enquiry.
The benefit of student reflections through blogging, enables student learning to grow and develop by connecting and sharing with global communities.
The VTaL Visible Teaching and Learning Google+ Community is a public community that is completely visible and accessible to all users.
The section on Student Blogs includes posts that cover a range of topics, such as:
- Structuring Blogging into Workspace Tasks - JumpStart - Hinerau Anderson, DigiTech
- VTaL - Students Blogging, but what to blog? - Hinerau Anderson, DigiTech
- VTaL - Student Blogs and Calendars within NEW Google Sites - Hinerau Anderson, DigiTech
- Blogging in Food Technology - Carol Heka, Food Technology
- Welcome - Summer Learning Journey - Rachel Williamson, Auckland University
- Structuring Quad Blogging - Hinerau Anderson, DigiTech
- Connected Learners Share - Lenva Shearing, Manaiakalani
Practising Teacher Criteria
The following are various aspects of Practising Teaching Criteria that relates to the use of Student Blogs.
Establish and maintain effective professional relationships focused on the learning and well-being of ākonga
- engage in ethical, respectful, positive and collaborative professional relationships with:
- Ākonga
- teaching colleagues, support staff and other professionals
- whānau and other carers of ākonga
- agencies, groups and individuals in the community
Reflective Questions
The following are reflective questions that relates to the use of Student Blogs.
"Students can share ideas and reflect on various areas of their learning, with authentic audiences who share an interest in the same topics of enquiry"
- Do you use Student Blogs to enable students to share ideas and reflect?
- If not, do you use other learning tools to enable students to share ideas and reflect?
- Why or how do the Student Blogs or other learning tools meet the learning needs of Ākonga?
- Do these tools align with Visible Teaching and Learning eg. accessible to Ākonga, teaching colleagues, support staff and other professionals, whānau and other carers of ākonga, agencies, groups and individuals in the community?
- What professional development are you undertaking to further develop your understanding and implementation of Student Blogs in teaching and learning programs?
7 Principles of Learning
The following are different aspects of the 7 Principles of Learning that relates to the use of Student Blogs.
The learning environment recognises the learners as its core participants, encourages their active engagement and develops in them an understanding of their own activity as learners.
OECD The Nature of Learning, 2016Building horizontal connections
The learning environment strongly promotes “horizontal connectedness” across areas of knowledge and subjects as well as to the community and the wider world.
OECD The Nature of Learning, 2016