Blogging Requirements

Laurel students have a unique requirement for documenting their classes: writing a daily blog.

In addition to serving as an account of the student’s daily classwork, blogs also may be used to share concerns, observations, questions, or whatever the student wishes to include. The student is required to blog only about Laurel classes and not those they attend at VHS (although many students do include a summary of those classes as well). Only Laurel teachers, facilitators, the student’s parents and the student have access to their personal blog.

There are minimum blogging standards each student must meet in order to pass their classes that year and to graduate from Laurel High School.

1. Students are expected to blog on at least 80% of the school days per unit (there are eight units in the school year; the average for each is 19-21 days). While this may be achieved by blogging four out of the five school days (80%), if the unit has fewer than 20 days, this practice does not reach the minimum requirement. For best results, the student should blog every school day; then if a day or two are missed during the unit, it shouldn’t cause the percentage to fall below the required number.

2. Students are expected to blog every day school is in session, which means if the student is absent (sick, on vacation, etc.) he or she is still expected to blog that day, even if it’s a sentence explaining “I am sick today” or “I am on a trip today.” On delayed start/early release days (due to weather or other circumstances), the student is expected to blog. On days school is canceled (due to weather, teacher in-service, unforeseen circumstances), the student may choose to not blog that day (though see # 3 for more details). Blogging also is required on Flexible Learning Days (when students are not attending in person but have assignments to do at home). Failure to blog on a required school-attendance day counts against the student’s blogging percentage.

3. If a student misses a day, he or she may not go back and write a blog for that missed day. For example, if a student forgets to blog or has a sporting event on a Tuesday night, he or she cannot write a blog for that school day on Wednesday (or later). Instead, he or she can write a blog on a weekend day if homework was done that day or blog on days that school is not in session (holidays, other days school is canceled due to weather or in-service, etc.)

4. What should the blog include? The minimum is a few sentences about each of that days’ classes, although students often enjoy writing paragraphs describing their day. For example, a minimal blog might say “I attended my first block math class and learned about polynomials. We are studying for a test on Wednesday. In English, we discussed “The Red Pony” and practiced writing a thesis paragraph. I’m writing mine about Gabilan’s death and how it affects each member of the Tiflin family. In US History, we learned about the Gettysburg Address. I’ve heard parts of this speech before, but it’s been fun to learn more about the entire document.” Students may always write more, but less is not sufficient.

5. When is the best time to blog? Every student’s school day is different, but the best time is to blog before leaving school for the day. There is a 35-minute Resource period at the end of each school day that is an ideal time for students to blog about that day’s classes, while they are still fresh in their minds. Completing it during the school day means it won’t be forgotten later that evening. However, many students have extracurricular meetings that happen during Resource, and Laurel often has a trivia contest on Fridays during Resource; on those days, students who typically write a blog during Resource should remember to do it at another time during the day. In all cases, for the blog to count, it must be written before midnight of the same day.

6. Some students may prefer to keep a daily school journal or diary instead of writing an online blog and this is acceptable, with permission from the head teacher. All blogging rules apply to a “hard copy” account, including the minimum 80% percent rule. A “hard copy” blog must be submitted by 8 a.m. the next day.