In my 10th and 11th grade English classes (I had the same teacher both years...but that's an entirely different story) I (I meaning the entire class) was asked to keep a journal. Every morning my teacher would have a prompt written on the board, typically dealing with what we had been reading or learning in class. My favorite days were always Fridays - Fridays were ALWAYS "Free Write Friday!" Anyway, journal time was usually my favorite part of the class because I was allowed to write as much as I wanted, and I knew that my thoughts would almost always be heard. I was one of those nerds who LOVED to get her journal back and see the teacher's comments.
That journal experience was much like this one. Evey week I see a topic on the discussion board and write my thoughts. I am allowed to somewhat informally express my thoughts, and I love it. I think I like blogging better because I type a lot faster than I write, and it hurts my hands less. I also know that it is available to more people than my classroom journal. While I'm not sure how many people outside of the classroom would really wish to read this blog, I know that the option is out there.
Another thing I like about this blog is that it gives me another option. Ever since that 10th grade I've told myself that my future students would have a daily journal to write in just as I had done. However, maybe the students could start a classroom blog as well. It opens up some interesting options in the classroom. It might not be that each individual child would have a blog, but maybe I could designate one blogger of the day to write on a classroom blog instead of in his/her journal. I think that would be really interesting for the students, parents, and other teachers to read. Hey, I kind of like that idea.
So it's been a good experience. I do have to say that I've never been a big fan of writing to a prompt (who doesn't like free write Friday), but I'm pretty sure that is just part of school in general. So far this has been a positive experience and I look forward to continuing to share my ever so fantastic (at least I like to think so) thoughts.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I'm glad you've enjoyed it and are considering it for your future classroom. I think the class blog is a super idea. You should google that phrase because I know of many teachers who already incorporate this type of journaling, so you could see some examples and get ideas. Also, I'll keep in mind that you guys need "free Friday" postings :) and not always a response to my prompts!
ReplyDelete