Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Kidblog? Tried It!


I love to integrate technology into my curriculum and instruction. I participate in online projects regularly. Last year I had my own classroom blog through Blogger. I didn't like that the kids had to be "guest bloggers". I tried other blogging programs, but didn't like them. This year I tried Kidblog.org. I wrote about it here.

What I like about Kidblog is that I can monitor what is written. Only registered students can leave comments. The teacher has to approve all posts and comments. Kidblog has given students an authentic reason to write. Often we write posts and copy them to word to post on our display boards in the classroom.

The students like different aspects of Kidblog. They liked choosing their backgrounds and creating avatars/icons on their own. They have so many technology skills that they love to showcase, and this allowed them to show off.

It has truly been a good experience for students. They hate to see the year end, and want me to leave their blogs in place so they can keep using them in middle school. 

A drawback, if there is one, is that the space for each classroom appears to be limited. We use a lot of space because of the photographs on our posts. The kids know I blog and take pictures for my Learning in Bliss blog, so they insist on using pictures in their posts. They are waiting for me to upload our service learning pictures. 

Would I use Kidblog again? Probably. I may give Edmodo a try with kids before we end this year. I like some of the features, but haven't tried it with students yet.

Do you use Kidblog or Edmodo? Is there a better choice that I don't know about? Love to hear from you!

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