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Now, by merely typing in the text you can do it too!
It's so easy even 7 year old children can do it. If you are able to move a mouse, click a few buttons and string a few sentences together you can maintain a cutting edge site.
We'll give you all the training you'll need, support you on the phone or with email, all to make sure you get the best out of your investment.
Our killer features are:
Superb content management and blog software. Excellent Google optimisation.
An email to weblog interface, making updating your school blog a doddle.
Top draw support and feedback.
Try a demo or build your
30 day free trial
school website yourself. What will you write today's school news to be?Archive page for Tuesday, 19 September 2006
Tu, Sep 19, 2006Commenting on other blogs
Up in Aberdeen, Andy writes up some conclusions of his primary 7 (11-12 years) 'improving writing' blog project...
But I worry about the sustainability of all those comments, let alone getting them in the first place. What would be nice and I think much more sustainable, is getting other schools to post comments, rather than grown ups. Perhaps this could be turned around, such that the project isn't making and posting on a blog, but merely posting on other people's or class blogs.
This makes it much for teachers—they don't have to set up a blog. It makes it interesting for kids—they can reply or comment on any topic (probably), and join in a discussion (perhaps). And there's a lot of excitement in posting comments on other people's sites.
[Update:] Andy adds that "too many comments may be ineffectual as they lose their force, like a teacher who is always telling the kids how brilliant they are." And I agree that commenting on other's writing isn't as exciting as receiving comments on one's own writing. He points to a Scottish Comments For Kidz swap site, which is an excellent idea. It's the balance that's the best, posting and commenting, on one's own class blog and on others,' probably distant, blogs. The connections and relationships that could be made are phenomenal—as us grown ups know.
So what was learned from this project?
- Blogging software is easy to set up and use.
- Children really enjoy receiving comments on their work from strangers.
- Time for blogging can easily be incorporated into the primary classroom.
- Posts and comments can be easily moderated.
- Blogging has the potential to motivate and encourage children’s writing.
But I worry about the sustainability of all those comments, let alone getting them in the first place. What would be nice and I think much more sustainable, is getting other schools to post comments, rather than grown ups. Perhaps this could be turned around, such that the project isn't making and posting on a blog, but merely posting on other people's or class blogs.
This makes it much for teachers—they don't have to set up a blog. It makes it interesting for kids—they can reply or comment on any topic (probably), and join in a discussion (perhaps). And there's a lot of excitement in posting comments on other people's sites.
[Update:] Andy adds that "too many comments may be ineffectual as they lose their force, like a teacher who is always telling the kids how brilliant they are." And I agree that commenting on other's writing isn't as exciting as receiving comments on one's own writing. He points to a Scottish Comments For Kidz swap site, which is an excellent idea. It's the balance that's the best, posting and commenting, on one's own class blog and on others,' probably distant, blogs. The connections and relationships that could be made are phenomenal—as us grown ups know.
Txt spelling
Youngsters 'reliant on mobiles': "More than nine out of 10 12-year-olds in the UK now have a mobile phone, a survey has suggested.
On average, they send or receive up to 10 text messages a day - three times more than their parents."
I gave my 8 year old daughter a mobile this weekend for her birthday. It's brilliant! She's learning more words, interested in all the functions, and as she's with me half the time and her mum the rest we can both still keep in touch with her. I get to hear what happened at school, her mum what happens at weekends.
Extended schools good or bad?
BBC: Extended schools 'boost results': "Schools which open their doors outside of school hours can expect improved results, research suggests."
Times: Alarm over pupils facing a 50-hour school week: "In many ways it is an abuse of children to stick them for that many hours of the day in school. Children need to get out and see the world."
Times: Alarm over pupils facing a 50-hour school week: "In many ways it is an abuse of children to stick them for that many hours of the day in school. Children need to get out and see the world."
Tricky. My take is a bit of both ;-) Not 50 hours, but maybe two or three evenings?
