Using blogging to develop reflective learners

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Using blogging to develop reflective learners

• Alex Jones and Gary Simmons
• Sheffield West CLC Myers Grove School

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Content

• Contexts
• Project Progress
• Insights

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"A true knowledge of ourselves is knowledge of
our power. Mark Rutherford
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• Only the shallow know themselves. Oscar Wilde

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Contexts National

• Curriculum change
• Learning to learn
• Personalisation choice knowledge

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Contexts Local

• Myers Grove School
• Cross-curricular skills
• Learning journals (paper)
• City Learning Centre
• blogging

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Project Progress

• Technology choice
• Staff training
• Student training
• Staff response
• Student response

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Some posts
We did an assesment it was boring like all the
assesments.I dont like tests.
We used risk management by asking questions
,teamwork beacuse we worked as a group,initiave
we didnt give up,effective comunication we
talked a lot of talking
Today I heard lots of different genres of stories
about different people.I have enjoyed talking to
others about my memories.I am developing on
odering things and putting them in chronological
and non-chronological. My enterprise skills today
are     Communication by sharing memories with
others,Organising words and where to put them,
Being creative making chapter headings and
finally,Teamwork when we had to work together to
share good ideas.
I understood the lesson but  rounding to 2sf was
quite hard.
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How important is right and wrong for students at
school? How does doing right help learning? was
the question asked on the blog of the week VLE
and is a very important one which opens the doors
and show how learning should be
done learning is a complicated thing and has
many walls and i agree that knowing right from
wrong is the corner stone of education. It is
important for kids to know the difference of
right from wrong because it can teach them what
to believe and what not to believe. they can tell
good drugs (medicine) from bad drugs (cocaine).
they will not be bullies they will be hard
workers they will have a bright road ahead of
them instead of a bleak job an small house. They
will have fast and will only ride buses to help
the planet They will help not hurt.share not
steal.run not walk.stand not sit. be proud not
shy.be happy not sad. have a decent future not a
box factory. make tv not watch it And will help
the world not ignore it And that is why i
think knowing right and wrong is important to
education!!!
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this week in English we did a speaking and
listening task. my nerves really took over and i
dint want to do it.the thought of standing in
front of the whole class is really scary. i
talked about playing for my football team
(Sheffield Wednesday Academy). the time came and
and i was the fifth one to go.  i was really
nerves before i started but once i started i was
fine and then the errs and ems started to come
out. it was the sighn of nerves but then i
started talking about how my football team did in
italy and how i did in america. then my two
minutes was up. answered the question really
well. my targets were to keep eye contact and
bring in more props. i think a talked realy
clearly.
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MATHS this wasnt a very good lesson today   I
didnt have the confidence to put my hand up and
answer the Questions I didnt really get it
today I am not Looking forward to doing ALGEBRA I
need to focus more
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Insights

• Conversation about learning
• Adjust teaching
• Evidence understanding
• Involve parents
• Give students a voice
• creating a structure where learners are
  empowered to influence change can prompt new and
  creative ways of thinking. Interviewees noted
  that students are also empowered to talk about
  the process of learning and to raise their issues
  directly with staff. Becta Research 2009

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Insights

• Staff need a reason
• Need to create opportunities for blogging
• Students need help understanding what reflective
  writing looks like
• Students need feedback to keep posting
• Edublogs not fit for purpose

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Questions

• Or perhaps some observations
• email alex_at_nwsclc.net