Using Blogs in High School English Classrooms

I found an excellent comprehensive blogging resource for teachers by Bill Ferriter of the Center for Teaching Quality available here. Among the resources is an annotated list of classroom blogs. Mr. Ferriter believes that viewing examples of actual use will relieve the fear that blogging is to difficult to incorporate. I won't still his thunder. Do follow the link.

Specifically for high school English, Mr. Ferriter led me to Nicholas Provenzano's blog, here. Mr. Provenzano uses blogging as a creative writing tool. Finding that students had enough critical writing, the blog serves as a place to respond creatively to visual prompts. The topic is separate from the content he teaches in class. The most interesting aspect of process though, is that he also completes every blog he assigns as a model and to show students it is not simply "busy work." Students are allowed to respond with words, pictures, videos or songs. What a wonderful way to build student confidence! 

My Professional Learning Network Project

The purpose of my blog is to help me develop a network for learning and staying up to date on educational, technological, and research trends relating to the teaching of secondary English as a resource to use throughout my teaching career.  My blog will allow me to practice finding and using the tools that will grow my network and make the process more streamlined.  This blog will also allow me to collaborate with teachers and other students.  What a great organization tool!

From this blog, I hope to learn several things.  First, I hope to increase my knowledge of Web 2.0 tools.  I am excited to collect these resources in one location.  I am also excited to see what other students are doing with their PLN blogs.  I cannot wait to get started!