First of all, in experimenting with my own blog, I think I figured out how Mr. Woodward included all of the student blogs on his website--a blogroll! This is a really neat way to organize his blogs. The issue for me will be keeping my student blogs private as well as figuring out how to get around the block on blogs in Howard County.
This week, I have been thinking about Social Studies and the international connections each curriculum has, even if you are teaching something like U.S. History. It seems to me that it would make students connect with the curriculum more if they could discuss current and historical issues with students from other countries to understand different perspectives on events then just a narrow American one. Blogging seems to be a great way to do this, as students could have Skype or chat conversations with students from international schools, and then blog periodically their reflections on the topics they discuss. The issue would come with finding teachers and students willing to collaborate. I found the following sites which seem to be great tools for creating connections:
http://www.21stcenturyschools.com/global_collaborative_projects.htm
http://www.globalschoolnet.org/
http://www.connectallschools.org/node/132295
This is a great idea for Social Studies, as the chance to see other perspectives can be really valuable. Through blog or chat connections students could explore all kinds of questions. What are German or Japanese students taught about WWII? Or Russian students and the Cold War? It could be useful for comparative government, or studying the traditions of other cultures... The possibilities are endless. Thanks for sharing this idea and the links.
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