Think Outside the Books

This proposal will outline the use of blogging in the GRADS Program.

1. Teacher Qualifications - I have received training on Google Products during the summer of 2010 and 2011. I created several blogs and manage 2 websites. I am familiar with the procedure of designing blogs, using Picasa photo storage, Google Docs, YouTube, Google Maps, Gmail, and Google Calendar. 
2. GRADS Blog content - The GRADS students will be required to create a blog in the fall during first semester or as soon as a new student enrolls in the program once a gmail address has been issued. To create a paperless classroom many of the current assignments would take place on the blog.

1. Pregnancy Calendar - Blog about appointment results. Keep track of appointment using Google Calendar
2. Journaling - Prompts will be assigned and student responses will be posted.
3. Website Summary - students will search for reliable information and create links to their own site and comment on the subject.
4. Child Development Milestones
5. Photos - learn how to store on Picasa and load onto blog. Students will be required to obtain several photos, ie., baby sitting up, holding a toy, standing, feeding self, etc.
6. The new Course of Study curriculum will be implemented using Google Docs to distribute worksheets, forms, tests, presentations through the blogs. Assignments can also be directed to students at home on bed rest or maternity leave.

3. Blogging considerations -  These sites introduce educators to using blogs in the classroom.. Covers blogging considerations, assessing student’s blogs, privacy and security issues. My blogging instruction will include many of these ideas and will be covered before a blog is created.  I will be the co-author of each student’s blog and will have control of the blog account settings and material/comments posted, which I can delete immediately. The blogs will be listed as private, only to be viewed by up to 10 approved people, which can include administrators and staff as well as family and friends. The general public will not have access to the blog sites.

http://blogagogy.wordpress.com/   
http://theedublogger.com/tag/blogging-guidelines/
http://theedublogger.com/2010/01/11/week-2-set-up-your-blogging-rules-and-guidelines/
http://teenlearning.csla.net/blogging-guidelines-for-students/

4. The beginning lessons will be as follows:

1. Introduce the blog project, discuss the guidelines, show examples of blogs.
2. Create blog account, select settings, choose template and design.
3. Log into email account, check message from teacher, post a blog, add gadgets in margins, add tabs.
4. Log into account, go to dashboard to locate stats, edit posts, locate links to add to blog.
5. Create Picasa Photo storage account. Upload photos if available. Show procedure for placing photos on blog.
6. Create a Google Calendar (sync if student had phone capabilities) (First lesson this year was Time Management and Google Calendar is a method students should be aware of)
7. Students will also check my GRADS blog and make comments to my posts, surveys, etc.