Rationale for Project

The purpose of this integrated English Unit is for students to use

Blogging to write texts. These written texts will explain, describe and
exchange ideas and information about safe environmental practices.

Outlined in this integrated English unit, renamed Blogging Unit are the
achievement objectives taken from the New Zealand Curriculum
Document. The integrated curriculum areas are the:

English Curriculum

Information Communications Technology Curriculum

Environmental Studies Curriculum

In the classroom Writing Programme students will use the website
kidblog.org and computers as the tools for exchanging their written ideas
and information. The intention of blogging with an American class of
students of similar age is motivation for this written exchange. Students
will also learn through discussion about netiquette and safe internet
practices.

The theme for the written texts is around caring for the school
environment as students at Hillcrest Normal School are working toward
an environmental award for caring for their school environment.

Blogging will provide an opportunity for the Hillcrest Normal School
students to pose questions and answers to students from another culture
and school environment growing and consolidating their own
understandings of sustainable practices.

Over a two to three week period Hillcrest Normal School students will be
required to;
1. Complete a pre-blogging survey.
2. Blog with Underwood Elementary School for approximately two
weeks and during this time there will be in class discussions of
which a record will be keep pre and post blogging to reflect on
questions such as;


a) How well is the blogging going?
b) Are you using blogging netiquette?
c) What could we do better?
d) What should we do differently?

See teaching sequence: session one for the implementation of this unit of
work into the classroom, as the unit progresses a summary of each class
session will be recorded with direction indicated of where to next. The
unit will end with a post-blogging reflection by the students and a
reflection on this unit of work by the teacher.

To conclude this final assignment an overall reflection will be written on
the class session summaries, students pre and post blogging comments
and a reflection on the success of the learning intentions outlined in the
unit plan.



Final Project Overview

Key Focus:
Bringing technology into the classroom to enhance the teaching and the
engagement and learning of the students.

In an attempt to simplify and align achievement objectives for this project I have
included the projects assignment goals with the renamed for ease of
implementation into the New Zealand classroom.

instructional and/or engagement goals for students;
Learning Intentions / Success Criteria found in the Blogging Unit Plan.
statement of how the lesson(s) relate to goals of your department, or school, and/or the
NC Standard Course of Study
Blogging Unit Plan written using the New Zealand Curriculum Document.
explicit instructions for helping students achieve the assignmenthave an
outline/sequence for the assignment written out, and/or write out what you will say when
you introduce it. This may include any handouts or training you will have to do so that
they can manage the technology;
Blogging Teaching Sequence / Flipchart: Blogging Teaching and Learning
Seauence.
timeline for completion of the lesson(s) or unit. Is this going to take two class periods?
A week? Propose a Fall 2011 date as closely as you can, because one of the
demonstration coaches will want to observe your lesson, either virtually or physically.
Blogging Unit Plan: Term 4, Week 1/2/3 October 25 to November 12
(approximately).
your plan for evaluating your lesson(s). If you create a rubric for student products, please
include that. If you intend for students to respond to a prompt or a survey, include that.
Student prompt and survey: ICT Blogging / Assessment Rubric for Blogging
your personal assessment/reflection of how well you succeeded in reaching your goals.
Rationale for final assignment / Personal Assessment and Reflection.



Curriculum Level 3 - English
Unit Title: Blogging
Dates: Term 4 2011 Weeks 2,3,4
Curriculum Links:
ICT Environmental Studies
Values:
Excellence
Innovation, enquiry and curiosity
Diversity
Respect
Equity
Community and participation
Ecological Sustainability
Integrity
Key Competencies:
Managing Self
Relating to others
Participating and Contributing
Thinking
Using Language, Symbols and Texts
Achievement Objectives:
English:
Speaking, Writing, and Presenting:
Students will:
INDICATORS:
Integrate sources of information, processes and strategies with developing confidence to
identify, form and express ideas.
- Use a developing understanding of the connections between oral, written and visual language
when creating texts;
- Create a range of texts by integrating sources of information and processing strategies
with developing confidence;
- Seek feedback and make changes to texts to improve clarity, meaning, and effect;
- Is reflective about the production of own texts: monitors and self-evaluates progress,
articulating learning with growing confidence.
By using these processes and strategies when speaking, writing and presenting, students will:
Purposes and audiences:
Show a developing understanding of how to shape texts for different purposes and audiences.
INDICATORS:
- Constructs texts that show a growing awareness of purpose and audience through careful
choice of content, language and text form;
- Conveys and sustains personal voice where appropriate.
Ideas
Students will select, form and communicate ideas on a sustainable school topic.
INDICATORS:
- Forms and expresses ideas and information with increased clarity, drawing on a range of
sources;
- Adds or changes details and comments to support ideas, showing some selectivity in the
process;
- Ideas suggest awareness of a range of dimensions or viewpoints.




Language features
Use language features appropriately, showing a developing understanding of their effects.
INDICATORS:
- Uses oral, written, and visual language features to create meaning and effect and engage
interest;
- Uses a range of vocabulary to communicate meaning;
- Demonstrates good understanding of all basic spelling patterns and sounds in written
English;
- Uses an increasing range of strategies to self-monitor and self-correct spelling;
- Writes legibly, fluently, and with ease when creating texts;
- Uses a range of text conventions, including most grammatical conventions, appropriately and
with increasing accuracy.
Structure
Organise texts, using a range of appropriate structures.
INDICATORS:
- Organises written ideas into paragraphs with increasing confidence;
- Organises and sequences ideas and information with increasing confidence;
- Uses a variety of sentence structures, beginnings, and lengths.
-
Information Communications Technology:
Computers are a tool for communication: speaking, writing and presenting.
INDICATORS:
- Students will identify factors that create safe internet practices.
- Students will through technology and written communication express their own feelings,
beliefs and actions in creating a sustainable school environment.
Environmental Studies:
Enviroschools have a sense of purpose:
INDICATORS:
- Students are inspired to be creative and become competent to make decisions and take
action in their school community.
- Students learn how they can nurture both the school environment and people around them.
Learning is lived and reinforced in the school classroom.
- Teachers [and students] reshape and refocus everyday activities so that the potential for
environmentally friendly practices are maximised.
- Adults [and children] act responsibly on behalf of the school environment and serve as role
models for others.
Learning Intentions / Success Criteria
English:
Learning Intention: I will use blogging to write texts that explain, describe and exchange ideas and
information about what it is to be an environmentally friendly school.
Success Criteria: I have written texts and blogged explaining, describing and exchanging ideas and
Information about what it is to be an environmentally friendly school.
Information Communications Technology:
Learning Intention: I will communicate using technology as a tool and blogging netiquette.
Success Criteria: I have communicated using technology as a tool and blogging netiquette.


Environmental Studies:
Learning Intention: I will explain and describe how I sustainably care for my school environment.
Success Criteria: I have explained and described how I sustainably care for my school environment
Lesson Outline: Teaching and Learning

Week One




1. In class brainstorm with students: What is blogging?
- Look at class blog set up.
- Discuss keeping ourselves safe on the net.
- Discuss netiquette / appropriate blogging.
- Students to blog and respond to questions posed prior to blogging American students;
I. Do you know what blogging is?
II. Have you ever blogged before?
III. Will you use the blog at home?



2. Blog with Ashley Wards class Underwood GT Magnet Elementary in America.
Pose questions about What it is to be an Eco-School.
I. Hillcrest Normal School is an eco-friendly school we reuse, recycle and reduce waste do you?


3. Students to blog and respond to questions posed post blogging American students.
I. How often did you blog?
II. Would you blog again?
III. What did you learn from blogging with the American students about being an eco-school?
IV. How would you rate our school out of ten (ten being very environmentally friendly) now that
you have blogged with Underwood GT Magnet Elementary School?

Week Two




Week Three

Summative Assessment:

Collate data of individual student
activity pre, during and post blogging.
Student Assessment Rubric (Teacher
Assessment).


Student Assessment Task:

Learning Journal Sample: Student Prompt and
Survey (Student Self Assessment).

Reflection on Unit:





ICT - Blogging
Pre-Blogging:
1. Have you ever blogged before?

2. Have you ever used the internet before to discuss topics of interest with other
people?

3. Do you know about the sustainable environmental practices of any primary schools
outside of New Zealand?
A little A lot


Post-Blogging:

How did you feel about discussing the sustainable environmental practices we do at school
with a school in America?

Relating to Others:
Not very good Great

Participating and Contributing:

Not very good Great

Think about how the students at Hillcrest Normal School sustainably care for their
environment and how the students at Underwood Elementary School sustainably care for
their environment. Write a paragraph about the main differences and the main similarities
between the two schools.






Would you blog again?
A little A lot
Did you find blogging a useful technological learning tool?


A little A lot



Name:
Date:


Teaching Sequence: Blogging
Activboard:
Where in the world is Raleigh, North Carloina?
Sessions One:
Class Discussion / Brainstorm:
1. What is a blog?
A blog is an on line web log. An on line journal.
2. How should we respond to questions asked on the blog?
3. What would you consider good blogging to be?
Blogging netiquette.
4. Complete pre-blogging learning sample with students and discuss expectations of the post-blogging
section of it.

Learning Sample: complete pre session before discussion.
Pre Blogging Survey:
1. Do you know what blogging is? Yes / No
2. Have you ever used the internet before to discuss topics of interest with other people?
Yes / No If yes what?
3. How do you feel about discussing the sustainable environmental practices we do at school with a
school in America?

Post blogging Survey:
1. Do you think blogging is a good internet tool?
2. Would you blog again?
3. Describe to positives things about blogging with Underwood Elementary and one thing that you would
do differently next time.
Key competencies: Discuss with students these KCs and set expectations.
Participating and Contributing: use creative, critical and reflective thinking to make sense and
question information and ideas. Build knowledge and understanding.
Relating to others: listen actively, recognise different points of view, share ideas.
Write on board directions to site / examples of introductions:

1. http://kidblog.org/EcoSchools/
2. Student login:
I. Go to log-in at top right
II. Choose your name
III. Type in your password...................
IV. Introduce yourself, for example;
Hello my name is Samantha I am 10 years old and I am an Enviro-Agent
at Hillcrest Normal School. The job of an Enviro-Agent is to.........
I always (recycle, reduce, reuse)......................... to look after our school
environment.............

Kia ora my name is Jordan and I am 11 years old. At our school we are all
eco-warriors. This means we (recycle, reduce, reuse)................................. to
look after our school environment....................................

Session wind up:
III............
2/3 student rooms
Before group names see tab
View (#) blogs
# 25
Students change 25 to 50.


1. Discuss what worked well / what you might do differently next time.






Assessment Rubric for ICT Project: Blogging
Timeline: Two weeks (Tuesday 26 October Wednesday 9 November)
Learning Outcomes Achieving and Extending Achieving Above Achieving Working Toward
Writing
English Curriculum:
Questions, explains, describes and
exchanges ideas and information on
the topic.
A consistent effort is made to
engage with others ideas and
experiences.

Values the contributions made
by group members.

Correct grammar and spelling.

An effort is most often made
to engage with others ideas
and experiences.

Values the contributions made
by group members.

Correct grammar and spelling.
Some effort is made to engage
with others ideas and
experiences.

Values the contributions made
by group members.

Correct grammar and spelling.
No effort is made to engage with
others ideas and experiences.


Does not value the contributions
made by group members.

Incorrect grammar and spelling.
Participation
Technology: ICT
Students can use, explain and
demonstrate safe internet practice.

Participates in most or all
opportunities to write on the
blog.


Participates in some of the
opportunities to write on the
blog.


Participates in one of the
opportunities to write on the
blog.


Did not participate in any
opportunities to write on the blog.

Topic
Environmental Studies:
Students can identify and explain
differences and similarities
between schools about what it is to
sustainably care for their school
environment.

Identifies and shares about
most or all of the
environmental practices the
school engages in.

Identifies and shares about
some of the environmental
practices the school engages
in.

Identifies and shares about
one of the environmental
practices the school engages
in.

Did not identify and share about the
environmental practices the school
engages in.
Student Name:
Date:





2011
ICT Blogging
Prompt and Survey Data

Curriculum Level 3 standard:
Year 6: 3B working toward
3P achieving
3A achieving above
4B achieving and extending
Year 5: 2A working toward
3B achieving
3P achieving above
3A achieving and extending

Pre-Blogging
Yes or No
Post-Blogging
H
a
v
e

y
o
u

e
v
e
r

b
l
o
g
g
e
d

b
e
f
o
r
e
?

H
a
v
e

y
o
u

e
v
e
r

u
s
e
d

t
h
e

i
n
t
e
r
n
e
t

b
e
f
o
r
e

t
o

d
i
s
c
u
s
s

t
o
p
i
c
s

o
f

i
n
t
e
r
e
s
t

w
i
t
h

o
t
h
e
r

p
e
o
p
l
e
?

D
o

y
o
u

k
n
o
w

a
b
o
u
t

s
u
s
t
a
i
n
a
b
l
e

e
n
v
i
r
o
n
m
e
n
t
a
l

p
r
a
c
t
i
c
e
s

o
f

a
n
y

p
r
i
m
a
r
y

s
c
h
o
o
l
s

o
u
t
s
i
d
e

o
f

N
e
w

Z
e
a
l
a
n
d
?

How did you feel
about the sustainable
environmental
practices we do at
school with a school in
America?





Compare and Contrast
Out of 10

W
o
u
l
d

y
o
u

b
l
o
g

a
g
a
i
n
?

D
i
d

y
o
u

f
i
n
d

b
l
o
g
g
i
n
g

a

u
s
e
f
u
l

t
e
c
h
n
o
l
o
g
i
c
a
l

l
e
a
r
n
i
n
g

t
o
o
l
?

R
e
l
a
t
i
n
g

t
o

O
t
h
e
r
s

P
a
r
t
i
c
i
p
a
t
i
n
g

a
n
d

C
o
n
t
r
i
b
u
t
i
n
g

Davis-Havill Tuscany n y 2 9 9
We have nude food and our school is clean.

Elliott Samantha n y 3 9 9
Both compost bins. We enviro agents they
have green house.
10 8
Haman Emma y y n 8 9
We have vege village / they have green
house. We have enviro agents. Now they
have nude food.
10
8
Hix Olivia n n n 9 7
Nude food in common but they started
because of us, both have compost bins.
We have enviro agents they do not.
9 7
Ilyas Thanha n y 1 9 9
All care for environment and have compost
bins. We have vege village / they have
green house.
9 9
Li Cynthia
overseas

McKee Zoe n y n 10 10
Both have nude food. Both eco schools
both care about environment. We have
worm farm they have greenhouse.
10 10
Mohamed Samira n n n 8 7
Both have worm farms, both for
environment. Vege Village / Greenhouse.
We have green gold.
10 9
Neilsen Ashley n y n 9 9
Both care about environment, they now
have nude food. We have lots of gardens
they have one. They have greenhouse we
have worm farm.
8 8
Stow Sammie y y n 9 9
We have lots of compost bins and they
have one. They have red ribbon and we
dont. They dont have enviro agents we do
9 8
Wesson Alix y y 1 9 9
Both nude food. Care for environment /
compost bins. They do drug free day we
dont. We have enviro agents. They dont.
9 9
Westbrook Rose y y n 10 10
Both worm farms, recycle paper. They
have green house we have vege village.
10 10
Withanange Amandi n n n 7 8
All care for environment. Both compost
bins we have more. We have worm farm.
4 6


Fletcher Brandon n y n 0 0
They are starting nude food.We have
enviro agents. They enviro inspectors.
0 0
Henderson-Pyne Cameron n y 6 8 9
We have garden / they green house. We
have enviro leaders/ they do not.
8 8
Hills Aidan n y n 6 7
Both schools have a worm farm. They have
started nude food have green house.
5 0
Lee Anton n y n 10 8
They just started nude food. We have
more compost and we have enviro agents
they do not.
4 10
McIntyre Joel y n 6 9 9
Both recycle paper and have vege villages
look after earth.
9 9
Nachowitz Adam n y 1 9 9
Starting nude food because of us. They do
drug free week Red Ribbon Week.
5 4
Neilson Finley n y n 8 9
Both have a worm farm. They are starting
nude food. We have vege village they have
green house. We have more compost bins.
9 9


2011
ICT - Blogging

Curriculum Level 3 standard:
Year 6: 3B working toward
3P achieving
3A achieving above
4B achieving and extending
Year 5: 2A working toward
3B achieving
3P achieving above
3A achieving and extending

Pre-Blogging
Yes or No
Post-Blogging
H
a
v
e

y
o
u

e
v
e
r

b
l
o
g
g
e
d

b
e
f
o
r
e
?

H
a
v
e

y
o
u

e
v
e
r

u
s
e
d

t
h
e

i
n
t
e
r
n
e
t

b
e
f
o
r
e

t
o

d
i
s
c
u
s
s

t
o
p
i
c
s

o
f

i
n
t
e
r
e
s
t

w
i
t
h

o
t
h
e
r

p
e
o
p
l
e
?

D
o

y
o
u

k
n
o
w

a
b
o
u
t

s
u
s
t
a
i
n
a
b
l
e

e
n
v
i
r
o
n
m
e
n
t
a
l

p
r
a
c
t
i
c
e
s

o
f

a
n
y

p
r
i
m
a
r
y

s
c
h
o
o
l
s

o
u
t
s
i
d
e

o
f

N
e
w

Z
e
a
l
a
n
d
?

How did you feel
about the sustainable
environmental
practices we do at
school with a school
in America?





Compare and Contrast
Out of 10

W
o
u
l
d

y
o
u

b
l
o
g

a
g
a
i
n
?

D
i
d

y
o
u

f
i
n
d

b
l
o
g
g
i
n
g

a

u
s
e
f
u
l

t
e
c
h
n
o
l
o
g
i
c
a
l

l
e
a
r
n
i
n
g

t
o
o
l
?

R
e
l
a
t
i
n
g

t
o

O
t
h
e
r
s

P
a
r
t
i
c
i
p
a
t
i
n
g

a
n
d

C
o
n
t
r
i
b
u
t
i
n
g

Nik Ahmad Mazani Ibrahim
Overseas

Nishio Jun n y 9 9 9
Both nude food, recycle paper they do
not have POP box. We have enviro agents
they do not.
9 9
Price Isaac y y 5 6 5
We have nude food now they do. We
have a vege village and they have a green
house.
9 5
Smart Damian


Tomlinson Jack y n n 8 6
Now they do nude food. We have more
compost bin and loads more recycling
bins. They only have one.
9 8
Wilson Ben n n n 7 6
Both schools do nude food, recycle paper.
We have a green gold they dont.
9 10
Wood-Gibson Jordan n n n 8 9
Worm farm / greenhouse. They now have
nude food. They talk about drugs we
dont.
5 8
Zhang Michael n y 2 8 8
Both care for environment, gardens,
compost bins. We have enviro agents /
they have council we are more environ
friendly.
5 7

Personal Assessment and Reflection

This final project implements the key focus of bringing technology into the classroom to enhance
the teaching, and the engagement and learning of the students the processes to achieve this have
been defined in the Blogging Unit. The achievement objectives relate to national goals and
expectations outlined in the New Zealand Curriculum Document and the instructional and
engagement goals for the students are summarised in the learning intentions and success criteria.

Introducing the Unit of Work
To introduce and engage the students I first asked them to complete the pre-
blogging section of prompt/survey form. Then using ActivInspire software I made
a flipchart and uploaded a world map. We looked at the world map to find out,
where in the world was Underwood Elementary School? On the world map a
student identified where Raleigh, North Carolina was and Hamilton New Zealand
and linked them with an arrow line. We then discussed and recorded on the
flipchart what a blog was and blogging netiquette. The students identified blogging
as a chat place or like face booking. They believed good netiquette practice was
to; stay on the subject, keep comments brief and use no rude words. Next the
students were provided with an example of how they might introduce themselves
and the topic of discussion, see the write on board direction to site / examples of
introductions: of the teaching sequence.

Class Session Summaries
Class session summaries became whole class discussions around the meaning of the
language used and a discussion resulted in how that related to cultural practices
and differences. This can be seen in the comments by the students where they
were asked to write a paragraph about the main differences and the main
similarities between the two schools on the post-blogging section of the
prompt/survey form. Some of their responses were:
We have a Vege Village and Underwood Elementary has a green house.
Underwood Elementary talks about drugs we do not.
We introduced Underwood Elementary to nude food.
(Nude food is bringing food to school without wrappers to reduce rubbish
waste).
We have a larger amount of recycling bins.
We have more gardens.
Students Pre and Post Blogging Prompt and Survey Sheet
Twenty-six of the twenty-nine students participated fully in this unit of work. Two
students were overseas, one student is still to complete and hand in their response
sheet.
Discussion
Using the web based site kidsblog.org and creating writing rooms using the name
EcoSchools created an opportunity for the New Zealand (NZ) and American
students to write and respond to questions posed in relation to their schools
environmental practices. Over the following two weeks all the NZ students
engaged in blogging. Most all of the students actively engaged in this unit of work
by asking to check their blog daily and they would voice disappointment if there
had been no response.
The blog provided an opportunity for the students to ask questions and respond to
questions asked of them. At times the NZ students needed to respond by
clarifying the questions they had asked, what they meant and what it was they
wanted to know.
All twenty-seven students who participated in this activity achieved the English
Curriculum learning intention of writing texts and blogging explaining, describing
and exchanging ideas and information about what it is to be an environmentally
friendly school. All twenty-seven students achieved the Information
Communications Technology learning intention of having communicated using
technology as a tool blogging. All twenty-seven students achieved the
Environmental Studies learning intention of having explained and described how I
sustainably care for my school environment.
Using the assessment rubric learning intentions of writing, participation and
environmental studies overall nine students achieved, thirteen achieved above and
four achieved and extended when assessed against the learning outcomes. One
student is still to hand in their response sheet.
As the classroom teacher I found using blogging as an engagement tool for writing
extremely successful most all of the NZ students regularly participated and
contributed to the blog without being asked. They always replied to a blog and
sometimes added to a past blog they had written to encourage a response. The NZ
students used peer editing to help with posing questions and would check their
answers with each other for spelling, grammar and punctuation. Many students
appeared more conscientious about presentation and commented that it was
because their recipients were not personally known to them. The blogging also
generated a lot of oral discussion amongst the students; they were often sharing
their responses from the American students with each other and making comment.
The NZ students became extremely excited when the American students said they
were going to use the concept of Nude Food and introduce it into their schools
environmentally friendly practices to reduce waste and they were going to write a
letter to their president Barrack Obama about it. This created a lot of
excitement and discussion in the classroom. Most all of the students indicated
they would blog again and felt that blogging was a useful technological learning tool
for sharing information.
This unit of work has exceeded the goals that were set out in the unit plan because
all children engaged in the activity, and most all of the children regularly made an
effort to; share in the ideas of others, valuing their contributions and responding
to their comments about the environmental practices within their school.
Conclusion
I believe this unit of work enhanced both my classroom writing and oral language
programmes. It gave the New Zealand students an opportunity to look at
sustainable practices in schools from an international perspective. It provided an
opportunity for the students to develop an understanding that the meanings and
the way language is used in another culture can have some variances. This meant
the blogging caused the students to be more reflective about asking and answering
questions, to check for understanding and to enjoy the differences.