Technology Workshop Lesson Plan

Instructor:
Rachel Nachman
Blogging in the Elementary School Classroom
Day #2
Subject of Workshop:
Why blogs should be used to teach writing
Blogging and Multimedia
Using blogs to encourage writing and
develop students writing skills
Prerequisite Knowledge:
Basic computer skills
Knowledge of blogs
Ability to write clear learning objectives
Fluent typing
Ability to align lesson plans to educational
standards
Content:
This workshop will focus on using blogs within the writing curriculum. Participants will discuss how
writing has changed from print-based to digital-based over time, and how students must be prepared to
compose digital texts combined with multimedia. Participants will learn how blogs can give students the
opportunity to compose digital text, and why blogs should be incorporated into elementary writing
instruction. Additionally, participants will learn about different instructional activities that can be
implemented in which blogs are used to encourage student writing and to develop students writing
skills.

Participants will then have an opportunity to collaborate with other teachers at their grade level, access
the Montgomery County Public Schools curriculum, and brainstorm possible ways that blogs can be
incorporated within their writing instruction.

Lastly, participants will then be asked to design a lesson plan in which a blog is used to develop
students writing skills. This lesson plan must have at least one learning objective, must align with
educational standards, and must center on student blogging. These lesson plans, when finished, will be
posted on our workshop blog for future access and use.
Objectives:
Participants will be able to design a lesson plan in which a blog is used to develop students' writing
skills
Workshop Outline:
1. Participants will be seated in a computer lab. Each participant will be given his or her own computer.
The instructor will be in the front of the lab and will be using a computer that connects with an
Interactive White Board or projection screen.

2. First, the instructor will explain that today, the workshop will focus on ways that blogs can be used
to develop students writing skills. Participants will be asked to discuss the following question with
the person sitting next to them:
Based on our discussion last week, what are some ways that blogs can be used to encourage
writing and develop students writing skills?
Once participants have discussed this question with their partner, the instructor will facilitate a
whole-group discussion during which participants can share their ideas.
Workshop Outline (Continued)
3. The instructor will lead a state how blogs are valuable tools in which we can teach writing.
Participants will be asked to silently think about the following questions:
How is written text different now than it was when you were in elementary school?
How has technology influenced writing?
Is todays writing more than just the written word?
Once participants have independently thought of answers to these questions, the instructor will lead
a discussion during which participants can share their thoughts.

4. The instructor will lead a presentation titled Blogging and Multimedia How Blogging Can Teach
Todays Writing. This presentation will explore how today's writing is different from writing in
the past. For example, with the capabilities and popularity of technology, "today's" writing often
includes multimedia such as images, hyperlinks, and video to supplement the written content.
Students must become proficient in including multimedia aspects to their writing, and blogging gives
students the opportunity to do so. The instructor will lead this presentation and discuss how blogs
can allow students to incorporate multimedia into their writing, as well as why blogging should be
used to teach writing in the classroom.

5. The instructor will distribute a copy of the resource Blogging and The Standards. This resource
lists different educational Grades 3-5 standards (Common Core State Standards as well as Maryland
Technology Literacy Standards for Students) that blogging aligns with. The instructor will explain
how blogging can serve as an instructional vehicle to teach these writing standards. Participants will
be asked to independently read the standards for their grade level.

6. Participants will be asked to log on to their computers and open our Blogging in the Elementary
School Classroom blog (the same blog they visited last week). This blog serves as the workshop
blog and is maintained by the instructor.

7. Once participants have accessed the blog, they will be asked to locate the post How Can We
Encourage Student Writing? They will then be asked to complete Activity #1. This activity involves
watching a video titled Elementary Student Blogs: Innovative Classroom Technology. Once
participants have finished watching the video, they will be asked to respond to the blog post with
their reaction to the video. They will also be asked to post any thoughts or questions that they may
have regarding using blogs to encourage student writing.
Note: For this activity, the instructor will change the blog settings so that comments and
responses do not need to be approved. Therefore, as soon as a participant submits a
comment, it will appear on the blog.

8. Participants will then get in small groups and complete Activity #2, which can also be found on that
blog post. This activity requires participants to view a blog called Communicate Connect Support
and read a blog post titled 10 Easy Steps to Teach Writing through Blogging. Once the group has
finished reading this post, they will pick one of the steps mentioned in the post and discuss how they
would implement this step within their own classrooms.


Workshop Outline (Continued)
9. Once all groups have finished this activity, the instructor will lead a whole-group discussion in which
participants can share their thoughts and ideas for using blogs to teach writing.

10. The instructor will discuss some of the ways that blogs can be used to encourage writing and
develop students writing skills. Examples of each activity will be shown. These include:
Writers Notebook or Journal Entries
o Students can create blog posts that serve as entries in their writers notebook or
journal. Blog posts can contain different multimedia elements.
o Students can respond to their peers blog posts
Pre-Writing
o The instructor will provide each participant with a copy of the article Lets Pre-Blog!:
Using Blogs as Prewriting Tools in Elementary Classrooms. This article discusses
ways that blogs can foster the prewriting process. Participants will be asked to read
this article independently.
o Once participants have read the article, the instructor will discuss how blogging can be
used during the pre-writing process. Students can use their blogs as a way to capture
their beginning thoughts and ideas.
Drafting and Peer-Editing
o Students can post their rough draft to their blog. Once drafts are posted, other
students can peer edit via the blog comment feature.
o Students can provide peer feedback either through text (written feedback), video, or
audio.
Editing and Revising
o Once students read the feedback they received from their peers, they can use these
comments to edit and revise their own work. Because this writing is published online,
it is extra important to make sure that spelling and grammar are correct.
Publishing
o When we create a blog post, it is published for the world to see. By publishing a piece
of written work online, students can learn just how important it is to create a high-
quality finished writing piece.
o Blogs can serve as a digital portfolio for students work. It can be used as a progress-
monitoring tool or as a way for students to reflect on what they have written
throughout the school year.
o Students can use include multimedia within their finished product.
Voice, Tone, and Audience
o When writing blog posts, the author is writing to an actual audience. Therefore, he or
she must consider the intended audience, tone, and voice within the writing piece.
Students can write blog posts that are shared with different audiences to practice
changing voice and tone within their writing.





Workshop Outline (Continued)
11. Participants will then divide into groups of three or four. These groups will be formed based on
grade level (for example, a group comprised of third grade teachers). Once in small groups,
participants will be asked to access the Montgomery County Public Schools writing curriculum
online. Participants will then have time to explore the curriculum and brainstorm possible ways that
blogs can be incorporated into their writing instruction.

12. Participants will then be given an opportunity to design a lesson plan in which blogs are used to
develop students writing skills. They will continue to have access to the MCPS curriculum and will
also have links to access both the Common Core State Standards as well as the Maryland Technology
Literacy Standards for Students. The lesson plan must:
Align with at least one learning objective
Align with at least one educational standard (CCSS or Maryland Technology Literacy)
Center around student blogging to promote writing development
Participants will have the option to create more than one lesson plan (for example, if they wanted to
implement a blogging unit). They will have the remainder of the day to design their lesson, create
their lesson plan, and creating any supplementary resources.

13. Participants will submit their lesson plans and resources to the instructor. The instructor will post
these lessons on a page on the blog titled Blogging Lessons Writing so that participants can
access all lesson plans.
Materials:
1. 1 computer connected to an Interactive White Board or projector
2. 30 computers with individual headphones
3. Blogging and Multimedia How Blogging Can Teach Todays Writing
4. Blogging and the Standards
5. Using Blogs in the Elementary School Classroom blog - http://blogsintheclassroom.edublogs.org/
6. Elementary Student Blogs: Innovative Classroom Technology -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTToERnTKB4
7. 10 Easy Steps to Teach Writing through Blogging -
http://communicateconnectsupport.com/2014/01/27/10-easy-steps-to-teach-writing-through-
blogging/
8. Examples of student writing blogs
9. Lets Pre-Blog!: Using Blogs as Prewriting Tools in Elementary Classrooms -
http://education.jhu.edu/PD/newhorizons/Journals/Winter2012/Luongo
10. Montgomery County School Curriculum 2.0 Writing
11. Common Core State Standards (English Language Arts) - http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-
Literacy/
12. Maryland Technology Literacy Standards For Students -
http://mdk12.org/instruction/curriculum/technology_literacy/vsc_technology_literacy_standards.p
df





Evaluation Strategies:
Participants lesson plans will be evaluated for the extent to which they:
Align with at least one learning objective
Align with at least one educational standard (CCSS or Maryland Technology Literacy)
Center around student blogging to promote writing development