Blog Dogs - This is definitely a blog I would model to a stage 2 class. It is a blog of a class in Sydney. The layout is excellent with a nice balance between images and text. The tabs are also useful in organising blog content e.g there are separate tabs for homework so thus eliminating "I couldn't remember what we had to do for homework" excuse. The rules of blogging have been explicitly stated with a real focus on cyber safety and being critically literate and are supported with lots of examples to scaffold students. This is reinforced using a visual text written by a parent. There are links to applications on the homepage that can be used to enhance students' individual blogs. I also like the embedded youtube video for parents explaining the concept of blogging rather than assuming knowledge. This helps students to explain the concepts of blogging to parents who are digital immigrants.
Mr. Salsich's class blog - this blog follows third grade students in a school in Connecticut, U.S.A. This blog uses alot of applications that I have recently discovered e.g. Voicethread. On the home page students record facts about ospreys. They have used the application to improve the fluency of their reading. The questions following the thread ask for feedback on the reading fluency and any interesting facts about the osprey they learned. Looking at the comments section parents leave comments initially about how much they enjoyed hearing their child read. In the reply comments they are also reminded to answer the other questions. This is definitely an application that stage 2 students could use quite effectively.
The blog also uses a frog named Juan Pablo as a kind of blog mascot. While the students are on vacation the frog looks for suggestions for books from his followers. This is a good idea to help keep the blog active as well help with teacher planning. A tool like Blabberize has been used to make the frog look as if he is speaking. It is well organised into sections like blog guidelines and how to comment. It also has a section on learning links which are links to websites organised by subject.
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