About Me

My name is Kristie and I'm an elementary teacher in BC. As part of my Master's program I've been tasked with creating a blog. I'm nervous about sharing my educational journey with potentially the entire world. I'm reminded of the countless times I've put my foot in my mouth during casual or professional conversations. Creating a permanent record of what I have to say is a scary proposition.

On the other hand, I'm more than a little intrigued by the possiblility of using blogs with my class. An hour each week of typing practice and Yukon Trail seem like a waste when I consider what I could be teaching my class. So, with some trepidation, here I go. I hope all who read this blog will find something useful in it, and a great big thank you in advance to all those who post suggestions for my teaching practice!

The New World of Blogging

When I was in Kindergarten, someone invented this amazing thing: a game you could play on your television. It was called ‘Intelevision,’ and it let you play games that filled the screen with colourful images. Some people had an Atari, but Intelevision was just as good. We just couldn’t play Q-bert. About five years later, Nintendo came out with their first system. I loved Super Mario Bros. Everyone did. Here was a nice, linear game with just enough timing and memory challenges to make things interesting. The only thing I liked more than Super Mario Bros was Super Mario Bros 2. It had the same timing and memory challenges, but with a few more opportunities to move back and forth, up and down.

When I was in my late teens, something terrible happened. The Nintendo people released a new unit. I think it was the Nintendo 64. Anyway, gone was the old, linear, jump and shoot Mario Bros of the past. This was a whole new game. Characters could spin around in 360 degrees and choose any direction. There was no clear way to go. I tried, but I was soon frustrated. I asked other people, “How do you know what to do?” I was told to search around by some. Others told me there were magazines I could look at that would reveal the tricks and secrets. Lacking the time to search virtual landscapes and not having the magazines at hand, I gave up. Video games became something the other people did, as I am reminded every time I look at my favorites bar and scroll past the numerous ‘cheat sites’ bookmarked by my husband and children. I pretend disdain for these games, like they waste my time, but really they represent a nonlinear way of thinking that my brain just couldn’t master.

Web 2.0 is the new Nintendo 64 in my life. It represents a new, nonlinear, multi-strand collection of information that makes me dizzy. Yet, unlike video games, I can’t choose to just walk away. So, I will endeavor to go on the same quest as my pal, Mario. Just as he’s squished monsters, swam through infested water and jumped over lava, so shall I squish, swim and jump my way through the perilous world of Web 2.0. Here’s hoping that I too shall graduate from linear courses to a more three-dimensional conception of the multifaceted, ever expanding web.

The First Challenge: Choosing a Character

So, what do you do at the beginning of a Mario Bros game? Pick a character. Each has their own unique attributes that make them more or less suitable to each level. Choosing a blog platform is the same. I chose Blogger because Will Richardson recommended it in his book Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms (2010) and, upon trying it out, I found it easy to use. Basically, all I had to do was sign up for an account, pick a background and post. The one problem I did encounter was trying to take the ‘next blog’ button off my blog. Richardson suggests that teachers do this as the suitability of the next blog might be questionable. I tried to edit the code and thought I had done it, however, there was the button at the top. I’m afraid to mess with the basic code now that I have the blog set up, so I guess it will have to stay. Other than that, this blog seems easy to use. I was even able to change the background after the initial set up (the first one was too dark and difficult to read).

Now that I have the blog, it’s time to see Kristie in the land of Flickr and Google Earth.

Blog Permission Slip

Dear Parents/Guardians:

            Division 4 will be launching a class website by the end of this week. This will take the form of a blog, which is a website on which people may comment. You can visit our site at http://www.divisionfourclasswebsite.blogspot.com/  Please notice that the site is entitled “Division 4’s Class Website,” but that it does not mention the school’s name or address. My full name is also omitted.
            The purpose of the site is to:
·        share information with parents about special events and day-to-day activities, as well as information about assignments, policies, etc.
·        provide an authentic audience for some of your child’s published work
·        offer your child a chance to publish content to the internet

Sometimes the site will be updated daily, other times weekly. This site is not meant to replace the traditional planner as a communication tool, only to enhance it.

This is a site that can be viewed by the general public. I believe allowing students to post to a public site allows them to publish for an authentic, real world audience. It also allows me to invite others, such as parents or experts, to view and comment on material posted to the site. There are a number of considerations when working with a class website. Please review the information below with your child and sign indicating that you accept these terms. Please have your child sign, too.
In addition, there are times when your child’s work will be published to the site. For example, each day, one student will write a short summary of the events of that day. This will be done on a rotating basis. Other times, students will publish items such as stories or artwork to the site. Please sign the second form indicating whether or not I have permission to publish your child’s work to the site.
Finally, there are a couple of times this year that I would like to post pictures or videos to the site that include your child. Please sign the third form indicating whether or not I have permission to publish pictures or video that may include your child to the site.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.
Thank you for your support,
Mrs. Oxley
……………………………………………………………………………………………
Website Participation Considerations

1)      Your child will be supervised at all times at school when using the class website. Please make sure that your child is supervised when visiting or posting to the website outside school hours.
2)      Your child will be identified by his or her first name only, or, in the case of students with unique first names, an approved pseudonym. Due to safety concerns, the following information is NOT to be published to this website:
·        last names
·        school’s name
·        birthdates
·        ages
·        phone numbers or addresses
·        the city’s name
·        any other identifying information
3)      All information published to the site must be appropriate in nature for a fourth grade class. This includes site content and posts. Material that is profane, violent or otherwise inappropriate should not be posted. In addition, the message and tone of all additions to the website must be respectful. Hurtful posts will not be tolerated.
4)      As this is a blog, parents and students will have the ability to post to the blog in the comments section. This is an area where you can write compliments, additional information, etc. This is not a good place to ask questions about your child, since comments can be viewed by the public. Please email me at koxley@sd40.bc.ca or write a note in your child’s planner if you need to get in touch with me.
5)      This blog is regularly monitored by me. The site through which I’ve set it up sends me updates about the posts. I not only have the ability to delete inappropriate posts, but I will also see the user name of the person who added it. If you are concerned about a post, let me know. I will review it and take the necessary action. Any student who knowingly posts material that is inappropriate or in violation of the class rules or district guidelines will lose their right to participate with the blog assignment.
……………………………………………………………………………………………
Permission slip 1
Having read the above considerations and discussed them with my child, I, __________________________ give permission for my child, ____________________, to take part in the class website by reading it and writing occasional updates.

______________________________                        ______________________________
Parent signature                                                            Child signature

______________________________
Date

Permission slip 2
I, __________________________ give permission for my child, ___________________, to occasionally publish his or her work to the class website. I understand that identifying information will be withheld, except for my child’s first name or pseudonym.

______________________________                        ______________________________
Parent signature                                                            Child signature

______________________________
Date

Permission slip 3
I, __________________________ give permission for pictures or video containing my child, ___________________, to occasionally be published to the class website. I understand that identifying information will be withheld, except for my child’s first name or pseudonym and their likeness.

______________________________                        ______________________________
Parent signature                                                            Child signature

______________________________
Date


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