I visited a school today and in conversation with Karen a class teacher we talked about the confidence one needs to post comments onto online environments and all the reasons why we tend to "lurk and read" rather than post....... Being nervous, tentative, not wanting to look a complete fool (been there many times before), not knowing exactly what to do, saying things other people have said etc etc. As part of my job I discuss ways of keeping our students safe in online environments. In a blogging world I have always recommended that you tick the box in Settings / Comments - Only registered users. This means parents of course have to have a gmail account. As Karen talked she said parents too are a little tentative, not sure what to do etc about responding to class blogs. Sound familiar. Then came her pearl of wisdom. If you change the comments setting to anonymous, so that anyone can comment with or with out an account, and change your comments to moderation through your email address you get to moderate the comments before they go on the blog. That way anyone can comment.....Oh so easy and oh so simple. Suddenly you really are opening the children's learning up to the global community and fostering those home school partnerships. Karen has a protocol she won't allow comments through moderation unless they have names on them, and are known to her class.
Karen is keeping her students safe, but at the very same time breaking down the barriers and using the technology to foster learning in her class.
Check out Karen's blog and celebrate with me a junior teacher modeling good practice. Who said junior classes can't blog??
1 comment:
Hi Jocelyn
This is my second year Blogging with a class and last year I found my parents were very tentative. I use the moderated comments through my email and this year asked parents to sign off with a recognisable signature such as Kate's dad etc.It is only week 4 and I have had more comments left by parents in the past few weeks than I did all last year. I wonder if it was because I showed them what to do at my Meet the Teacher night, or if they have gained confidence through past parents commenting? It is certainly becoming contagious and the kids love it!
Liz
Witherlea
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