Copyright

Copyright is a big issue for bloggers. We have to make sure that the images and videos we use on our blogs are truly free and appropriate for use. This means we don’t just carry out a Google search for just any old image, but we look for ones that we are allowed to use. Any resource (text, images, video, music etc.) that we find online and we wish to use needs to include a creative commons license, similar to the one on this page below the Clustr Map. Two great options to make sure you are safe include Creative Commons Search and the Advanced search option on Google where you can select the right license type (look for the cog). A great place to find more information, and where some of this is taken from, is The Edublogger by Ronnie Burt. Have a read and scroll down to find Where To Find The Goods to find links and information on appropriate resources.

Paper Blogs

I know I’ve posted about this previously but I think it’s well worth a reminder. For anyone thinking of starting a blog with their class this has got to be a great start. Creating a paper blog can be a fabulous introduction to blogging, or it can be used as a stepping stone for younger students before they get to the higher years where they begin blogging on the internet. One of our year 5 classes did this last year with great success.This excellent post from Karen McMillan is well worth a read.

New Beginning :)

Well, it’s time to welcome another set of students and begin another exciting year of blogging. Last year was such a great success that I’m hoping the new students will take to blogging with the same enthusiasm. Of course, it will take a little time for us to get used to the set up and to get things organised, but hopefully over the next few weeks we’ll begin to see a whole new series of student names appear on this blog. Good luck to everyone and I look forward to another great year.

The End :(

Well, it’s that time of year. The students are leaving and the blogs for 2012 are about to be closed. This has been my first year of blogging with students and I can honestly say that, regardless of my own perspective on blogging, without the enthusiasm and dedication of the students the whole project this year would have failed. A special mention to Jasmine for a great and varied blog and for blogging right up to the end. Also, a mention to Tahlia for being the most prolific blogger. My class has been exceptional this year and I am proud of the progress and achievements they have made. So, from me to you – a huge “THANKS” and have a great holiday. Everyone from LA19 I will give you until the first week of January when I will delete your blogs and also your access to Edmodo. Sad, I know, but I have to be ready for the new students in 2013.

A note for any educators out there, if you’d like to connect and collaborate next year drop me a “Hi” and we can get something organised. Be aware, though, that we are Australian and our school year goes from February to December.

Letter Writing

Well, you never know when you do these things, but I was thrilled that this one succeeded. We listened to the audio book version of the novel, Mr Stink, by David Walliams (from Little Britain fame – it was read by himself and Matt Lucas) and completed a long series of activities to develop our comprehension and listening skills. You can see the book on our bookshelf and on the Class News section on the links to the right of this page. One of our activities took us into letter writing and as an incentive we wrote to David Walliams to say just how much we loved the book. Well, to his eternal credit we received a letter, a signed photo and another of his books for the class to read. The students were thrilled, as you’d imagine, and so was I. Real world tasks are especially purposeful when they are rewarded in such a way.

Vietnam

This one’s for the students. While I’m in Vietnam I’ll post photos on the Edmodo Vacations group for you to see. Pass to the other teachers if you wish or get Mrs Brayshaw to put them on the whiteboard.

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Claymation

The class has produced some excellent claymation movies this term. In addition to producing the claymation on computer, they also created their own music on Garage Band with iPads and added it to their movies. Here are two great examples. Well done Jasmine, Ashleigh and Dom.

RAINBOW MESS

DOM

 

Blogging Task #9

Blogging – has it worked for you?

This year LA19 was the first class in the school to be given blogs. Your task this time is to write about your experience of having a blog. Has it been a good experience? Has it had any educational value for you? Have you enjoyed it? Has it helped you learn how to be safe online? How has it been different to the normal writing we usually do at school? Write what you think (after all, that’s what the blogs are for) and give a review of your year of being a blogger.

Malala Improving

Malala Yousafzai, the young girl shot in the head by Taliban attackers is beginning to show signs of improvement in a Birmingham hospital in the UK.