Save the Children Tie #1

I wore this tie on Wednesday, January 12. I wore to get myself back into the teacher mode. I was invited into a fifth grade classroom to teach the students how to get started with a classroom blog. I have taught since 1998 and was still nervous. That was short lived however, as the teacher and the students were a great audience and very welcoming.

As I mentioned the subject was blogging. To me, that is the perfect thing for a fifth grader to start doing. Fifth graders really start getting into some meaty writing. One of the problems that students have with writing in school is that they just don't see a purpose. What happens with the end result? Traditional assignments pit the student against the teacher. They are writing for an audience of one. Blogging? They could potentially be writing for thousands. The particular blog site that I set up for them is a closed site and (for now) they will be writing for each other and a few of the adults that have contact with them during the day. That will give them a little sense of being accountable for what they say. They can share their ideas and opinions with each other -which is really the purpose of writing. I can't wait until they get going.

I wish more of my friends and acquaintances would start blogging. I read some blogs and some great ones, but I'd like to encourage more people to start doing it. If anyone reading this would like some assistance, Please let me know. I can help you get up and writing in very little time. Or you can simply go to www.blogger.com and sign up. It's a great feeling when you start realizing people are reading and commenting on what you create.

Happy Blogging!