Comments on: Overdrive: That Classroom Blogging Grail, and How Teaching and Grading Obstruct It http://beyond-school.org/2007/09/26/overdrive-that-classroom-blogging-grail-and-how-teaching-and-grading-obstruct-it/ A field headquarters in the War on Schooliness. Thu, 20 Nov 2008 11:55:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Goal for a Learning Portfolio: Solve a problem « Center for Teaching, Learning, & Technology http://beyond-school.org/2007/09/26/overdrive-that-classroom-blogging-grail-and-how-teaching-and-grading-obstruct-it/#comment-4804 Goal for a Learning Portfolio: Solve a problem « Center for Teaching, Learning, & Technology Mon, 04 Aug 2008 20:44:45 +0000 http://beyond-school.org/?p=364#comment-4804 [...] Clay Burrell echos some of Downes’ ideas when he writes about learning writing in a a blog (aka learning portfolio) situated in community and in context, [...] [...] Clay Burrell echos some of Downes’ ideas when he writes about learning writing in a a blog (aka learning portfolio) situated in community and in context, [...]

]]> By: Bible 2.0 on Flickr - Photo Sharing! http://beyond-school.org/2007/09/26/overdrive-that-classroom-blogging-grail-and-how-teaching-and-grading-obstruct-it/#comment-3342 Bible 2.0 on Flickr - Photo Sharing! Mon, 21 Apr 2008 16:38:15 +0000 http://beyond-school.org/?p=364#comment-3342 <!--%kramer-ref-pre%-->[...] Bible 2.0 To take full advantage of Flickr, you should use a JavaScript-enabled browser and install the latest version of the Macromedia Flash Player.  F.decorate(_ge('button_bar'), F._photo_button_bar).bar_go_go_go(1032572214, 0); F.decorate(_ge('photo_notes'), F._photo_notes).notes_go_go_go(1032572214, 'http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1076/1032572214_3c74a33be1_t.jpg', '3.1444'); View jeff_w_brooktree's map Taken in a place with no name (See more photos or videos here) The robot writes the book. Or is it called "printing" in this case? beyond-school.org/2007/09/26/overdrive-that-classroom-blo...  [...]<!--%kramer-ref-post%--> Kramer auto Pingback[...] Bible 2.0 To take full advantage of Flickr, you should use a JavaScript-enabled browser and install the latest version of the Macromedia Flash Player.  F.decorate(_ge(’button_bar’), F._photo_button_bar).bar_go_go_go(1032572214, 0); F.decorate(_ge(’photo_notes’), F._photo_notes).notes_go_go_go(1032572214, ‘http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1076/1032572214_3c74a33be1_t.jpg’, ‘3.1444′); View jeff_w_brooktree’s map Taken in a place with no name (See more photos or videos here) The robot writes the book. Or is it called "printing" in this case? beyond-school.org/2007/09/26/overdrive-that-classroom-blo…  [...]

]]> By: Bible 2.0 on Flickr - Photo Sharing! http://beyond-school.org/2007/09/26/overdrive-that-classroom-blogging-grail-and-how-teaching-and-grading-obstruct-it/#comment-1960 Bible 2.0 on Flickr - Photo Sharing! Sun, 03 Feb 2008 07:49:57 +0000 http://beyond-school.org/?p=364#comment-1960 <!--%kramer-ref-pre%-->[...] Bible 2.0 To take full advantage of Flickr, you should use a JavaScript-enabled browser and install the latest version of the Macromedia Flash Player. F.decorate(_ge('button_bar'), F._photo_button_bar).bar_go_go_go(1032572214, 0);F.decorate(_ge('photo_notes'), F._photo_notes).notes_go_go_go(1032572214, 'http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1076/1032572214_3c74a33be1_t.jpg', '3.1444'); View jeff_w_brooktree's map Taken in (See more photos here) The robot writes the book. Or is it called "printing" in this case? beyond-school.org/2007/09/26/overdrive-that-classroom-blo...  [...]<!--%kramer-ref-post%--> Kramer auto Pingback[...] Bible 2.0 To take full advantage of Flickr, you should use a JavaScript-enabled browser and install the latest version of the Macromedia Flash Player. F.decorate(_ge(’button_bar’), F._photo_button_bar).bar_go_go_go(1032572214, 0);F.decorate(_ge(’photo_notes’), F._photo_notes).notes_go_go_go(1032572214, ‘http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1076/1032572214_3c74a33be1_t.jpg’, ‘3.1444′); View jeff_w_brooktree’s map Taken in (See more photos here) The robot writes the book. Or is it called "printing" in this case? beyond-school.org/2007/09/26/overdrive-that-classroom-blo…  [...]

]]> By: Clay Burell http://beyond-school.org/2007/09/26/overdrive-that-classroom-blogging-grail-and-how-teaching-and-grading-obstruct-it/#comment-608 Clay Burell Mon, 15 Oct 2007 23:48:00 +0000 http://beyond-school.org/?p=364#comment-608 Megan, I hope you read this. Let's talk offline (or on, I don't care) about the possibility of at least introducing our young writers to each other. I don't believe in "assigning students" to reply to blogs - who "assigns" real readers to like another writer? But to at least expose them to each other and "invite" connecting - that I'd love to play with. Megan, I hope you read this. Let’s talk offline (or on, I don’t care) about the possibility of at least introducing our young writers to each other. I don’t believe in “assigning students” to reply to blogs - who “assigns” real readers to like another writer? But to at least expose them to each other and “invite” connecting - that I’d love to play with.

]]> By: Megan Howard http://beyond-school.org/2007/09/26/overdrive-that-classroom-blogging-grail-and-how-teaching-and-grading-obstruct-it/#comment-607 Megan Howard Mon, 15 Oct 2007 22:05:00 +0000 http://beyond-school.org/?p=364#comment-607 Clay - <br/>Glad I ran across your blog...I have 46 students blogging independently in Atlanta and most are doing a great job. Excited to learn from you and bounce around ideas. I have seen AMAZING things when encouraging students to "self-select" topics - I get a bit of everything which encourages a larger audience and a variety of comments. At first, the kids were super hesistant - there's a shift that must happen from being told your whole life what to write about to creating quality independent pieces. Clay -
Glad I ran across your blog…I have 46 students blogging independently in Atlanta and most are doing a great job. Excited to learn from you and bounce around ideas. I have seen AMAZING things when encouraging students to “self-select” topics - I get a bit of everything which encourages a larger audience and a variety of comments. At first, the kids were super hesistant - there’s a shift that must happen from being told your whole life what to write about to creating quality independent pieces.

]]> By: Miguel http://beyond-school.org/2007/09/26/overdrive-that-classroom-blogging-grail-and-how-teaching-and-grading-obstruct-it/#comment-592 Miguel Sun, 07 Oct 2007 00:00:00 +0000 http://beyond-school.org/?p=364#comment-592 Clay, I was wondering how to teach writing using Read/Write Web tools (doing a workshop) and your post asked some great questions, but more importantly, forced me to ask some. Thank you!<br/><br/>Best wishes,<br/>Miguel Guhlin<br/>Around the Corner-MGuhlin.net<br/>http://mguhlin.net Clay, I was wondering how to teach writing using Read/Write Web tools (doing a workshop) and your post asked some great questions, but more importantly, forced me to ask some. Thank you!

Best wishes,
Miguel Guhlin
Around the Corner-MGuhlin.net
http://mguhlin.net

]]> By: Laura Gibbs http://beyond-school.org/2007/09/26/overdrive-that-classroom-blogging-grail-and-how-teaching-and-grading-obstruct-it/#comment-581 Laura Gibbs Tue, 02 Oct 2007 13:52:00 +0000 http://beyond-school.org/?p=364#comment-581 I thought your post was GREAT and the discussion was very thought-provoking for me.<br/><br/>I am pragmatic about grades: I would not give grades at all if it were my own choice, but students are 100% trained for OVER A DECADE of their life (ugh) to regard grading as essential, so there's no avoiding this issue.<br/><br/>My goal then is just to make sure that the super-hard-working students get the recognition they deserve, while the students with low motivation get some positive and negative reinforcement to prod them along. I don't make any claims that one person's "A" work is the same as another person's "A" work, and I have huge philosophical problems with such a position.<br/><br/>I just want my students to WRITE, enjoy their own writing, enjoy each other's writing, and improve their writing - those are goals I have for every single student, no matter what their level of writing ability and background. So far, my system is working to do that, so I am happy with it. Pragmatically. :-) I thought your post was GREAT and the discussion was very thought-provoking for me.

I am pragmatic about grades: I would not give grades at all if it were my own choice, but students are 100% trained for OVER A DECADE of their life (ugh) to regard grading as essential, so there’s no avoiding this issue.

My goal then is just to make sure that the super-hard-working students get the recognition they deserve, while the students with low motivation get some positive and negative reinforcement to prod them along. I don’t make any claims that one person’s “A” work is the same as another person’s “A” work, and I have huge philosophical problems with such a position.

I just want my students to WRITE, enjoy their own writing, enjoy each other’s writing, and improve their writing - those are goals I have for every single student, no matter what their level of writing ability and background. So far, my system is working to do that, so I am happy with it. Pragmatically. :-)

]]> By: Clay Burell http://beyond-school.org/2007/09/26/overdrive-that-classroom-blogging-grail-and-how-teaching-and-grading-obstruct-it/#comment-580 Clay Burell Tue, 02 Oct 2007 02:45:00 +0000 http://beyond-school.org/?p=364#comment-580 Laura, what an AWESOME comment. I'm at work, so more later. Can't wait to hear and see more. Laura, what an AWESOME comment. I’m at work, so more later. Can’t wait to hear and see more.

]]> By: Laura Gibbs http://beyond-school.org/2007/09/26/overdrive-that-classroom-blogging-grail-and-how-teaching-and-grading-obstruct-it/#comment-578 Laura Gibbs Tue, 02 Oct 2007 00:32:00 +0000 http://beyond-school.org/?p=364#comment-578 Re: assessment, I've struck a balance between WEBSITES in my class and BLOGS; students do both. For the blogs, it's purely a self-assessment thing - they 'declare' their work in the Gradebook based on a rubric, and get the points - in terms of the grade, there is no distinction between an awesome post and a mediocre one, although there is definitely a distinction in peer responses; people know if they do an awesome post they will get feedback about it... which is a great motivation, and many of my students do, in fact, create awesome posts. I treat the blog as a place for them to experiment with creative writing, take risks, try out all kinds of styles: some people do amazing work in their blogs, some people do the minimum. That's fine.<br/><br/>In their website projects, they are engaged in a REVISION process based on regular feedback not just from other students in the class, but from me on a weekly basis. Some students have huge writing deficits, so they have to do a lot of work on revising; they eventually do get an A on the project, though, because it is broken up into a continuous cycle of writing and revision with lots of feedback from me helping them with their writing.<br/><br/>I love having both of these public events going on: as students work harder on their writing in the Storybooks, they thrive on the positive feedback and end up working harder on their blogs, too - but the blogging is a great way to get started, low-pressure, exciting, fun...<br/><br/>I would never (NEVER) go back to traditional papers... they used to bore me to tears - and to bore the students even more. Life is great now: blogging, webpages, images, self-expression. IT WORKS.... why? because the students WORK at their writing - by the end of the semester they are so proud of their accomplishments (as they should be!).<br/><br/>I just posted something about my strategy with links to assignments, student projects, etc., in a discussion over at classroom2.0 about the evil Turnitin.com. My personal impression is that students cheat because they are BORED. Now that I do websites and blogging, students are way way way less bored with their writing - it's creative, it's real, it's an ongoing process. Anyway, links to the stuff I've been doing and more specific comments on the evils of traditional writing and the industry it has spawned (e.g. Turnitin) are over here at classroom2.0:<br/><a HREF="http://tinyurl.com/2d5wmn" REL="nofollow">Tech Tools and Academic Integrity</a> (but it's actually a discussion about Turnitin and student writing)<br/><br/>:-) Re: assessment, I’ve struck a balance between WEBSITES in my class and BLOGS; students do both. For the blogs, it’s purely a self-assessment thing - they ‘declare’ their work in the Gradebook based on a rubric, and get the points - in terms of the grade, there is no distinction between an awesome post and a mediocre one, although there is definitely a distinction in peer responses; people know if they do an awesome post they will get feedback about it… which is a great motivation, and many of my students do, in fact, create awesome posts. I treat the blog as a place for them to experiment with creative writing, take risks, try out all kinds of styles: some people do amazing work in their blogs, some people do the minimum. That’s fine.

In their website projects, they are engaged in a REVISION process based on regular feedback not just from other students in the class, but from me on a weekly basis. Some students have huge writing deficits, so they have to do a lot of work on revising; they eventually do get an A on the project, though, because it is broken up into a continuous cycle of writing and revision with lots of feedback from me helping them with their writing.

I love having both of these public events going on: as students work harder on their writing in the Storybooks, they thrive on the positive feedback and end up working harder on their blogs, too - but the blogging is a great way to get started, low-pressure, exciting, fun…

I would never (NEVER) go back to traditional papers… they used to bore me to tears - and to bore the students even more. Life is great now: blogging, webpages, images, self-expression. IT WORKS…. why? because the students WORK at their writing - by the end of the semester they are so proud of their accomplishments (as they should be!).

I just posted something about my strategy with links to assignments, student projects, etc., in a discussion over at classroom2.0 about the evil Turnitin.com. My personal impression is that students cheat because they are BORED. Now that I do websites and blogging, students are way way way less bored with their writing - it’s creative, it’s real, it’s an ongoing process. Anyway, links to the stuff I’ve been doing and more specific comments on the evils of traditional writing and the industry it has spawned (e.g. Turnitin) are over here at classroom2.0:
Tech Tools and Academic Integrity (but it’s actually a discussion about Turnitin and student writing)

:-)

]]> By: Scott McLeod http://beyond-school.org/2007/09/26/overdrive-that-classroom-blogging-grail-and-how-teaching-and-grading-obstruct-it/#comment-555 Scott McLeod Fri, 28 Sep 2007 10:26:00 +0000 http://beyond-school.org/?p=364#comment-555 I'm ready to 'boost, support, read, and seed' whenever you are! I’m ready to ‘boost, support, read, and seed’ whenever you are!

]]>