The How and Why of the Resource
What is this resource about?
This website is a step-by-step procedure for creating a class blog. It uses the platform Kidblog to create the blog. Kidblog is a website design with students, teachers and classes in mind so it has great security settings and features. Below is a link to view the security settings and other important information about Kidblog. The website has a fee of $36 for an annual subscription.
http://kidblog.org/home/#why-kidblog
How can I use it?
This resource has been designed for delivery to the whole class, while being actively lead by the classroom teacher. The idea is that the website is displayed on an interactive wideboard (or other large display) and read through collaboratively. There are lots of engaging clips, resources and activities to be completed along the way.
There are 3 resources that will need to be printed and supplied for the students to complete the activities on the website.The first is the Technology Booklet. This is an individual booklet to be completed at specific times during the blog creation. The second is a Differentiated Technology Booklet. This is very similar to the first booklet however, it uses some additional supports and in some areas lessens the demands on the students. This booklet is available for use at the teachers desertion, the page numbers line up with the other students so it is not necessary to change directions to use these booklets too. Finally, the Group Planning Booklets are used to scaffold the creation of the post. One book is needed per group. The links to these resources are bottom of the page.
The teacher will need to create the blog before the class commences this resource. Instructions to do this are on the Technical Support page. The teacher will also need to give students access to the blog to write their post in stage 3. Instructions for this are also listed on the Technical Support page.
Students will need access to computers and the internet at different stages throughout this resource.
Where does it fit into the Australian Curriculum?
The resource is designed to facilitate the learning of two key Australian Curriciulum descriptors:
Years 3 and 4 / Digital Technologies Knowledge and Understanding / ACTDIK007
Identify and explore a range of digital systems with peripheral devices for different purposes, and transmit different types of data
Years 3 and 4 / Digital Technologies Processes and Production Skills / ACTDIP013
Plan, create and communicate ideas and information independently and with others, applying agreed ethical and social protocols
Specific links to the descriptors:
General Capabilities
What is the Assessment?
The assessment for this unit is based on the collaboration of teams, the completed booklets and the post each team produces at the end of the resource. A rubric for marking post and Team Planning Booklet is included below.
Differentiation within the Resource
Two forms of the Technology Booklets are included for differentiation in the resource.
Additionally, there is a lot of group and whole-class work used in the resource. Differentiation techniques can include grouping similar ability students and providing more support to the groups and selecting a more structured and familiar topic for the post
This website is a step-by-step procedure for creating a class blog. It uses the platform Kidblog to create the blog. Kidblog is a website design with students, teachers and classes in mind so it has great security settings and features. Below is a link to view the security settings and other important information about Kidblog. The website has a fee of $36 for an annual subscription.
http://kidblog.org/home/#why-kidblog
How can I use it?
This resource has been designed for delivery to the whole class, while being actively lead by the classroom teacher. The idea is that the website is displayed on an interactive wideboard (or other large display) and read through collaboratively. There are lots of engaging clips, resources and activities to be completed along the way.
There are 3 resources that will need to be printed and supplied for the students to complete the activities on the website.The first is the Technology Booklet. This is an individual booklet to be completed at specific times during the blog creation. The second is a Differentiated Technology Booklet. This is very similar to the first booklet however, it uses some additional supports and in some areas lessens the demands on the students. This booklet is available for use at the teachers desertion, the page numbers line up with the other students so it is not necessary to change directions to use these booklets too. Finally, the Group Planning Booklets are used to scaffold the creation of the post. One book is needed per group. The links to these resources are bottom of the page.
The teacher will need to create the blog before the class commences this resource. Instructions to do this are on the Technical Support page. The teacher will also need to give students access to the blog to write their post in stage 3. Instructions for this are also listed on the Technical Support page.
Students will need access to computers and the internet at different stages throughout this resource.
Where does it fit into the Australian Curriculum?
The resource is designed to facilitate the learning of two key Australian Curriciulum descriptors:
Years 3 and 4 / Digital Technologies Knowledge and Understanding / ACTDIK007
Identify and explore a range of digital systems with peripheral devices for different purposes, and transmit different types of data
Years 3 and 4 / Digital Technologies Processes and Production Skills / ACTDIP013
Plan, create and communicate ideas and information independently and with others, applying agreed ethical and social protocols
Specific links to the descriptors:
- considering ways of managing the use of social media to maintain privacy needs (ACTDIP013)
- using a range of online tools to share information (ACTDIP013)
- organising and creating different types of information for sharing and collaborating online (ACTDIP013)
- managing a project that involves students working together to publish online (ACTDIP013)
- discussing digital citizenship rules and behaviours for participating in an online environment (ACTDIP013)
- using several peripheral devices to capture different types of data (ACTDIK007)
- recognising that images and music can be transferred from a mobile device to a computer (ACTDIK007)
- Project managment
- Information and communiction capacity
- Systems thinking
General Capabilities
- Literacy (communicating with class and using blog as a means of communication)
- Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) Capabilty
- Critical and Creative thinking (design aspects of the blog, what to include, systems to create and maintain and more)
- Personal and Social Capacity (collaboritve activity)
What is the Assessment?
The assessment for this unit is based on the collaboration of teams, the completed booklets and the post each team produces at the end of the resource. A rubric for marking post and Team Planning Booklet is included below.
Differentiation within the Resource
Two forms of the Technology Booklets are included for differentiation in the resource.
Additionally, there is a lot of group and whole-class work used in the resource. Differentiation techniques can include grouping similar ability students and providing more support to the groups and selecting a more structured and familiar topic for the post