Module 2

As I step rather sheepishly into this world of the internet diary, I find it daunting that my opinions and musings could be perused by many people I have never met...but here it goes anyway.
I have been contemplating how blogs could be effectively incorporated into my teaching and assessment programs. I have begun by looking at what I have already done and what has already been published in the school's assessment program. It is exciting to see how easily blogs can fit into existing models and provide fresh energy and excitement.
In year 8 History, we have a research assignment in which students select a personality from the Renaissance and write an imaginary diary detailing a particular moment in the life and career of the personality (Leonardo painting the Mona Lisa, Luther posting the theses on the church door, Lucrezia Borgia facing the annulment of her first marriage, Bramante designing St. Peters). Creating a blog for these personalities would allow for the introductory profile, a wide selection of relevant images and documents and active links to sites that were researched. A profile of a personality from ancient Egypt by each student could be made accessible to all the other students in the class. Group work can now be much more effectively conducted outside the classroom. Work from a year can be archived so students in following years can see effective modelling before beginning their own responses.
I can see a real advantage for gifted and talented students who may have a very specific area of interest that might not be shared by anyone else in their home or school. They can find a community of like minded enthusiasts from across the globe - and not feel so isolated. This can then lead to significant intellectual growth and development.
I am sure that the sharing of comments and information so prevalent in the Harry Potter phenomenon are paralleled (to some degree) by enthusiasts of Dickens, the Brontes, Shakespeare and Ray Bradbury. That there are blogs out there sharing an appreciation of people as diverse as Alfred Hitchcock and Ray Harryhausen - and perhaps even Akhenaton and Hatshepsut!