Paper Blogs

We have been learning about blogging and how blogs work.  A blog works kind of like an on-line journal, and they can be about just about any subject. People write about things they are passionate about.   Besides the fact it's on line and anyone can see it, one of the big differences between a blog and a journal is that ideally a blog should be a conversation.  The blogger wants other people to read their blog and make comments.

To understand how blogs work, we made paper blogs.*  Students wrote their first blog post on paper.  They glued their post to a poster and decorated it to make it look like a blog.  Then we hung them around the room. On top of the bulletin boards, on the white board, taped to book shelves.  We visited a blog by a teacher in California, Mrs. Yollis, and watch a short video that her students made about writing comments.  Their advice was to be positive and specific.

Armed with pencils and sticky notes we all moved around the room reading each other's blogs and writing comments on the sticky notes.  We stuck the sticky notes to the blogs.  Some people tried to sneak back to their own blogs to read the comments, but they had to wait until the end.  When we were finished, everyone got their own blogs back and got to read the comments that had been left for them.

Now we are ready to write our first blog post for our on-line blogs.   Soon you will be able to visit our on-line blogs at Kidblogs.org.  Here is the link to our student blogs:  Ms. Day's Class at Kidblogs.  Don't expect to see our real name though.  For safety, we made up screen names.  Ask your student about their secret identity.

* I learned about paper blogs from Karen McMillan, a teacher in California.  She is @McTeach on Twitter.

Photo #15: Our Class Blogs

Class Photographer: Sebastian

Our class blogs are where us as student can write on a blog. We all have our own passwords. We all have are own blogs. We all have posts on our blogs. Some published some not. An example is our personal narratives. Also on special ocasions like when one of us go on a vacations we can write about that vacation on the blogs.

A Little Advice From the Fifth Graders

Are you nervous or worried about 4th grade? Don't be! You'll do a great job. Before last year's fourth graders left for the summer, they wrote you some letters to let you know what to expect in 4th grade. Check out their letters below.


Dear New 4th Grade Class,

I just wanted to give you some tips about 4th grade. 1) Be prepared. 2) Always have work on your desk. 3) Always work hard. 4) In the beginning math is a little hard at first, but after awhile it gets easier. Good luck!
Your friend,
Kenzie


Dear 4th Graders,

You will have a great year in Ms. Day's class. You will be on the computer and play games while you are learning. About in the end of the year you will make a castle. You will learn about mountains.
Your friend,
Michael


Dear New 4th Grade,

You should know that we do a lot of stuff with technology this year. We did KidBlogs, StoryBird, Story Jumper, we made a wiki and more. You will have a lot of fun if you follow the rules and be good, and don't make her mad. You will have lots of fun.
Benjamin


Dear New 4th Graders,

Here is some stuff you need to know. You go on some field trips. In May you go on a field trip to Living History Farms and to Drake and get autographs from the players. You do lots of tests and you get to use the computer and websites. Hope you have a good fourth grade year.
Brady



Dear New Student,

You might want to be in Mr. Pugh's class, but Ms Day's is just as good. If your in Ms. Day's you get to use computers. You get to write things, then put them on the internet. You also get to play games and learn.
Sincerely,
Jonathan


Dear New 4th Graders,

You will have to work hard in Ms. Day's class and in Mr. Pugh's class. Expect to get to be better at math, science, spelling, and other stuff. Be prepared to get work done on time and turned in. Be a good 4th grader.
From,
Warren



Dear New Fourth Grader,

Welcome to fourth grade. I hope you will have a great time in fourth grade. But to do that, you will need advice. First of all, be prepared to use lots of technology. Also you will need to love books, because you will read a lot of good ones. And, you should always have a book at your desk for independent reading. If you do this, you will have a good time in fourth grade.
Sincerely,
Bryony


Dear New 4th Grade,

Here are some things you need to know about 4th grade. Miss Day can be strict sometimes, like when you talk during reading groups, she yells at you. So try not to talk. Miss Day is nice too. She is good with technology. She is a nice teacher. Welcome to 4th grade.
Maddie




Dear New 4th Grader,
Some things you need to know:
1. Do it nice or do it twice.
2. Do not get in trouble.
3. You will have a planner.
4. Classroom rules.
5. White boards with markers.
6. Computers.
7. Games: Pig and Roll It.
8. Mailbox
Your friend,
Draven




Dear New 4th Grader,

You are going to have a nice time in 4th grade. Here is one thing, do not have your desk top empty. Ms. Day will get mad. You will be doing blogs, StoryBird, and Story Jumper.
Dessa




Dear New 4th Graders,

Have a great time in 4th grade.
Sincerely,
Abi




Dear New 4th Graders,

One you come to 4th grade, take my advice. Always pay attention and get your work done. If you get your work done, near the end of the year, you get an extra recess on Friday. If everyone is on good behavior, you might get extra recess. You will get to use computers to write stories and have reading groups. Stay on your best behavior and have fun in 4th grade.
Sincerely,
Jeffrey


Dear New 4th Grader,

You might want to be in Mrs. Day's class because she is fun. And you do fun stuff like build castles, and make paper dolls, and do stuff like fun work sheets too.
Your friend,
Mason



Dear New 4th Graders,

Some things you're gonna want to know: every Friday, IF you have all your work done, you (might) get extra recess. You will read a lot. You will be able to do a lot with technology. You don't do many reports.
Sincerely,
Destinee



Dear New 4th Graders,

You will have so much fun. You get to work on the computers a lot. You get your own blog and you get to go on the class wiki, and you can play math games and work on spelling and other things. And the other cool stuff on the computers is that you get to go on StoryJumper. I thought that was really fun. You get to make your own book with pictures. And the stuff we do in math is fun too, and some of the stuff we learn is stuff we learn in like the 5th grade. And also you will have a great teacher who is very nice. I hope you have a great year being a 4th grader.
Krissy




Dear New 4th Grade,

I would like to tell you about 4th Grade. You get to read harder books to you who like reading. To you who like science, health, and other experiences, you'll be happy.
Sincerely,
A old fourth grader,
John