Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Giving Reluctant Students a Voice


This was a really interesting article, and although it seems obvious, I had not considered the possibility of using a blog for classroom discussions before.  Looking back at the online class I’ve taken in the past, I did feel more confident in my responses because I don’t know anyone in the class so they couldn’t knowingly judge me or my response.  Depending on your students’ access to internet though, this may not be appropriate to use as a homework assignment, but it could be used as a center in the classroom.  Using a blog and/or discussion board would be easier with 4th grade and older, but with some training and lots of modeling, I think it could also be used in the primary grades. 

If computers weren’t readily available, I wonder if chart paper set up at a center for students to respond on would have a similar effect.  As with the blog example, the students would be assigned random numbers they would include with their response so the teacher would be able to keep track of each response.   I don’t know if this would have the same anonymity as a blog, but it may create a slightly more comfortable environment for those less eager to participate in class discussions. 

1 comment:

  1. I didn't even think about the fact that not all students have computer access at home...even though that should seem so obvious! I guess one way to compensate for that could be to block out class time in a computer lab and have students share on blogs then. Of course that may or may not compromise the secure feeling on anonymity, but it's a possible solution. If the students feel like others may be looking at what others are writing barriers could be put up to ensure privacy!

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