Lindsey Pratt
EDM 310-503
Blog Assignment #3
K12.doc

The teachers at Goochland County Public Schools in Central Virginia
use blogs. The teachers are blogging because they feel that blogging is a great way to keep good communication between the students and the parents. Students feel more comfortable blogging than talking to their teachers in person. Blogging is also a good way for teachers to keep up with the students journals. Blogging lets the teacher and the parent communicate. This way the parent does not have to request a meeting and miss work. Research that they have done in the Goochland Public County Schools has shown the publication of blogs by students may help the students retain the information they are blogging about.
http://www.glnd.k12.va.us/podcasts/blogs.shtml


Mrs. Maher at Pocahontas Middle School blogs all of the time. She blogs to keep up with the new technology that is entering the schools around her. Through blogging, she keeps up with different training mini workshops going on. Through her blogs she has been able to keep up with different teachers photo stories, power points, and interactive websites to enrich classroom instruction. She also keeps up with the other teachers blogs to see if they have any new ideas to bring to the classroom.
http://moodle.powhatan.k12.va.us/wpmu/cmaher/

Teachers in different high schools throughout the country are using a computer in their very own classroom. These computers have projection screens. They can project the material they are studying about and the students can follow along. They can project on the screen, vcr or computer dvd, create flip charts, and play games. Instructional flip charts can be saved also. Teachers can create and present power point presentations in their classroom. This helps the students retain the information because they have a visual of the material they are learning about.
Teachers can also create activities with hidden or revealed answers. The students always have fun with the games. One of the best motivators is games and competitions. This makes the student enjoy learning instead of them feeling like the material is being forced on them. This is a great way to keep the students interested.