I am  constantly trying to find ways to make learning interesting for the students.  My students inspire me to be creative.  I see in them amazing ability and it is my job to bring this ability to light, to encourage them to shine and to motivate them to discover the power they have to achieve.  For these reasons, I teach and I learn. 

So I read that classroom web pages are a innovative source of motivating students.  What I experience as I see my students become bloggers is some hits and some misses, but always teachable moments.  I believe there will be great gifts as students have a medium to express their thoughts and gain insights to the thoughts of others.   

Each week I will post a current world event and then ask the students questions to answer a question about the current event posted.  Students will have the freedom to write what they wish within guidelines.  I find that if I give them too much free reign they tend to become lost.  Has this ever happened to you?  You are given too many choices and you are incapable of choosing or don’t know where to begin.  Well this is the case with fourth and fifth graders who are not used to being allowed free reign of something.   

                I believe that blogging and creating web pages  is not only fun for the students but also in their moment of excitement I snag the opportunity to lecture them about grammar and use of figurative language and don’t forget to capitalize and proofread and…oh yeah, spelling counts. 

I will use this blog to gain insight on my student’s perspective, give them my own insights and most of all provide an opportunity for them to know each others differing and valueable perspectives. I will also use it as a “fly on the wall” view for my parents and a stage for my students extraordinary abilities.  I encourage you, the parents to comment as well on your students thoughts on subjects relevant to today’s world.  Click on Cowan Ave. International Studies link to begin.