Wednesday, March 19
3:00 PM-4:00 PM
EDT
River Terrace 3

How to Create WordPress Student Blogs Aligned with Common Core Writing Standards

Roundtable ID: 40915
  1. aaa
    Erik Bean
    American Public University

Abstract: Blogs can help sharpen student writing and reinforce many Common Core writing standards. Teachers across the country are using student blogs to brainstorm, write, rewrite, develop theses, and prepare argumentative claims. WordPress offers several blogging advantages. WordPress is free – there is no charge for you or your students; is open-source – the code used by WordPress is available to everyone and can be modified to suit your needs; and is relatively easy to use— you and your students write about your interests and share them with each other and the world. WordPress contains built-in blog style discussion threads where teachers can moderate comments. Students can choose to be online at the same time or they can contribute to the critique process after school. Begin your first WordPress blog project with an engaging essay assignment that encourages student feedback, collaboration, and analysis—an information text essay about a hero. Appropriate for grades six through twelve as well

Objectives

The purpose of this three hour workshop is to provide English, English composition, creative writing, literature, and journalism teachers, preferably in grades 6 through 12 or those who teach undergraduates, an introduction with option to immediately launch a permanent WordPress class site. No formal experience is necessary other than the passion and/or curiosity to integrate technology into a teacher tested essay blog lesson plan. Highlights include WordPress features, functions, and benefits and how writing, publishing, and collaborating with the popular blog can be a viable extension of any classroom. Participants will benefit by examining spotlight teacher WordPress blogs, obtaining an operationalized Common Core Standards guide, and accompanying rubric that clearly shows where and how the standards can be met.

Topical Outline

Introduction 1. Brief audience and facilitator introductions 2. Why WordPress blogs and Common Core Standards work well together 3. Review of three spotlight teachers/WordPress sites: A Kansas City 7th grade English teacher, a Michigan 9th grade creative writing instructor, and a Pennsylvania college journalism teacher 4. Applying a definition hero essay blog as a collaborative commentary WordPress assignment Body 1. First steps: Computer and equipment 2. Hero essay lesson plan 3. Discussing WordPress with your class, it’s 10th anniversary, its yearly blog awards 4. Explain the meaning of the word blog, which stands for “Weblog, online diary.” 5. Once essays are completed, the essays will be copied and pasted into unique WordPress pages, one for each student. 6. Through the collaborative process of posting student comments in WordPress, the entire class will participate in the writing, editing, and re-writing process 7. Calibrating student WordPress commentary analysis 8. How to grade and collaboration 9. Types of WordPress users, account creation and management 10. Privacy/precautions 11. Operationalized Common Core Standards, sample permission slip Conclusion 1. Restate objectives and advantages; Audience questions

Prerequisites

No formal experience is necessary other than the passion and/or curiosity to integrate technology into a teacher tested essay blog lesson plan.

Experience Level

Beginner

Qualifications

Erik Bean, Ed.D. has served as an English department chair, school dean, associate professor of English, curriculum developer, online instructor, and has taught English composition for more than 15 years. He is a motivational speaker and author of a popular Examiner.com Web 2.0 blog where he reviews websites, social media, and often reports on education, security, and technology issues. His conference presentations help teachers do their job more efficiently. Erik Bean’s teaching and writing contributions provide a rigorous and engaging approach to upholding Common Core standards. Emily Waszak is an accomplished creative writing and English composition teacher and author of self-help and children’s books. Her contributions provide a valuable link between Common Core creative and fictional writing expectations where high school students need to understand key writing components such as setting, time, and character development. Emily Waszak has worked in a variety of communication arenas. She also is a motivational speaker and has conducted writing workshops for middle and high school students in the suburban Detroit, Michigan area where she resides. Erik Bean, Ed.D. and Emily Waszak are currently working on a new book for Brigantine Media, Compass Education Division, Using Social Media to Teach the Common Core. It is scheduled to be published in the winter of 2014.
No presider for this session.

Topic

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