What's in a Meme?

OK, a "meme" (pronounced theme) isn’t the same as a "name" but it is an intriguing way to look at using blogs in the classroom and students as individuals. The use of memes was briefly touched on in my previous post but now it's time to look at this application deeper.

The definition of a meme, not related to blogging, is "a unit of cultural transmission, or a unit of imitation." (Dawkins, 1976). A meme in the blogging world is a posting that requires active participation by the blogger and optional participation by the “tagged” blogger. It's often a series of questions that a blogger answers to share some personal perspective or experience on a random topic (QBlog in Blogging 101).

Out on the very big www memes are often quite silly however some really are on the serious side. The relevant question for us is what can it do to improve classroom literacy strategies? Whether you have been tipping your toe in the blogging pool or are contemplating diving right in, memes can make it very real, worth while, and manageable.

Language Arts Example:
As a class or as members of a literature circle in the class students are reading Steinbeck’s “Grapes of Wrath”. Here is the meme posting for the end of Chapter 5.

Post: May 1, 2007 smartabano
I would like to hear from James and Susan
1. What does the author mean when he refers to “banks” as “Monsters” in this chapter?
2. What characteristics does he use to convey this?
3. How else could the author convey this to readers?
4. Is there anything about banks of the 21st century that demonstrate that they have changed?

I have tagged only two of my students in this particular post and will target others in subsequent posts. This time, only James and Susan will comment on this post following what ever classroom blogging guidelines have been established.

Benefits:

• Students can provide a deeper more thoughtful response without competition from the entire class or the ability to disappear among the entire class.
• Students feel important when asked by name to participate.
• Teachers have the ability to differentiate questions based on student interest or readiness levels.
  

Guidelines

• Inform students in advance that “everyone” will be tagged over the course of time (e.g. book, month, quarter) ensuring the process is fair and equal.
(li>Tagged students must participate by responding according to posting guidelines
• Set guidelines for writing responses (e.g., complete sentences, spelling and grammar count, you will, or will not, be graded on your responses, etc.)
• Make blog posting guidelines easily available for students to refer to, possibly as a resource link in the blog.
• Decide if other classmates can respond to the tagged answers or if the tagged can then tag other students with questions of their own.

If you try this in your classroom, tell us about your experiences.

Blogging in the Literacy Rich Classroom - Workshop Feedback

Today I was fortunate to work with a very enthusiastic group of teachers and administrators. We explored a variety of applications for using blogs in a literacy rich classroom. We also took a minor segway into planning and guidelines for blogging. Below is our collective thinking on the topic. Feel free to comment on your own experiences with blogging in K-12 education. Many thanks to Victor for sharing his very extensive, well-planned ELA classroom blog (and his baby pictures!).

Our Collective Thinking About Blogging

• Planning - Be proactive in planning on every aspect of your blog - including making sure building administration is aware and approves of your blogging project.
• Differentiation/Classroom Management - Consider using “meme” to control the number of comments on any given post and to solicit higher level thinking around a topic by limiting the involvement in the discussion. You can schedule student groups, or invite students based on readiness and interest levels for differentiation. The term "Meme" refers to a unit of information which can propagate from one mind to another. As it relates to blogs - you can invite specific people (students) to respond to a posting.
• Differentiation/Security - Control the timing and levels of publishing based on student readiness level and security policies within your school/district.
  •Student Assessment - Great way to show progress and improvement in student writing over time.
• Planning - Be cautious with “meme” in that the people you are inviting to contribute want and can contribute. We thought you may not be able to control this – needs further research.
• Planning - How spontaneous do you want the blog to be? Should students word process the posting prior to posting?
• Curriculum - Use blogs as an instructional tool when teaching the writing process – getting ideas, writing a thesis statement, introductory sentences, supporting details, conclusion, etc. Have students submit samples in response to a prompt and have assess the submissions peer to peer assess.
• Curriculum - Community project blog, each group uses the blog to collect information about what the have learned, continually adding to it as a way to collect notes. In the end they use the information on the blog to create a final project as a paper or presentation.
• Planning - Decide what type of access you want or are able to provide. (e.g. do students have district email? If so consider inviting students to the blog. This will require a student email account and we suggest only doing this if your school/district has an implemented student safe email solution.
• Classroom Management - require moderation so that teachers/blog creator will get an email notice and the blog comments/replies will not be published without them allow or delete for posting (consider the time for this task).
• Classroom Management - Set clear guidelines and instructions for students and post right on the front of the blog.
• Classroom Management - All blog postings should have students names in the post if you do NOT have them using “school safe & approved” email accounts.
• Classroom/School Management - Guidelines from Byram blog (Victor’s demonstration) - How do I submit my comment?
  Student instructions: “You are to leave the name, website, and url text boxes blank. After you and your partner write a comment - sign it by typing both of your names (first names only) after your comment. Then you can submit it. Remember, I will not approve any comment that does not do this!

"The Blog", Take One!

No, a "Blog" (noun) is not the same as "The Blob" the American science-fiction film from 1958 depicting a giant amoeba-like alien that terrorizes the small community of Downingtown, Pennsylvania.

Imagine a classroom where students eagerly await responses to their writing prompts, where they learn to write with skills that solicit responses from others, where they can become skilled, published writers. It can't be...say it ain't so?...oh my gosh....its...its...its...aghhhhh..its a BLOG!

Yes, a blog can be as mesmorizing for students in it's ability to capture their attention and curiosity as a good movie which is why it works. Teachers are discovering that blogs are an effective tool for capturing the attention, imagination and creativity of their students.
Bloggers (verb for those who blog) can be found everywhere on the web. There are political blogs, social blogs, knitting blogs, college blogs, dog and cat blogs, and yes K12, classroom blogs, and yes , even blog blogs.

The examples below demonstrate that placing as much emphasis on how we teach as well as what we teach makes blogs and blogging great additions to any literacy rich classroom.

Secret Life of Bees Study Guide
http://weblogs.hcrhs.k12.nj.us/bees/

Sarah, Plain and Tall
http://sarahplainandtall.blogspot.com/

Book Club or Summer Reading
http://teachers.emints.org/FY04/youngj/bookclub/

Book Reviews
http://marykreul.teacherhosting.com/blog/

Learning & Reflection Forum
http://plowe91.bravejournal.com/