The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2015 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
A New York City subway train holds 1,200 people. This blog was viewed about 5,600 times in 2015. If it were a NYC subway train, it would take about 5 trips to carry that many people.
“Two nations divided by a common language” George Bernard Shaw.
Are you studying English? If so, are you doing English (UK English) or taking English (US English) ? Where did you go to school? the word school is different – for Brits refers only to primary or secondary school, whereas for North Americans, it can refer also to any form of higher education including colleges and universities. Even the word college has different meaning in UK English or US English.
The following blog post has focused on very general words and phrases related with studying. And not only does it describe the most typical systems in the UK and the US, but also explains some important differences between UK and US vocabulary.
by Liz Walter
Almost everyone needs to talk about education now and then, so this blog post looks at some useful words and phrases connected with studying. It describes the most typical systems in the UK and the US, and explains some important differences between UK and US vocabulary.
The very youngest schoolchildren have a reception year in the UK and a kindergarten year in the US. After that, Brits talk about year 1, year 2, etc., while US children are in first grade, second grade, etc. The word grade is also used in US English to talk about scores in exams or written work. British English uses mark: He always gets good grades/marks.
In general, the UK has primary schools for ages 5-11 and secondary schools for ages 11-16, followed by sixth form collegesfor ages 16-18. In the US, elementary schoolsteach grades 1-5…
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The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2014 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 8,300 times in 2014. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 3 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.
Last year I found the site Kidblog. I researched the site and found that it was free to use (for a generous limited amount) and had great teacher privacy controls. I found it really engaged the students in the course work and helped collaboration and creativity. On a very practical level, I think the pupils found it very useful and engaging.
Kidblog is designed for primary and secondary teachers who want to provide each student with an individual blog. Students publish posts and participate in academic discussions within a secure classroom blogging community. Teachers maintain complete control over student blogs and user accounts.
“An electronic portfolio, also known as an e-portfolio or digital portfolio, is a collection of electronic evidence assembled and managed by a user, usually on the web, Such electronic evidence may include inputted text, electronic files, images, multimedia, blog entries, and hyperlinks.” (Wikipedia)
This year I have started to keep an E-Portfolio with primary 5th and 6th English classes. I hope it will give pupils of all abilities a better chance to create and collaborate. Students continue to become creators rather than simply consumers. I hope to report back later on in the year with how we are getting along.
Kidblog is unique among the web tools featured here because it is built by teachers for teachers. Kidblog provides teachers with everything they need to help students create their digital portfolios safely. It gives teachers administrative control over student blogs and accounts. Though Kidblog is private by default, teachers can choose to make posts public or password-protected. Kidblog is fully COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act) compliant and does not require any personal information from students.
Furthermore, Kidblog makes it easy to publish rich multimedia content. Seamlessly embed slideshows, videos, podcasts, artwork, Google Docs, and your favorite Web 2.0 tools like Storybird, Animoto, Glogster, etc.
Do you want to create a e-portfolio using Kidblogs or others tools? Here are some easy instructions:
Creating an e-portfolio using kidblog
Using E-Portfolios in the Classroom
Digital portfolios: guidelines for beginners
Final Portfolios: Ending the Year with Meaning
As far as I am concerned, it is necessary for teachers to be writers and to share strategies, lessons, and resources with one another, as we are able to provide glimpses into our daily lives, while sharing effective ideas that are realistic and classroom-tested.
There are several reasons why teaching, writing, and blogging complement one another. Following various teacher blogs, commenting on the entries, and interacting with other teachers is an excellent form of professional development. What better way to improve your teaching than to have hundreds of teachers in your professional learning network?
If you are a teacher and are unsure about writing your own blog, here are some suggestions that you may find useful:
1.) There are so many excellent teacher blogs out there that you may find interesting. A quick search would provide you with some great blogs that are related to your own teaching and are interesting to read.
2.) Every teacher is busy—between teaching, planning, marking, coaching, and our personal lives, we all have a lot on our plates. How do we find time to write? We find writing to be a reflective practice that helps us become better teachers. If you find a topic that you are passionate about, then writing will not seem like a chore, but more like a goal that you are inspired to reach.
3.) Be professional when writing! Never blog about anything that would compromise your integrity, that of your students, or your colleagues. Respect and professionalism is of the utmost importance.
4.) Don’t think that your thoughts, reflections, and experiences shouldn’t be shared. What you think is not that great, may be just what another teacher needs to read!
5.) Learn from others and reflect! Take what you see, make any necessary changes or additions and try it out! Once you have tried it for yourself, reflect! Then, share the experience again! As we pass it on, we continue to learn from others and others continue to learn from us!
Do you have any blogging tips? Share them in the comments section!
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