Lesson+2+Kristina

=**__ Engagement in Learning: Media Literacy in the 21st Century Lesson #2  __**   =

**Using conversation tools.** Your students to create a blog which they can use to share their views on political issues and candidates. They will need to link to a polictal related media; get other students involved in commentating and reflect upon their learning. **
 * The web is a powerful social place that can affect decision making. Our goal is to guide learners to access, analyze and act on media and construct an understanding of media literacy access through discussions, participations and a variety of media's. **
 * The lesson is for:

//**This lesson is best suited for Grades**// //**7–12**//

**Tools needed: **
Computers Internet **//Always consult your schools policy for publishing online. Review resources related to student blog publishing. (classblogmeister.com) Review blog safety information too. (www.edtechmag.com/k12/isssues)//**

=**Preparation**=

//Here is a good little video on blogs//. media type="custom" key="3720303"  
 * Before setting up a blog you might want to discuss with your students what blogging is and have them share what they think it is. (brief definition: Blogging is online publishing that allows someone to express their thoughts, opinions and views along with receiving feedback from others.)
 * An ad-free blog site will need to be available for the students to set up a free account. A few choices are Blogger ([|www.blogger.com]) and edublogs.org <span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;">(this one was designed for educators)
 * <span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;">Before you introduce the lesson you will need to either have the students blog pages set or model for them how to do it themselves. It will also be beneficial if you have the sites you would like to use to be bookmarked. (del.icio.us) is a great online bookmarking tool.
 * <span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;">Lastly you might want to execute the level of control over audience and publishers. Choose who will have author, reader and commenting privileges for the student blogs.

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;">
=<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;">**Getting started** =

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;"> =**Assessing the work**=
 * <span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;">Once you have the blogs set up, permissions in place, have the students personalize their blogs by adding images, files,etc. If using blogger.com, widgets might be a good way to personalize. Once they have personalized their blog they can add links and tags.
 * <span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;">Lastly <span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;">c **<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;">reate an online learning community and review the etiquette for commenting on each others blog entries .** <span style="font-family: Myriad Pro Cond,Myriad Pro Cond;"><span style="font-family: Myriad Pro Cond,Myriad Pro Cond;">Bud the Teacher’s wiki ( <span style="font-family: TradeGothic,TradeGothic;"><span style="font-family: TradeGothic,TradeGothic;">www.budtheteacher.com/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page   <span style="font-family: Myriad Pro Cond,Myriad Pro Cond;"><span style="font-family: Myriad Pro Cond,Myriad Pro Cond;"><span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;">) offers sample blogging guidelines created by students and teachers across the country. You may wish to create your own version with students.
 * <span style="font-family: Myriad Pro Cond,Myriad Pro Cond;"><span style="font-family: Myriad Pro Cond,Myriad Pro Cond;"> <span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;">Once the blogs are up and running, have the students post their comments, views, opinions on their own blogs by using the media resources that you have set. The student must also read and comment on other blogs in the learning community. You can allow the students to research more sites on the web to help backup their thoughts opinions or views. (If you, the teacher, has admin. rights you can always remove any sites that are not reflective of what the student is learning.)

<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;">By reviewing students’ blogs, you will be able to assess whether they have acquired the skills to create blogs, post appropriate content, and comment respectfully on others’ work. You may also check to see if they can add images, links and tags/labels. <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;"> =<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;">**Extensions** =

<span style="font-family: Myriad Pro Cond,Myriad Pro Cond;"><span style="font-family: Myriad Pro Cond,Myriad Pro Cond;"><span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;">Use blogs as a venue for student assignments and/or reflections on assignments throughout the unit. Encourage or require commenting on other students’ blogs and/or sharing with peers, family and the community beyond the classroom. Use blogs as an ongoing assignment venue for students to comment on and connect to news and views related to politics. //<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;">For fun make a connection with another school and class and exchange blog comments //.<span style="font-family: Myriad Pro Cond,Myriad Pro Cond;">

citation: [|www.pbs.org/teachers/]