TOK Blogs. The Research begins...

So now that tennis season has ended and my TOK class is in full swing, my formal research has begun.

I'm having the students each host the blog for a week in an attempt to get them to record for me how people are responding on the blog. All of my expectations, including my "Blog Log", are found here.

Now that my students are thinking, writing, and recording for me... it all begins. Now we'll just see where it takes me.


In other classroom blogging news...
In 2 weeks or so, a new TOK blog will be set up for an international audience. Schools from Colorado, Chicago, Munich, Singapore, the UK, and Equador will be talking to each other. I'm still in the process of formalizing how that will look but I'll post more info. when I know.

Back for now...

This is the point where I would normally rant and rave about how I've been MIA on my personal blog and now it is the time where I will recommit and go forward with it on a consistent basis. Well we will see...

For now, I'm in the middle of the summer again... AI going strong... considering where I am in my research.

In terms of my question and research... I'm just now beginning the data collection phase. I have prepped my kids for how I'd like them to help me with data and I have my basic tools ready, I just need the time to finalize the forms and begin next week with my student hosting of the blog. This is all based on my classroom blog for my TOK class.

I am in a good place and looking forward to taking data but since I am not presenting at the Jan. Conference, I am not feeling the pressure to be in a different place. My data will take the year I can begin compiling in April/May.

As for the inquriy group, I'm not sure I need anything... I'd just like to hear where they are, both successes and failures.

Wow... I'm still in shock.

I'm actually sitting at my computer at school writing this post.

My district FINALLY decided to unblock Blogger for educational purposes. They used my TOK blog as evidence for its usefulness and they finally agreed... so now you are free as PSD teachers to utilize it in your classroom... and please do. The more of us that stand up and show how we can properly use blogger for students and teachers alike, the more likely that they will see it as a step forward in our use of technology.

Thanks Bud, Krista, and whomever else helped fight the good fight.

Blog Survey

So I'm creating a survey for my TOK kids to figure out what works, in terms of our classroom blog, and what doesn't. It's a bad time of year with IB kids, Internal Assessments, External Exams, end of year burn out, so they aren't using the blog nearly as much as I would like to... so here is my question...

Many of my students tell me I should increase the requirements of how often they should be posting/commenting (1 or 2 x per week is the suggestion) and I initially agree. But here is my dilemna...

How do I motivate students to use the blog yet make it meaningful. I'm not interested in forcing students to post/comment but I know that external motivation may be what is needed. There is little doubt that those who used the blog understand the class better -- its all about language and the ability to justify knowledge claims -- so students who write and discuss more really work through the struggles and really get TOK and can utilize the skills. So what do I do...?

I'm in the process of getting their opinions... I guess that is the beginning of teacher research, but I'm assuming that there is an enormous amount of bias in that "qualitative" research. Sorry... its the scientist in me. Get rid of the variables... control... control... take data... analyze data... This is all an adjustment, but a good one. So back to my problem...

What do you think? Do I force students into blogging or do I find some other form of motivation? This class is not grade intensive and is meant to be a compliment to all of their other courses, not a huge burden, so I struggle with upping the requirements because the reality is that it will never be at the top of their priority list in terms of HW, etc. Nor do we want it to be. So how do you push students into being the best thinkers possible by tapping into an intrinsic motivational button that I can't seem to find in seniors at the tail end of high school...?

sorry... a bit frustrated, confused, yet super interested, curious, and motivated to figure it out.