Blogging: How to Teach and Promote Quality Writing

In my 31 years as an elementary educator, I have never seen a project more powerful for sharing classroom learning, making global connections,  and building a positive digital footprint for young students than having a classroom blog. I recommend every classroom teacher consider flattening the walls via blogging. There are so many benefits!

Educational blogging is also a fantastic way to teach and promote high standards for writing. Students want their writing to get published and educational blogging is a great way to leverage that interest.  


I have two educational blogs that I use in our learning. Mrs. Yollis' Classroom Blog is a public blog where classroom events and projects are published. The comment section is where the blog comes to life. Students and parents interact in this online community. 

My second blog is called Yollis' 365 Blog, and it is a public photo-of-the-day blog. Students, family members, and other classes throughout the world contribute photos and text. The digital images are used to inspire creative stories, spark  poetry entries, and share information about hobbies and interests. 

Below are TWO videos I've made to help teachers begin blogging with their students.  

1. This is a video made by Mrs. Yollis' students called How to Compose a Quality Comment!  It offers FIVE tips to help take comments to the next level! I use this video to teach students about content. 

2. This is a video made by Mrs. Yollis' students called Tips to Ensure Quality Blogging. It outlines the rules for participation in our classroom blogs and the agreements the students make when publishing on our blogs.

Do you have any questions about blogging for my students?

How has your writing improved through participation on the blog? 

Teaching Commenting Skills

WHY have a classroom blog?


Here is a video I made with my second and third graders about the value of blogging. I hope it convinces you to start a class blog!

Blogging has many parts: the post, the comments, and the sidebar.

If you do a good job with all of the parts, your blog will be more interesting.

Today we will focus on quality comments!

Content is key!

In our class, we evaluate our blog comments. A one-point comment is a general comment that doesn't add very much to the post.   Example: I like your blog. Please visit mine! 

A two-point comment adds something to the comment conversation. A commenter might compliment the writer in a specific way or add new information. Another idea is to make a connection. Maybe the post reminds you of an experience that you've had. Share that connection!  Try to end your comment with a relevant question. That way, an interesting conversation can develop.

What should I say in my comment?

Here is a video made by Mrs. Yollis' students called How to Compose a Quality Comment!  It offers FIVE tips to help you take your comments to the next level!

We like to open our comments with a greeting and end with a closing. We choose to do this as it makes it easier for us to follow the conversation within a comment section.

-For Advanced Bloggers-

Some bloggers like to use HTML code to make their comments better.  Learning to write HTML code, or HTML tags, is a somewhat simple way to take your comment to the next level.

HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) is a language.

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To write HTML code, use the following symbols:

Important: Do not add a space between the HTML tag and the word or sentence.

                                                                                                     

1.  To put text in italics, place this HTML code around the text:

 

 

The sentence will look like this when published:

 

Bloggers should always proofread a comment before publishing.

                                                                                                     


2.  To make text bold, place this HTML code around the text:

                           

The sentence will look like this when published: 


Bloggers should always proofread a comment before publishing.

                                                                                                     


 
3.  To make a hyperlink, it gets a little tricky.

Use the following HTML code around the URL and add your own link word/words:

  [The URL is the address of the web page. It starts with http://www…]

The HTML code below:

 

Will become this hyperlink when published:

                                                                 Mrs. Yollis’ Website

Sometimes it is hard to remember the HTML codes. I keep an HTML word document on my desktop with all the common codes, especially the one to create a hyperlink. Here is a video demonstrating how easy it is to a create a hyperlink if you have the code set up in a Word doc.

If you like to add fun shapes...here are those codes!

What did you learn about quality commenting? 

 Why is it important to proofread a comment before pressing publish? 

Have you ever had a conversation in a comment section?

 

An Online Community!

We are part of the Edublog Student Blogging Challenge. 

This week the focus is on the idea of community. One of the things we love about our class blog is that it is a fabulous way to build an online community!

There are many benefits to our online community. By having a class blog, we get to practice and promote our reading and writing skills. In addition, it gives us an online place to strengthen our digital citizenship skills and build quality digital footprints. Most of all, the class blog provides a wonderful space for students, families, and global friends to learn about one another.  :-)

Here is an excellent example of our online community. One connection leads to another. Watch the connections build in the comment section!  

This photo about The Real Four Corners started a chain of comments! 

The above photo lead to this geography post: Family Blogging Month :: The 50 States and some graphing about which states family members had visited. 

Here is Allie's graph. (Click to enlarge.)  

The Family Blogging Month :: The 50 States blog post lead to this chain of interesting comments in the comment section!

Allie's mom left a comment: 

Allie and Chaolin replied: 

Allie's mom replied back to the girls: 

Elie's mom joined in with a comment for Allie's mom:

Elie's dad wrote to his wife, Elie's mom:

Allie's mom replied back to Elie's mom

What a wonderful exchange! We love our online community!

What do you like about our online community?

What other communities do you belong to? How did you get involved and what do you enjoy about the community? 

Comments Count!

We are enjoying being a part of Edublog's Student Blogging Challenge! Week 2 Task: Time To Comment

The comment section is where a blog can really come to life! It is a place where you can interact with readers and learn more about one another. So, we spent the week becoming better commenters!

How I teach my third graders to comment.

First, we learn how to comment using an informational video made by my former students. Through this video, we learn the FIVE tips for leaving a quality comment:

Step 1: Compliment the blogger in a specific way.

Step 2: Add new factual information.

Step 3: Make a connection.

Step 4: Ask a relevant question to get a conversation going.

Step 5: Always proofread your comment before publishing! 

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A few other ways to teach commenting.

★ Collaborative Commenting ★

Here is a fantastic group comment from our blogging buddies in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Their librarian, Mrs. Talley, connects her classes to ours via the comment section on our 366 Photo-of-the-Day Blog. 

Example: 

125 ✽ Tipi Glow

The photo that inspired a collaborative comment. 

Mrs. Talley composed a quality comment with a class during their weekly visit to the library. 

(Click to enlarge)

As a group, I helped compose a reply. (Since I am the only one who can type proficiently, I type for my student bloggers. Soon they'll be typists and will be able to compose quality comments themselves.) Any student who added an idea or sentence gets his/her name added to the closing of the comment. 

(click to enlarge)

★ Learning From One Another ★ 

A weekly homework assignment is to leave a blog comment by Friday on a blog post of interest. Students must have parent supervision on the blog. 

This photo from our  BreakOut EDU experience brought an interesting  comment from a student. 

Photo by Mrs. Yollis

Check out Elie's analogy:  BreakOut EDU reminds me of a restaurant.  

(Click to enlarge)

Elie shared his comment in class, and we talked about analogies. Before long, another student left a comment with a different analogy. Hayden thinks that BreakOut EDU is like kayaking in a double kayak!  

Again, collaborative comments are a great way to teach this important blogging skill. This group comment was written by Reese, Elie, Lola, Rose, and Nolan.

★ Learning From Parents ★ 

Parents, called Virtual Volunteers, help us learn about commenting! Here is a wonderful comment about our BreakOut EDU experience from Nolan's mom. 

(click to enlarge)

What are some other ways to teach 

commenting skills?

Step-Up to Commenting!

Guest Post by Samantha, Aashi, and Shayna



In class, we learned how to write a Step-Up to Writing Paragraph. A Step-Up to Writing Paragraph is structured and uses color. Here is a sample paragraph Mrs. Yollis wrote about her Uncle Don.

Here is a chart of the colors and what they represent:

Recently, Mrs. Yollis and students have started leaving comments using this method. Here is Mrs. Yollis' comment to Samantha about the Moorish Idol fish. Samantha asked Mrs. Yollis to name her favorite Hawaiian island. Mrs. Yollis  responded using the Step-Up to Writing format. That comment is what started the fad.

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Mrs. Yollis' fish comment to Samantha:


Out of all the islands I have visited, I like Maui the best. First of all, I love the snorkeling on Maui. In my opinion, the reefs of Maui are the most interesting. One bay, to the north, is so wide and full of colorful fish, I could spend the entire day swimming with my humu friends and the plethora of butterfly fish that live there. Another reason I love Maui is the condo we stayed in. The building is right on the beach and the front windows of the living room and bedroom go floor to ceiling. When I go to bed at night, I am lulled to sleep by the sounds of the waves. Finally, I love the restaurants on the Valley Isle. One of our favorite eating establishments is in Lahaina. We eat at our special place a few times and love to watch the sun set on the Pacific Ocean. The restaurant has live music, so I get to enjoy some local music along with a delicious meal. As you can see, Maui holds a special place in my heart and is my favorite Hawaiian island.

Did you notice anything special about the structure of my paragraph?

Mahalo!

Mrs. Y♥llis







Samantha's comment back to Mrs. Yollis:

I thought that your comment was amazing for many reasons. First, I discovered that you used high level words such as plethora and establishments. I learned that plethora means an excessive quantity or a lot. Using higher level vocabulary raises everyone's reading level.  Next, I noticed that you used adjectives such as wide, colorful, local and delicious. It makes the paragraph more interesting. Sometime I use a thesaurus to help me find synonyms for some dull words.   Last, I noticed that you used transition words, such as first of all, another reason, and finally.  Transitions help others put the main ideas and details in order. That makes the paragraph easier to understand. In conclusion, it was interesting learning about Maui.  

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 A couple of dogs and a baby felt bad for poor Clem of Clem's Calamity, so they left a nice Step-Up to Writing Paragraph for punctured pooch. Here is a comment from Rocky, Heather's dog (Heather) and Aarna, Aashi's two year old baby sister (Aashi). Both of them used the Step-Up to Writing format.

Photo by Mr. Shareski

Aarna (Aashi)'s comment for Clem:


Here's a Step-up-to-Writing paragraph just for you. I'm telling you, get packing! Just in case this quill-ful creature doesn't listen to us....

Out of all the frightening adventures I've been on, this is going to be the toughest mission. Firstly, you should get as much help as possible. This prickly animal might want those quills to hurt all of us. Please get some things like: first aid kits, lunchboxes, camping tents, food, etc. Next, make sure you practice some easy ninja moves. If the thorny ball tries to get even one of his quills on you, you should know how to defend yourself. Practice doing some backwards somersaults on a rough but comfortable flooring, and make the best blocking position with your paws as you somersault. You need to do this so that the quills won't be able to touch your lovely body. Finally, make sure you wear some strong and firm clothing. Think about how a ninja would look, and you should wear something similar. You should: wear a medium sized jacket that you can pull on. Tighten the laces on the hood and wear tight pants and two pairs of socks. In conclusion, I think that being ready to befriend a porcupine truly requires readiness.



 Rocky (Heather's) comment for Clem:

Oh no! That must have felt horrible! 
I have never met a porcupine before, but I think that they are cute and are nice to sniff. Even so, I have some safety tips for you in a Step-up-to-Writing paragraph:

Out of all of the accidents I have seen in my life, this is the most painful. First, if you see that mean rodent ever again, ignore him and run away. Don't even try to say hello or sniff him if you can. If you are on a walk with your humans, they are probably going to protect you. Second, you should have your humans to pluck out those quills or else that is going to hurt! Some even look deeper than some other quills. I don't think those quills are very comfortable in your muzzle. Finally, take me on any great voyages that you are planning to do. If you meet one of those prickly guys again, I will say hello to him and sniff him for you. If he loosens his muscles to shoot out those quills, I will just back away. In conclusion, you should try to avoid contact from that little animal.

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Shayna left a step-up-to-writing paragraph for Sheila's photo of Thing 1 and Thing 2, the mischievous twins.

Shayna's comment to Sheila:

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Here's a paragraph about why I like those three characters that I mentioned before.

Out of all the characters that Dr. Seuss had created, I have three favorites. My first characters are Thing 1 and Thing 2. I adore these characters because of their humorous personality. These silly creatures have funny, blue, and spiky hair with a red shirt that says which thing they are. I always laugh when I imagine their silly blue hair zooming by. My second favorite is Cindy Loo. I like Cindy Loo because of her calm and gentle attitude. Her soft voice always soothes me as I read the book she was placed in. My final character is The Lorax. The Lorax is a yellow creature with many friends. All nature is his friend. I thought The Lorax had a real meaning when he spoke the word, "Unless" in a mysterious voice. At the end of the book you find out that he meant, "Unless someone like you cares a whole lot, nothing will ever get better." Clearly, I have admired these characters for a long time and I always will. 

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This is Peter's post about subject pronouns. He wrote a step-up-to-writing paragraph to complement his post. 

Peter's Subject Pronoun Post  

Here are some examples of subject pronouns. They are words that replace names or things, like thing would be it, Peter would be he, Mrs. Yollis would be she. I am going to make up a step up to writing about subject pronouns.

   Subject Pronouns are a great way to use different words instead of Peter or Mrs. Yollis. First,  instead of using Peter,  you could use he. He has a new blog post on his blog.  He admires blogging. He thinks Mrs. Yollis' blog is grand! He thinks blogging is a wonderful way to connect with others, and learn around the world! Secondly,  other than using Mrs. Yollis, you can use she.  She has a blog that is a great place to find wonderful facts.  She publishes posts that are full of inspirational blogging ideas.  Finally, instead of using thing, you could use it.   When referring to places or things you can use the word it.  It is an incredible place to have a grand vacation, and it is called Hawaii.  It has beautiful fish like the Humuhumunukunukuapua' a (hu • mu • hu • mu• nu •ku • nu •ku • a • pu • a • 'a). If you want some facts about this amazing fish, you can go to the following post on Mrs. Yollis' blog, Mrs. Yollis' Humuhumunukunukuapua'a. The Humuhumunukunukuapua'a is Hawaii's state fish, and it is a spectacular tropical fish. At the end of the day, subject pronouns are pretty important.

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Heather also made a step-up-to-writing post. It was about prefixes and suffixes.

Heather's Prefixes and Suffixes

 Out of all the words that have prefixes and suffixes, I chose three to explain. One of my words is disagreement. I chose this word because it shows a prefix, base word, and a suffix. Dis- means not. It has almost the same meaning as un-. To agree to something means you share the same idea and think it is also correct. A synonym for that is concur. Ment- means forming nouns expressing the means or result of an action. Disagreement is a negative word. If you disagree with someone, you don't agree.Another of my words  is reappear. To reappear is to appear again because re- means again. The base word for reappear is appear. If you take off the re- and replace it with dis- it will make disappear. An antonym for reappear is also disappear. Reappear can be a positive word if you make it one, but it can also be a negative word. If a bee stung you, and another bee reappeared, that would have been using it as a negative word. Finally, I want to share the word midnight with you. As you probably guessed, mid- means middle because the first syllable is spelled mid. Midnight isn't exactly the middle of night because after midnight, the next morning starts. The antonym for midnight would be noon. If you get rid of the mid- and replaced -fall at the end of the word, it would be nightfall. The meaning of that is that the night is beginning to rise and the evening is gradually mixing into the night. Clearly, everyone can have fun changing the prefix or suffix on any base word!

What do you think of this Step-up paragraph writing?

How does the green, red, yellow color help?