Comments are Powerful!

I already knew the importance of how commenting on blogs was extremely important to children's engagement and motivation to post/write on their own blogs. They feel like their work is valued and being viewed instantly from anywhere, not just  in the classroom.

This is also true for adults! Thank you to Myra for making me smile! :)

This is exactly what I have instilled into my own class - the love of sharing your learning/thoughts/reflections etc with others and the importance of commenting to make others feel valued.

Myra's comment.

Now... my challenge to each of you... go and make someones day by making comment and letting them know you care! ;)

Teaching Commenting Skills

These are links I found on twitter.

http://threefourlonnie.global2.vic.edu.au/how-to-comment/ Here is the link to the blog with the above poster.

Click on the link under this picture to go to a great site on how to teach commenting skills to your class.
I believe it is essential to teach and model good commenting skills, just like we do in maths, reading writing etc.

http://educational-blogging.wikispaces.com/How+To+Teach+Commenting+Skills

My thoughts on teaching commenting skills.....

I already use my morning oral language time to teach and model commenting skills to my class. I enjoy using my morning oral language time as what we are talking about is relevant, useful and chn can relate to what is happening on the blogs we view, or it starts a great conversation if we need further clarification e.g; looking at a blog about romans (england quad blog).

I believe that modeling a good quality comment is essential. Chn can then use the modeling to then write then own good quality comments. I often use our buddy classes blog or our quad blogging buddies blog to model writing comments.

I find after a modeling session chn are putting their hands up and asking if they can then go away and write a comment on someones blog... which proves it's all worthwhile!

with your writing programmes?

A teacher actually came to me at school yesterday (holiday time) and asked if a child in my class would have written a comment on her class blog during the holidays! If it was this particular child then I am so impressed!

My goal is to encourage more commenting at home; after school, weekends and holiday time!

Why comment?

I think chn see relevance in what they are doing when others are making comments on their work. Just like in class with chn's work books.... if you, as a class teacher, or chn as peers are providing comments; feedback and feedforward about their learning this only builds upon chn's current knowledge and then they improve from there.

Commenting on bogs is the same as providing feedback and feedforward only in a different format so chn then feel more motivated and excited out writing on their own blogs which therefore increase their motivation for writing and hopefully their actual writing skills.

I would love your thoughts on the above.....

Teaching Commenting

I believe it is crucial to teach our students how to write a comment and develop these important skills before they comment on blogs.
We expect chn to do certain things in the writing books so its just the same expectations for writing on blogs and also writing comments.
This article has great ideas on how to teach commenting... My goal for my class this term is to develop a set of criteria on how to write a good quality comment. I would love them to video themselves modeling how to write a good comment and post this on their blogs (e-journals).
Thanks to Katheleen Morris for this article.

How to encourage commenting

http://educational-blogging.wikispaces.com/How+To+Teach+Commenting+Skills