How to start blogging with elementary students

[Joao]

Through someone's tweet I came across Kim Cofino's blog. http://mscofino.edublogs.org/2008/02/05/students-as-contributors-on...
In this post she explains how she set up her students' blogs without being necessary for the students to create individual email accounts. She used linked accounts in Gmail which I didn't know was possible. This could be also used for older students just for the purpose of registering to some websites that require an email address to sign up.
Do you have similar experiences? How did you organize your blogging with the students? Did you create just a class blog or did you also ask your students to create their individual blogs? How did you manage the students' accounts? Did they use their individual email accounts?

[anamaria]

João, I´ve started microblogging with basic 1 sts (their first semester) using Pownce this semester and the experience has been of complete success. I opened an account in Pownce, then took my sts to the lab so that they could open their account there as well. Then we added each other to make a network for our classroom. Once a week, I write a simple text using language they´ve learned recently and ask them to write similar texts (4 lines long). The objective is for them to practise what they´ve been learning, give them the chance to notice they can use English for real interaction from the beginning and have a space to share links and files. I´ve also noticed they´re learning from each other´s messages. Everybody has been reading what everyone is writing. FANTASTIC!!

[Joao]

Anamaria, it's wonderful to feel that the students are engaged and using the language for real purposes. This is the way they learn best without even noticing that they are. I can only give you my congratulations for the idea and that you dared to initiate the microblogging project with your students. I wish you luck and ideas to keep the students motivated along the project.

[Carla Arena]

Dear João,

I didn't know about the gmail feature she mentioned. It would make it much easier to set up the class blog the way she mentioned, for the biggest hurdle is always related to setting up students' emails, mainly for the younger ones. I'd have to try this out. It's a pity I don't have a regular class right now to test it. I just loved this year's blogging4educators experience of each one creating his own blog and then we kept connected on our pageflakes, as well as through tagging each week's post. I thought it worked very well as a way to bring conversations together. I know that Edublogs has just improved their system of keeping class blogs with many student blogs. I haven't tested it, though. Also, you might want to take a look at 21classes as suggested by Konrad Glogowsky.

Oh, I've started a Ning network for my online adult students after our classes were over, and some of them have been keeping blogs, posting photos, updating forums...Ning seems to be a very flexible space for interactions and learning. What do you think?

Thanks for this great contribution!

I'll leave a message to everybody so that they pay attention to it.

Cheers from DC,
Carla

[Joao]

Yes, Ning is great. I hadn't used it before but as far as I can understand right now it seems to be very easy and smooth to handle. There is a lot of potential in it to create connections between educators who like to share knowledge and resources with the community.

[Carla Arena]

I agree with you João. And I love the fact that each one has his own page, and can add lots of resources. It is really user-centered meaning that everybody is in charge and the construction of knowledge happen where the interactions are taking place.

[Nina Lyulkun]

It's a very good question.
Though, my students don't have an access to the internet and only few can do online activities.

[Carla Arena]

Nina,

Do you have a computer lab at your Uni that you could use with your students during class time? It would be a possibility...

[Nina Lyulkun]

Dear Carla,

We do have a computer lab at uni, but the access to the Internet is limited. It is only 5 Mgb per day on each computer.
That's it. I am hoping that more and more students will own their pcs at home. That will be in a year or two when more students can widely use the Internet.