An idea I thought of for the purpose of my blog would be having the students write entries based off of diseases we have discussed and learned about in health. As Dr. David Thornburg and Hall Davidson stated in the video, "Technology's Influence," "technology is allowing project based learning and expanding student creativity" ( Laureate Education, Inc., 2008). I feel my idea would help expand student learning and creativity. My idea is, I would have each student pick a given disease we have discussed in class to write about. The blog entries would focus on having the students write on the idea of how their live would change if they had this disease. Not only would students write entries on how their live would change but I would have them write entries as if they had the disease and have them research different struggles they may face day in and day out. We discuss disease topics such as heart disease, asthma, allergies, and sexually transmitted diseases. By doing an activity like this it would force the student to learn about the specifics of their disease while also incorporating technology into the classroom. To take this activity one step further I would require students to comment on at least three other students’ blogs. My blog would create a place for students to interact about content and also act as a location which showcase students work. As Will Richardson states, "giving students their own Weblogs can change much about the traditional classroom. This creates a digital filing cabinet for peers and teacher response" (Richardson, 2010).
Even though I teach health education to 6th, 7th and 8th grade students this activity would also incorporate their writing and vocabulary skills. Blogs are also opening new opportunities for students to improve their writing. "They can use blogs as journals or as places to publish creative writing for larger audiences. The possibilities really are endless" (Richardson, 2010). I feel this would be an excellent activity for my students because they are not only learning about the facts of each disease but they are now putting to use their knowledge and they can see how the disease can affect their everyday life. Many times students do not realize the complications of a disease and how it would change their life forever. Many of the diseases we discuss in class are diseases we can prevention by living a healthy and active lifestyle.
This is just one way a blog could be used in my classroom. There are so many different uses for it however, "teachers can use their blogs to post class related information such as calendars, events, homework assignments and other pertinent class information" (Richardson, 2010).
References:
Even though I teach health education to 6th, 7th and 8th grade students this activity would also incorporate their writing and vocabulary skills. Blogs are also opening new opportunities for students to improve their writing. "They can use blogs as journals or as places to publish creative writing for larger audiences. The possibilities really are endless" (Richardson, 2010). I feel this would be an excellent activity for my students because they are not only learning about the facts of each disease but they are now putting to use their knowledge and they can see how the disease can affect their everyday life. Many times students do not realize the complications of a disease and how it would change their life forever. Many of the diseases we discuss in class are diseases we can prevention by living a healthy and active lifestyle.
This is just one way a blog could be used in my classroom. There are so many different uses for it however, "teachers can use their blogs to post class related information such as calendars, events, homework assignments and other pertinent class information" (Richardson, 2010).
References:
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2008). Technology influence. Baltimore, Maryland
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2008). Technology and society. Baltimore, Maryland
Richardson, W. (2010). Blogs, wikis, podcasts and other powerful web tools for classrooms. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
I think giving students insight to health threats is a great idea. This activity will help promote prevention and support having better lifestyle habits. However one challenge I foresee is not really technology related but more so socially related. You may want to take an informal survey of your class to make sure the students' lives have not been impacted recently by a particular disease. Loss of a family member to one, and then school assignments revolving around that particular health issue may prove a bit psychologically challenging, depending on the age.
ReplyDeleteIf you do find that a student is dealing with a particular health challenge already, perhaps a quick conversation with them and their parent(s) to assess how well they can handle discussion of the information will suffice. Or, maybe giving them first choice in being assigned that topic will help them take ownership of any emotional ties they may have.
This idea could be a learning experience that will stick with the students for years to come. Reading about the diseases and how they affect people does not always have an impact on the students. But by having them imagine having the disease and how it might change their lives makes it more personal and thus more meaningful. One problem that could be part of this project would be with the study of sexually transmitted diseases. Some parents are against their children being exposed to this information and many students in middle school are immature when it comes to such discussions. I taught internet safety to this age students and they would not even say the word "sex."
ReplyDeleteThis learning experience you created for blogging with your health students sounds good since your classes will gain a much better insight into such diseases like Type 2 Diabetes, Heart Disease and Obesity. Students need to feel the true impact of these illnesses since their life could be touched either personally or through a family member, friend or co-worker. We all need to know the
ReplyDeletesignificance of these diseases for prevention purposes, but also to offer support to those who may be affected in our close social circles.
I think you are on the right track, but I would also encourage students to do a lot of research on their own, possibly on the internet or a one-to-one interview. I think that your topic is big and it would require a lot of nurturing. A blog like this can be a great platform, but would require more than just a little blogging here and there by your students. I commend you for taking on such an important task with your middle school students. You have opened the door, started dialogue and hopefully changed some of your student's lives. These illnesses will not go away without awareness and action!