Rethinking old tools

A few things are different at the blog this year.  Kids are into doing homework .... assignments on the blog and wanting to do them more frequently.  I am accomidating them right now because they can get what they want.  Are there negative aspects of kids writing more at the blog? I am not sure yet.  Will quality of work suffer because they are doing more assignments.

cc licensed flickr photo by CarbonNYC: http://flickr.com/photos/carbonnyc/2281515041/

One of the beautiful things about the blog was that scribeposts were to be done only once every 35 classes which meant that kids only scribed 4 times a year.  My students have already in 6 weeks created 6 posts.  Twice as many as usual.  So once again I ask has the quality of work suffered.

No.  Work has not suffered.  In fact kids do great are doing even better, good kids are doing great and some just are doing math.  Instead of hitting it out of the park on a few posts kids are getting doubles and triples but still scoring the same amount of runs(do you like my baseball analogy?).

A new beast has emerged in this new class set up.  Commenting.  Kids are commenting so frequently I am amazed by their ability to be an audience.  Between the chat room

cc licensed flickr photo by merezha: http://flickr.com/photos/merezha/2668654829/

20 Oct 09, 20:10 laura: yes, because it has 3 parts, but it is still a 2 TERM ratio

20 Oct 09, 20:08 abby: but if theres a comma is that still considered as 3 part ratio??

20 Oct 09, 20:01 laura: and then you just use the last number of the ratio as the denomonator

20 Oct 09, 20:00 laura: but if you add the 2 numbers that have a comma, that becomes the numerator.

20 Oct 09, 19:55 Harvey: laura that isn't a fraction. You can only make 2 term ratios

20 Oct 09, 19:53 laura: ABBY: Unless there is a comma between 2 of those numbers, (4,5:12) you can't

20 Oct 09, 19:39 abby: does anyone know to make a fraction on 3 part ratio??

20 Oct 09, 19:33 Eric.P 8-73: Guys gotta comment on those australian blogs

and leaving 100's of comments every few nights they have got the whole community of learners thing figured out.

So where do I go next.  One mainstay of the blogging program over the past few years have been BOB's. These Blogging on Blogging assignments are meant as reviews before a test.  Last year they were simply a reflection of a few sentences.  This year the assignment was changed.  I have included a commenting component.  The students will do the BOB and then ask a series of questions as a built in study guide for their fellow students.  The other students then will answer the questions in the comments and this will be the studying needed for the test the next day.

Here is their first BOB.

Here are the instructions to complete your BOB on ratios.  Remember this is a way of preparing for a test.  Please take time to do a good job on understanding your ratio unit.

1. Title Must include BOB and RATIO.
2. labels, displayname, bob, ratio
3. You must include one of the pictures from today's lesson.  The easiest way to include it is to use its location address.  Click the picture link provided, right click the picture, copy location.  Once you have copied the location add image to the blog but use add url not browse my computer.  Paste the url into the window and click ok.  Your picture should be there.  (Just get the picture on the post)
4. Once the picture is at your blog you must create the following.  3 part to part ratios, 2 part to total ratios and 2 three part ratios.  Please for each have a word ratio and ratio notation.
5. Choose one ratio that you have done and show how to write that ratio in ratio notation, fraction, decimal and percent form.
6. Choose one ratio that you have written and show how to create equivalent ratios.
7. Finally create 3 questions that you want people to answer in the comments. Do not make them to hard or too easy. 
8. Answer your questions in the comment section of your post.  
9. Go and answer as many questions as you can about ratio at other posts in your room and the other rooms in grade 8.
10. Look for cheats in comments.  I will post helping hints and questions in comments around the blogs.  

 Now if you have read this far.  CONGRATULATIONS!! Here are 2 examples of the BOB's on Ratio.

Bob 1 Bob 2 Bob 3 Bob 4

This is why we get kids to blog

Darren Kuropatwa is a friend of mine. He works just down the street from me and I always seem to have my mouth hanging open when his students do such amazing things. Darren is a highschool math teacher who's infectious attitude brings out the best in his students.

His students seemed to be having a conversation about procrastination and they wrote a Blogging on Blogging post to talk about it. When I read the passion in these posts it stirs up my emotional side. When I read the comments left behind on these posts I want to cry because of how they are written with pride and a desire to change. Here are two BOB's. The rest can be found here

Read this

In today's class, we began our third unit. So far, so good. I guess the reason why I'm here is about the whole procrastination thing. I understand where Christian is coming from when he says that he wants to have a conversation with it. I mean, we have this BLOG here for a reason... and I think that we're not using it to our advantage. I know everyone has a million other things to do, but it seems like nobody reads the blog anymore... except to scroll down at the bottom just to see if you're the next scribe. In the beginning of the year, we'd comment each other on our posts. If you guys were to go back to the most recent ones, nobody has left comments. I mean how are we going to be in the HALL OF FAME if nobody reads the blog? I'm kind of disappointed, because I know that when it's my turn to post a scribe, I put a lot of effort into it... don't you guys do the same? Doesn't it feel disappointing when nobody leaves a comment? It makes me think that nobody learned anything from my post, and that I did all that work for nothing. I think that relates to what Christian was trying to get at. Mr. K always says that "MATH IS A CONVERSATION". My question to all of you is, why isn't the conversation happening? This is a whole new unit; we can still help each other out. Mr. K also said in today's class that we need to find ways to catch each other's falls... I am VERY willing to catch your fall, I wonder if anyone is willing to catch mine.i've got your back linger! you know i do =). since it is a new unit, i will turn over a new leaf. i will try and go to the blog and read, learn, and comment. let's step it up, people.

This was an Impressive Post but the comments left by the students were even more telling:
Comment 1
You caught my fall today, Linger :)
And I think that this is a good idea.. we should participate more in the blog. So I am committing myself to comment on each scribe post for this unit. I'll see where that takes me..
Comment 2
What more can I add. Thanks linger for the inspiration. About a week ago, as you guys already know, I was disappointed, because it seemed like the only ones who cared about going to the blog were the ones who posted stuff (including myself). That's why I tried to comment on things, and get your attention. Well, I think some of us really are motivated and would really try to step it up.

This was the blog that Started the ball rolling. I was impressed with his emotional plea. His use of flaming was interesting and the comments by Lani and his own comments showed great reflection and passion.

Please read this post and its comments. I have just copied some of the post below.

GEEZ PEOPLE!!! READ MY BOB # 2 AND VISIT THIS BLOG MORE OFTEN!!! I WAS EXPECTING 10 COMMENTS, BUT I'VE HAD ZIP!!! PLEASE VISIT MY BOB # 2 >='{


Anyhow, that's my ranting for today. I'm bored, so I thought, why not do the BOB now and not worry about it anymore? So here it goes.

Resources. This blog will be about the definition, purpose, and use of a resource.

Webster's defines a resource as a source of aid or support that may be drawn upon when needed. We often say in our bobs or comments that we don't understand a certain question, topic and so on. That's valid because we're not Einstein's (yet), but as responsible students, we are supposed to do all we can to find the answers to our questions. We can't just sit and wait; we have to scrutinize our notes, maybe ask our teachers or parents, go to our blog, read the book and so on. These are just some of the resources available to us. The concern is, we aren't making use of these, isn't that right? Mr. K, in the beginning of the year, said that there was a student who claimed, "Mr. K, I don't know what to do. I'm failing your class, although I listen intently to your lectures...", or something to this effect. "Well," Mr. K said, "have you been doing your exercises? Have you formed a study group? Have you tried to ask me for clarification on some of the questions you have?". To all of these, the student said no. This student only has himself to blame for his failure, because all the help he could have gotten was around him, but he did not make use of them.

Well, it's the same for us. Point is, WE HAVE MR. K, WE HAVE A BOOK, WE HAVE THE INTERNET, AND WE HAVE A (FRIGGIN) BLOG! Let's take advantage of all of these. I must keep this in mind, as much as all of you do. ........

You need to read these posts. They are Amazing. Please leave comments behind for the students. I have.