Reflective Blog #1

Educational Blog #1
A GeekyMomma's Blog
Lee Holbert is an educator and self-described "hockey mom."
General Topics Include:

• Her personal reflections on her classroom, school and life as a teacher

This blog is simply stated. A plain white background makes the text easy to read. She has some great gadgets (the virtual book shelf being my favorite) to the left of the page. Graphics are neatly placed within the blog post. Several hyperlinks are available on topics at hand.

I enjoyed reading this blog. I like how she is real. It seems like GeekyMomma is not afraid to speak her mind, and I respect that.

I would highly recommend this blog to educators, especially ones just starting out. She gives you the truth, in the form of her opinion.

Educational Blog #2
Bud the Teacher
Bud is an instructional technologist for a school district in Colorado. He is passionate about integrating new media and technology into classrooms.
General Topics Include:

• Links to his podcasts
• Twittering and growing up online
• Responses to teachers who are concerned with technology distracting their students (humorous)
  

This blog is very understated. The plain white background and black text seem plain, but the posts make up for that. There are no graphics, but that doesn't take away from the well-written posts.

I enjoyed reading through Bud's blog. Like GeekyMomma, he seems real. I enjoy things that are truthful and not aimed at pleasing people.

I recommend this blog to any teacher, especially those interested in technology.

Classroom Blog #1
Patterson's Pack
Mrs. Patterson is a 1st grade teacher from Virginia who has a passion for technology and blogging.
General Topics Include:

• Posting of student work in the form of slideshows and digital pictures
  
• Subjects the students are interested in/what they are learning
• Pictures and reflections of field trips

I'm starting to notice a trend here! This blog has a white background with easy to read black text. Videos, slide shows and digital photos are embedded in the posts. Authentic student work is also scanned in, which gives this blog an extra special touch.

What a wonderful idea this teacher has! Her headline says it all "First grade and blogging! How great is that?" Mrs. Patterson is able to post various topics, and the students and parents can respond. She includes links to the school's academic calendar, digital story telling, math practice and videos. A nice touch is that she actually responds to the comments the students and parents make! I think this blog is a great example of how technology can be used to create a cohesive classroom.

Not only do I recommend this site for educators to browse, I also think they can get some great ideas from Mrs. Patterson's activities and use of technology.

Classroom Blog #2
Kindergarten Tales
Mrs. Blakely is a Kindergarten teacher who is passionate about introducing early learners to technology. She is also a local blogger from Carol Stream, Illinois!
General Topics Include:

• Classroom projects
• Charitable organizations the children are actively working with
  
• Links to tools for parents to reinforce their child's learning at home

Serene colors of sage green and slate blue are a wonderful background and make the white text stand out beautifully. Videos from Teacher Tube are placed in the posts.

I love this blog. Parents comment about how their child will come home and show them what they are doing in class. The students also will show this site to their siblings. What a wonderful way to introduce young children to technology.

This blog, much like Mrs. Patterson's, is a great idea to keep parents informed and help students actively become a part of learning. Without reservation, I would recommend this blog to teachers!

Teacher Blog #1
Middle School, day by day from a teacher's point of view
General Topics Include:

• Daily reflections on her classes
• Progress the class is (or is not) making
• Critiques of NCLB

Earth tones are the predominant color scheme on this blog. One picture of the teacher is posted on the right hand side of the screen. There are no graphics in the posts, but it is full of text.

I enjoy the sincerity the teacher writes with, but some of it makes me wonder if it is okay to publish specifics about her classroom as she often does. She tends to pinpoint struggles she is having with specific class periods. In one post, she describes a student's physical appearance. If I was her student who stumbled across this site, I would always wonder if she were talking about me. It is always a great feeling to be publicly recognized for outstanding work; but when a certain class is being called out on the internet may be pushing some professional standards.

It's a good blog to read. It is important to have somewhere to vent and get feedback from other educators. I wonder if this could be done more effectively? Perhaps posted under a pseudonym? I am not sure I would employ this method of blogging myself as myself or give a link to my school's website...

Teacher Blog #2
So You Want To Teach?
Joel is a band teacher from Texas who lets the reader in on his journey of teaching, while giving tools and links to those interested in the profession.
General Topics Include:

• Links to free technology applications that can be downloaded and used in the classroom
• Reviews of said technology
• Providing "hope" to those of us interested in the profession

The layout of this blog feels cramped with advertisements. Three tabs are above several links about classroom management. There is a plethora of information, you just need to have time to rifle through it all.

Joel gives us great resources in the form of articles, links and advice on topics first year teachers are seemingly most concerned about. My favorite is a list of 10 things a first year teacher should do. This blog has been active since 2007 and is full of resources!

I enjoy reading this blog and plan to visit it often. It is important to get a real feel for the profession. Although observations and required readings help, hearing a first hand account of what to do and expect professionally is icing on the cake. Way to go!!