Blogging Terms
January 7, 2014
Dear Parents,
In our Creative Writing class, we are going to participate in a program designed to help students develop their writing skills and explore their interests by sharing their writing with a real audience. Students will be using personal weblogs to post their writing to the internet.
A weblog, or blog as they are commonly called, is a special type of web page that can be created and easily updated using a web browser. Each new entry has its own date stamp. Each entry has a comments section where visitors to the blog may leave comments for the author.
Frequently, I will leave writing prompts and other kinds of assignments on our class blog. I will also leave links to appropriate informational websites that enhance student understanding of the topics we are studying. Students will check this blog and leave comments, and then on their own blogs, they will write appropriate posts. The key component of blogging is that students know they have a real audience. They will be reading each other's writing, leaving comments, and collaborating on projects. I will also be monitoring their blogs and leaving comments, as can parents at any time.
This blogging project is designed to minimize risk to your child. The only personally identifying information included in the blog will be their blogroll name. There will be no mention of our school name or our location. Students are allowed to post their interests and opinions, but not their age, e-mail address, photographs of themselves, or other sensitive information. Please read the attached sheet entitled "Blogging Terms and Conditions" and sign appropriately and return to me as soon as possible. If you have any questions, please email me at [email protected] or call PHS between 1:30 and 3:00 and ask for me.
The National Council of Teachers of English has standards for English Language Arts that are supported by the use of creative venues such as blogs, wikis, and podcasts. (These standards may be viewed at http://www.ncte.org/about/policy/guidelines/119263.htm.)
Sincerely,
Mrs. Brenda Dial
BLOGGING TERMS AND CONDITIONS
1. Students using blogs are expected to act safely by keeping personal information out of their posts. You agree to not post or give out your family name, password, e-mail address, user name, home address, telephone numbers, school name, city, country or other information that could help someone locate or contact you in person.
2. Students using blogs agree to not share their user name or password with anyone besides their teachers and parents. You agree to NEVER log in as another student.
3. Students using blogs are expected to treat blogspaces as classroom spaces. Speech that is inappropriate for class is not appropriate for your blog. While we encourage you to engage in debate and conversation with other bloggers, we also expect that you will conduct yourself in a manner reflective of a representative of this school.
4. Student blogs are to be a forum for student expression. However, they are first and foremost a tool for learning, and as such will sometimes be constrained by the various requirements and rules of the classroom teacher. Students are welcome to post on any school-appropriate subject on their blog, as long as they also have the blog assignments posted too.
5. Student blogs are to be a vehicle for sharing student writing with real audiences. Most visitors to your blog who leave comments will leave respectful, helpful messages. If you receive a comment that makes you feel uncomfortable or is not respectful, tell the teacher immediately! Do NOT respond to the comment.
6. Students who do not abide by these terms and conditions may lose their opportunity to take part in this project.
I have read and understand these blogging terms and conditions. I agree to uphold them.
Student's signature _________________________________________ Date _____________________
Print Student Name _______________________________________
Parent's signature __________________________________________ Date _____________________
Print Parent Name ________________________________________
Dear Parents,
In our Creative Writing class, we are going to participate in a program designed to help students develop their writing skills and explore their interests by sharing their writing with a real audience. Students will be using personal weblogs to post their writing to the internet.
A weblog, or blog as they are commonly called, is a special type of web page that can be created and easily updated using a web browser. Each new entry has its own date stamp. Each entry has a comments section where visitors to the blog may leave comments for the author.
Frequently, I will leave writing prompts and other kinds of assignments on our class blog. I will also leave links to appropriate informational websites that enhance student understanding of the topics we are studying. Students will check this blog and leave comments, and then on their own blogs, they will write appropriate posts. The key component of blogging is that students know they have a real audience. They will be reading each other's writing, leaving comments, and collaborating on projects. I will also be monitoring their blogs and leaving comments, as can parents at any time.
This blogging project is designed to minimize risk to your child. The only personally identifying information included in the blog will be their blogroll name. There will be no mention of our school name or our location. Students are allowed to post their interests and opinions, but not their age, e-mail address, photographs of themselves, or other sensitive information. Please read the attached sheet entitled "Blogging Terms and Conditions" and sign appropriately and return to me as soon as possible. If you have any questions, please email me at [email protected] or call PHS between 1:30 and 3:00 and ask for me.
The National Council of Teachers of English has standards for English Language Arts that are supported by the use of creative venues such as blogs, wikis, and podcasts. (These standards may be viewed at http://www.ncte.org/about/policy/guidelines/119263.htm.)
Sincerely,
Mrs. Brenda Dial
BLOGGING TERMS AND CONDITIONS
1. Students using blogs are expected to act safely by keeping personal information out of their posts. You agree to not post or give out your family name, password, e-mail address, user name, home address, telephone numbers, school name, city, country or other information that could help someone locate or contact you in person.
2. Students using blogs agree to not share their user name or password with anyone besides their teachers and parents. You agree to NEVER log in as another student.
3. Students using blogs are expected to treat blogspaces as classroom spaces. Speech that is inappropriate for class is not appropriate for your blog. While we encourage you to engage in debate and conversation with other bloggers, we also expect that you will conduct yourself in a manner reflective of a representative of this school.
4. Student blogs are to be a forum for student expression. However, they are first and foremost a tool for learning, and as such will sometimes be constrained by the various requirements and rules of the classroom teacher. Students are welcome to post on any school-appropriate subject on their blog, as long as they also have the blog assignments posted too.
5. Student blogs are to be a vehicle for sharing student writing with real audiences. Most visitors to your blog who leave comments will leave respectful, helpful messages. If you receive a comment that makes you feel uncomfortable or is not respectful, tell the teacher immediately! Do NOT respond to the comment.
6. Students who do not abide by these terms and conditions may lose their opportunity to take part in this project.
I have read and understand these blogging terms and conditions. I agree to uphold them.
Student's signature _________________________________________ Date _____________________
Print Student Name _______________________________________
Parent's signature __________________________________________ Date _____________________
Print Parent Name ________________________________________