Blog # 4: Mr. Salsich's Class

http://jmsalsich.edublogs.org/

Although it is not Canadian, Mr. Salsich's Class in Connecticut is one of the best blogs I have come across.  Mr. Salsich models how to truly integrate technology into his lessons.  There is so much information on the blog, it does takes some time to look around, however. His grade 3 students are involved in global projects such as "Our World, Our Numbers", Readers Theatre, using audio and video to highlight reading fluently and using apps to learn how to write informational paragraphs.  Clearly the students enjoy it and are very engaged in their learning!

I was wondering what makes a good blog and searched for "best edublogs".  Mr. Salsich's Class was nominated for Best Class Blog 2012 from Edublog Awards.  His blog did not win but I liked it and found it very useful as a new blogger.  There is a wealth of information and resources that really shows how a good blog can be set up and organized.  His work demonstrates the potential and global reach of a good blog. The global project, participating in lessons with classes around the world, looks fantastic, clearly a lot of work, but rewarding for the students and teachers.  Parents must also be impressed with the type of learning happening at school, as well as links such as blogging guidelines and parent resources.

He creates great videos and visuals with his students to teach concepts.  I like his blog entry on January 28 using apps such as Skitch to teach informational paragraphs, and would like to adapt the idea for grade 1. The use of visuals that are labeled with information in this way is ideal for helping primary students learn.  He also creates a video with his students to learn how to answer comprehension questions.  The students dramatize and narrate the video, called "Red Roosters Don't Drink Root Beer" (see Jan. 27 blog entry).  He creates a funny sentence to help students memorize the important information.  It is a fun way for students to remember the elements of a good answer:  Read the question..., Repeat back part of the question..., Detail..., Detail..., Reread your answer...  It is very clearly explained and turned into a great way to learn the concept.  The participation in creating these types of activities is key to using technology to engage in learning that is meaningful for the 21st century learner.  A lot of time and commitment goes into this blog, it might take time for my blog to develop this amount of detail!