Welcoming a New Set of Grade 8's to the Blogging World!!

     Today my Grade 8 Science class joined the blogging world with the official 2014-2015 launch of Mrs. T's Classroom! This blog is one that I actually started last year with my Grade 8 homeroom, who ended up blogging regularly for their science class as well as featuring a weekly "Mathlete Friday" post.

     This year we are maintaining our online presence at Mrs. T's Classroom as opposed to starting all over again with a new domain. Some of my students have already been checking out last year's posts and are excited about the potential of competing for page-view statistics!


     We will be using their blog to:
- Share their learning with an authentic audience
- Catch up on lessons that were missed due to absences
- Review lessons to get a better understanding
- Connect with other classrooms around the world
- Integrate multimedia of all descriptions 
  (text, images, videos, podcasts)
- Practice responsible digital citizenship
- Receive feedback on their thoughts

     To celebrate we had a full-out Launch Party complete with whole-school announcements, a count-down to our first post, a visit from our school secretary, and pizza! I was also pleasantly surprised to be visited by the Grade 9's who were already waiting to post comments on this year's posts. It was so awesome to see them interested in the project and volunteering to take on some leadership positions to help get this year's Grade 8's started.

blog launch, grade 8 science blog, Mrs's T's Classroom, student blog
A heated "Rock-Paper-Scissors" competition over who got
to be the first official blogger!
blog launch, grade 8 science blog, Mrs's T's Classroom, student blog
A group shot to commemorate the event
     I have a very diverse group this year so I am excited about incorporating more multi-media options on our blog compared to last year. I can't wait for my students to share their learning with a broader audience and get a chance to make a larger impact!

     If you are reading this post, please head over to their blog, read their updated "About Us" page, and comment on their first post; I want them to realize the audience they have!

http://mrstsclassroom.blogspot.ca/2014/09/intro-to-grade-8-science.html

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