K-8 students

Thoughts on the knowledge, capacities and commitments required of K-8 students (as outlined in the GLCEs) to use the technology successfully for authentic purposes:

--Students must be able to/have knowledge of basic computer use, proper computer care, responsibility, trustworthy when working independently with computers.

--Students will need step by step guidance to set up the blog, as it requires an email address and complex instructions about creating a password.

--Students will need basic reading and writing skills to read, write and edit their blogs over a period of time

--I would recommend blogging for students ~3rd grade and up. For those students in K-2nd I would recommend first beginning by typing journal entries free hand on the computer before beginning the process of writing in a blog. This would allow them to begin thinking about freely writing their thoughts down on paper. They can then work towards the goal of posting perhaps on a class blog site one entry at a time, which again would take time and patience to accomplish.

--Students that do not gradually work towards the common goal of creating pieces of writing others can share, may find this technology a bit overwhelming, resulting in lack of interest or success.