Quad blogging – Real Wider Audiences for Pupils
2011 looks like it might be the ‘Year of the Blog’! Blogging has been around for so long but with the arrival of new tools each week, class blogging is growing each week. On Twitter there are new blogs being promoted each week which is just great. It almost seems strange to think that only 12 months ago, Heathfield Primary School didn’t have a blog! I remember when I started blogging on 17th December 2009 with my Year 6 class waiting for the first visitor to be online at the same time as the class. I remember waiting for our first overseas visitor, I remember waiting for our first visitor from Africa. It was very exciting but one thing I want to try and do is not allow schools to try blogging and give up because they didn’t get an audience.
Quad Blogging:
Whilst at Hawes Side Primary School in Blackpool on Wednesday 8th December 2010, after speaking with Lee Glynn (Deputy Head) he mentioned that although the school had blogging all set up and the pupils were blogging most days, they were not getting the hits that other more established blogging schools were getting. this is when I thought about some set up that offered support to new blogging schools or classes.
Imagine four schools that had a partnership/agreement that would mean that for a four week cycle, each school’s blog would be the focus for one week out of four. Each school in the Quad would spend some time visiting the blog of the school for that week, leave comments etc. After that week, another one of the four schools would be the focus and this would be repeated for the four week cycle and then repeated. It wouldn’t take the pupils long to work out that in their week, they would get a boost in visitor numbers and comments. This would give a real focus to have posts online ready for this bulge in visits.
Quad 1:
Here’s a presentation with illustration for the cycle of the first quad:
Quad 2:
Quad 3:
Quad 4:
Quad 5
Quad 6
Quad 7
Quad 8
Quad 9
Quad 10
Quad 11
Quad 12
Just as above – we have blogs being written by pupils but are not getting the hits or responses they deserve. Tim Rylands has delivered some INSET training here and suggested we should look to get involved. After a quick look it seems fantastic!!
I am very interested in my class participating in a quad blog. We are a fourth grade classroom in Edina, Minnesota , USA
Hi!
What an awesome idea! My class and I would love to be involved.
Our blog address is http://room14-hes.blogspot.com/
We look forward to hearing from you.
Anna Gerritsen and Room 14
Hamilton East School
Hamilton
New Zealand
Check out the all new QuadBlogging site: http://quadblogging.net
Hi,
We are a 4/5 class blog in Tasmania, Australia. We began blogging in June 2011. We would love to be involved in Quad Blogging if there are any other blogs out there still looking for a blog to work with. Our blog is called Busy Bees at the Bay and our URL is http://bhaley.edublogs.org/
thanks.
Hey there!
I’ve just submitted my second form for the quad blogging – the first one being several weeks ago – just wondering if they’re getting through to you?
We’re super keen to start the project!
Thanks!
Kirby
Hi, love the quadblogging idea, would really love to be a part of it . We have two classes who would be able to do this at the moment:
http://kensey.primaryblogger.co.uk (a class of year 3 and 4)
http://inny.primaryblogger.co.uk (a class of year 5 and 6)
We are located in Launceston Cornwall
Great news coverage on the blogging phenomena – my governors were very keen at last meeting, thank you!
This year 5/6 class would love to be involved. We are just beginning our school year and what a great way for a new group of children to build on their predecessors accomplishments… filled out the form – might need some direction for the next step
Great!! That’s what this is about! I’ll get the next quad sorted in the next 24 hours!
Thank to for signing up!
Would love to be involved. My class blog is http://mrcobbsclass.wordpress.com. Let me know if I need to give you any more info. We’re a year 45 class.
A great idea and one that will make the children’s blogging experience all the more rewarding. The opportunity for dialogue around learning with peers as one of the huge benefits of blogging and this is a fantastic way to encourage that. It’s early days but the children are really excited about it and we’re delighted to be part of it. From the people I’ve spoken to up and down the country this past week or so, it certainly seems to be the missi g piece of the jigsaw in terms of making blogging a key feature of our collaborative approach to learning. From small acorns eh! Well done David and here’s to many happy years ‘quad blogging’!
Hi, we’d love to, great idea – Y3 for me then Y6 if you need others…. Y4 & 5 could also be interested..
http://y32010.nabbschoolblogs.net
http://y62010.nabbschoolblogs.net
Our Year 6s would love to be involved in quad blogging. Haven’t started yet but very keen – ljsmrslater2010@gmail.com
Hi David, I would love to get involved with your quadblogging project. My class are Y5 and are fairly new to the world of blogging. They are nonetheless very keen and eager and enjoy viewing other blogs as well as their own. Their blog page is http://bowoodclass.word press.com.
Would love to quad blog. We have a year 3 class blog. Mainly uploaded via email. Love to comment on others blogs as well. http://3b3b3b.blogspot.com/
Hi, would love to quad blog too! Kids are ready to begin blogging and this would be a grat opportunity.
Cheers
Would love to quad blog. We’ll have our new blogs on 31/1. Blackfieldblogs.net. Thank you
David
would love to be part of a quad of bloggers if possible please!!
count me in http://www.stjohnsblogs.co.uk
this is what it should be done in Every school in the world.
can you pass us the blogs that it’s established to look into it?
thanks. it’s amazing.
Thank you for the comment. This project is being planned and we have 3 Quads now all due to start in January 2011. I will update this post with the names and links of the other blogs/schools involved in the next few days.
Once again, thanks for commenting!
This sounds like a fabulous idea. Count me in for comments!
We are definately up for this idea and my kids would really like to know that their work is being read by kids their own age. Thanks for this opportunity!
We are a year 6 class and have started blogging this term. We would love to be involved but probably not in the same quad as Alex Wilson as we share a site and integrate with each other anyway. Thanks Blowtheblues.
What an awesome idea David! You are my personal Blog Guru
Sounds like a great idea and I’d like to be involved.
Hmm, don’t think my last comment went through – our blog is at http://www.alexsclass.com
Sorry, our blog is here: http://www.alexsclass.com
An excellent idea Daivid and one which will definitely help give class blogs the momentum they need to build their audience. Starting a blog with a class is fantastic but too often blogs can ‘dry up’ due to a lack of audience and enthusiasm. This quad blogging will no doubt give each class the emphasis to promote each others blogs during their focus week. Perhaps as an added incentive, at the end of the 4 week cycle each class could vote for their favourite blog posts from the other classes involved? Highlighting the posts that captured the imaginations of others would give each class an further incentive to try something similar.
I would love to be involved in this as my clas has just started building an audience.
My class is blogging at
http://class45km.blogspot.com
Looking forward to hearing more about this.
Kevin
I like the sound of having some form of evaluation at the end of a cycle!! Great to have you on board Kevin, I think we have our next quad! Only thing to make sure that each quad has one or two established blogs so that they bring a large audience with them! I’ll be in touch tomorrow! Look out for an update to the post through Twitter!!!
I’m interested in quad blogging! We are http://avenue5d2010.wordpress.com
We’re a y5 class from Norwich and have been blogging since September, about 7 kids are regular commenters and more than half the class also have their own blogs!
Great idea and we’d love to be involved. We’re a year 5/6 special school class. @Alex_Wilson_
Could you send a link to the blog you want to be included Alex? Cheers
This is a really good idea! If my school/class starts blogging, will definitely get involved!
Fab – thanks!
This is a fantastic idea. Love it! Now to start a new blog! Our blog is a direct link with a school in Russia – not appropriate for quad blogging.
If anyone is just starting a blog after Christmas and would like a shared journey, we would love to be one of your quadlets!
Well, I have 3 schools at the minute on the 2nd quad so won’t be long before you’ll be hearing from me!
Great idea, David. I’ll look forward to watching how it goes. I’m thinking that when a school is new to the blogging scene, such a partnership might really help. You might want to run something similar for the new Bolton schools I’ve got coming on line in the new year.
Just give me the nod when 4 schools are up and running. Hopefully this will as you say help the new schools get a kick start with an instant audience within 3 weeks of the start of their blogging journey at the latest!
Just thought, four new schools won’t really benefit! I knew that!
OK, if you let me know who new schools are and links I will include them in new Quads so long as they are OK with that and they know they must try to promote the other 3 schools in the 3 weeks they are not the focus.
Yeah, my class would love to be involved in this. We’re a Year 4/5 class if that’s of help. @ictast
Great idea, im looking forward to it
Any school looking to get blogging can sign up at http://primaryblogger.co.uk for free =)
Can’t wait to be involved with the new quad blogs our children are already considering posts.
Yes, it should be great and really looking forward to getting the pupils focussed on quality comments too. I’ll be in touch regarding the cycle.