So simple! My second graders loved this!
Community Review for Fanschool
My Take
This product didn't have any bells and whistles - which was fantastic! I wanted a place where my students could share their thoughts with their classmates without being bombarded by personalization options, etc. I loved that I could comment back to students without making it visible to everyone. This was especially great for when I wanted to write back correcting an answer or provide feedback. As a subscriber to many databases, I would often simply provide the direct link to the article I wanted my students to read instead of printing copies of the article for everyone. I was amazed at the increased motivation simply because it allowed them to use the computer.
I also loved that I could share a guest username and password for my parents that were concerned that their second graders were blogging.
How I Use It
As a traveling teacher, I needed a way to stay connected with my students even on the days I was at another building. I established a routine with my students that I would post something on the blog and the students would have to answer my posting prior to my return. I usually posted an interesting article and I would ask students to reflect or provide their opinion. I also used KidBlog with some older students with more advanced typing skills to use as a reading journal.