This list was inpired by a similar list made by students on Bud the Teacher’s blog:

  • No addresses, emails, or phone numbers
  • Don’t put your first and last name in your blog.
  • Don’t say the names of your friends or family members.
  • Don’t tell people where you are.
  • Always be polite.
  • Delete bad comments.
  • Comments are not like email. They have to be about what the writer said. (THAT’S why they’re called comments!)

The kids came up with the rules, based on their one week’s experience of being bloggers. I put the rules on the board so that we could see them each day. I call them rules. But really, they are social norms. One of the responsibilities of any teacher is to guide students toward competence within a community. Progress toward mastery in any domain involves acquisition of skill, but form and process are also involved. They want to find other students who are doing the same thing they are. They are very excited to be writers now.

What a trip! I’ll publish the URL for their work sometime this week, when we get a few more of the wrinkles ironed out.