Once you've completed your first drafts, you need to reflect on the whole process before attempting the next one! This will allow us to think about how you (and next year's students) can best be helped in the future. In particular, we need to evaluate the impact of using blogs when preparing for coursework.
Therefore, could you please cut and paste the following questions to your blogs and answer them as fully as possible, providing concrete examples where you can. The deadline for completion is Monday 12th February (13C) or Thursday15th February (13D)...
1. How easy has it been to set up your Independent Study blog and to get used to posting things on it? Were you given enough support in doing it? What other help would have been useful?
2. How did the blog help with your research? Did the blog motivate you to do more and better research? How? Why?
3. Is it useful having all the Independent Study/blog tasks posted on the Macguffin blog? Does it make it more likely that you will get them done?
4. How often (honestly!) do you check the Macguffin blog? (Remember, it should be at least twice/week).
5. Has it been useful being able to see and access everyone else’s research and planning through their blogs?
6. How do you feel about the fact that your teacher can keep a close check on your progress through accessing your blog? Is it too intrusive and controlling or is it encouraging and supportive?
7. How useful have the comments been that you received from…a. Macguffin, b. other students.
8. How has the blog helped with your essay planning? How useful was the blog when it came to writing the essay? Do you think your first draft is better because you have used a blog?
9. How would you evaluate the quality of your blog? What could you have done better?
10. Do you think you will get a better final grade for your independent study through having used a blog?
11. Which are the best three blogs? Why?
12. Do you think next year’s Year 13s would benefit from setting up an Independent Study blog?
13. Are there any negative aspects to preparing for an Independent Study using a blog?
14. What could be done to improve teaching and/or learning in future through blogs?
15. Overall, are you pleased that we used blogs? Has it been interesting and enjoyable? Why? Why not?
Therefore, could you please cut and paste the following questions to your blogs and answer them as fully as possible, providing concrete examples where you can. The deadline for completion is Monday 12th February (13C) or Thursday15th February (13D)...
1. How easy has it been to set up your Independent Study blog and to get used to posting things on it? Were you given enough support in doing it? What other help would have been useful?
2. How did the blog help with your research? Did the blog motivate you to do more and better research? How? Why?
3. Is it useful having all the Independent Study/blog tasks posted on the Macguffin blog? Does it make it more likely that you will get them done?
4. How often (honestly!) do you check the Macguffin blog? (Remember, it should be at least twice/week).
5. Has it been useful being able to see and access everyone else’s research and planning through their blogs?
6. How do you feel about the fact that your teacher can keep a close check on your progress through accessing your blog? Is it too intrusive and controlling or is it encouraging and supportive?
7. How useful have the comments been that you received from…a. Macguffin, b. other students.
8. How has the blog helped with your essay planning? How useful was the blog when it came to writing the essay? Do you think your first draft is better because you have used a blog?
9. How would you evaluate the quality of your blog? What could you have done better?
10. Do you think you will get a better final grade for your independent study through having used a blog?
11. Which are the best three blogs? Why?
12. Do you think next year’s Year 13s would benefit from setting up an Independent Study blog?
13. Are there any negative aspects to preparing for an Independent Study using a blog?
14. What could be done to improve teaching and/or learning in future through blogs?
15. Overall, are you pleased that we used blogs? Has it been interesting and enjoyable? Why? Why not?
20 comments:
ohhh SIR MAN ur so long!!!!!!!
ERGHHHHHHHH!! This blog is sooo annoying! thats what i think
loooooooooool mo
well sir, i duno y but it dont let me sign into the blog, it says i need to make a new blog account, and its being longgggg.. so im doinnnn it here. :) im being a geek ..
1. How easy has it been to set up your Independent Study blog and to get used to posting things on it? Were you given enough support in doing it? What other help would have been useful?
well setting up the blog was pretty easy, seeing as we were used to blogs from out practical productions. At the start i was posting more, but as the A2 course went on, and i got more and more work (from all subjects) i guess i did it less and less. We wasnt realy given any support in our posts, they were our blogs and our indepdent work, we was just told to research.
2. How did the blog help with your research? Did the blog motivate you to do more and better research? How? Why?
The blog was good because of the fact that you didnt have to print everything out, and risk losing the pieces of paper your reasearch was on, it was all in one place. I guess it did motivate you to do more work, because teachers can eaisly check how much work your doing and stuff, but i duno, every1 is different, the people who were going to research would have done so even without the blogs, and the people who wasnt going to, still didnt becuse of the blog.
3. Is it useful having all the Independent Study/blog tasks posted on the Macguffin blog? Does it make it more likely that you will get them done?
yea it is useful, u know where to come to, to check what you need to get done, you know whre you should be at with your study and keeps you on track.
4. How often (honestly!) do you check the Macguffin blog? (Remember, it should be at least twice/week).
I check it whenever i have media homework... lol so every week :P
5. Has it been useful being able to see and access everyone else’s research and planning through their blogs?
to be honest, i didnt look at any1's blog and if i did, i didnt read anything, only when we had the homework wen we had to, other then that they didnt seem to be useful to me.
6. How do you feel about the fact that your teacher can keep a close check on your progress through accessing your blog? Is it too intrusive and controlling or is it encouraging and supportive?
Its fine, i guess some people need their teachers to moniter them, i know for a fact that if a teacher trusts the class tooo much to do their work alone, they wont do it, so we need that encoragement and that push.
7. How useful have the comments been that you received from…a. Macguffin, b. other students.
Mr bush and munro didnt ever comment on my blog, like directly on the blog, but they said it was good and stuff in class, other students comments are always the same, we all say the same things to each other "yea nice blog, u put in effort" bla bla, i didnt feel that they made much difference to my actual work. (bt very appriciated nevertheless!)
8. How has the blog helped with your essay planning? How useful was the blog when it came to writing the essay? Do you think your first draft is better because you have used a blog?
If u use your blog porper, it helps so much with your drafts, because you can access work you done months before and encorporate it in your work. You can copy chunks of stuff u written over the months, and even copy qoutes for your references. I think it made the task a lot more easier.
9. How would you evaluate the quality of your blog? What could you have done better?
My blog was sik :) lol ermmmm wt could i have done better? i think i stopped posting as much as i used to wen we first started the blogs, i kinda forgot about it, and i think my research slowly stopped and i jst did blog tasks on their and not my own research, so yea that.
10. Do you think you will get a better final grade for your independent study through having used a blog?
hope so, other wise it was a waste of time..but i reli do think it helped
11. Which are the best three blogs? Why?
Sherishs, she had a nice template, and i know she put alot of effort into her work (not just sayin dat!) she did all her tasks well.. so well people wanted to copy it :P
i duno.. alot of people's blogs were good, to name a few, harveen, ras, fuzz, rajan... alot of people used them well and all for the same reasons.. so yea.
12. Do you think next year’s Year 13s would benefit from setting up an Independent Study blog?
yep they would
13. Are there any negative aspects to preparing for an Independent Study using a blog?
technical stuff, like sometimes it dont work, dont let u post and bla bla but other den that, its miles better den having a folder!
14. What could be done to improve teaching and/or learning in future through blogs?
Teachers should actually check blogs, just randomly, people who aint researching should then be told to do some, and write a summary so that teachers know they didnt just copy paste it (i know i sound like a boffin but it will help u with your coursework!)
15. Overall, are you pleased that we used blogs? Has it been interesting and enjoyable? Why? Why not?
Blogs were cool, i didnt find them to boring or anything.. its alll good.
BusHaRA XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
*sigh*
...SiR u BetTeR ReAd AlL of TheSe ComMents PosTeD By EvErYoNe...
1. How easy has it been to set up your Independent Study blog and to get used to posting things on it? Were you given enough support in doing it? What other help would have been useful?
-> yeh sir went through a set by set instructions in class which made it easy to set up my own blog. In terms of support I don't think we got any, we were just TOLD what to do lol (book research, delicious tags, websights etc...)
2. How did the blog help with your research? Did the blog motivate you to do more and better research? How? Why?
-> It was a good way of presenting the research... it was a change from having it in folders. The blog was an organised way of keeping everything in order and it meant that u teachers had constant access to our blogs.
3. Is it useful having all the Independent Study/blog tasks posted on the Macguffin blog? Does it make it more likely that you will get them done?
-> Yeh I think it is ok... but Mr Bush and Munro both went through the homework in class anyway regardless of it being on the blog or not =)We all completed the homework bcoz we didnt want to be shouted at not because it was presented neatly on the blog for us lol
4. How often (honestly!) do you check the Macguffin blog? (Remember, it should be at least twice/week).
-> I check everyday =)
5. Has it been useful being able to
see and access everyone else’s research and planning through their blogs?
-> Erm.. not really.. no one else is doing a bollywood related text although there are some students who are doing Representations of Asians... but I didnt find there research appleaing to me...
6. How do you feel about the fact that your teacher can keep a close check on your progress through accessing your blog? Is it too intrusive and controlling or is it encouraging and supportive?
-> I think its good, abit more on the controlling side lol...ok..moving on...
7. How useful have the comments been that you received from…a. Macguffin, b. other students.
-> well.. I havent recieved any comments from the teachers..so I duno if im doing well or not lol The ones I have recieved from peers where only commenting on the "pretty colours".
8. How has the blog helped with your essay planning? How useful was the blog when it came to writing the essay? Do you think your first draft is better because you have used a blog?
-> I think the blog made it easier for me to write my first draft coz all my information was in one place.
9. How would you evaluate the quality of your blog? What could you have done better?
->I think my blog was good.. I mean ..i always posted up the homework..completed all the work.. the presentation of the blog was good (as commented on by other students)It helped me do my essay really ..and that was the job of the blog =)
10. Do you think you will get a better final grade for your independent study through having used a blog?
-> Well too be honest lol ... the blog doesnt really effect my ability because even if the blog wasnt available to me..I would have still printed off and did all that research anyway lol
The only use of the blog was that it was a new way of keeping all the research together and in order.. knowing me... I would of already done that without the blog anyway ...
11. Which are the best three blogs? Why?
-> It's SILLY to name the best three blogs.. if I mention some.. its unfair becuase EVERYONE put in time and effort into their blogs...plus if I just mention a few.. others who put in just as much effort may feel offended Plus... i didnt look at EVERYONES blog... so I cant really say....
12. Do you think next year’s Year 13s would benefit from setting up an Independent Study blog?
->Yeh.. I think you know that they will sir... I don't know why you asked that question lol
13. Are there any negative aspects to preparing for an Independent Study using a blog?
->Erm... nope.. jus that everyone could see my work lol was bad enough ... BOTH TEACHERS having constant access ...its like an extra hassle because everyone else is looking at ur private work lol =) and they can't at all be of any help to you becuase everyones doing something different.
14. What could be done to improve teaching and/or learning in future through blogs?
-> Try to emphasise more on the WORK itself.. not if the blog is 'pretty' or 'colourful' coz after people forget the REAL reason and PURPOSE of the blog.
15. Overall, are you pleased that we used blogs? Has it been interesting and enjoyable? Why? Why not?
-> Yup Loved it... was a new way... it was a change from folders and all that.. so yeh it was enjoyable.
great (Y)
1. How easy has it been to set up your Independent Study blog and to get used to posting things on it? Were you given enough support in doing it? What other help would have been useful?
>>I think it was pretty easy setting up the blogs coz we did it last year too..and it was easy posting up all the work but sometimes there were technical problems with it which were annoying.
2. How did the blog help with your research? Did the blog motivate you to do more and better research? How? Why?
>>I dont think it really made a difference to how much work i would have done because i would have done it any way but it did save us from printin millions of papers of research n jus put up links.
3. Is it useful having all the Independent Study/blog tasks posted on the Macguffin blog? Does it make it more likely that you will get them done?
>>i personally don't want my independent study to go up because of people cheating n stuff...and also once youve seen one ur mind jus sub consciously thinks of it wen writing your own..but then again it gives u a basis to work from if you dont have one.
4. How often (honestly!) do you check the Macguffin blog? (Remember, it should be at least twice/week).
>>everydayyy became a habit
5. Has it been useful being able to see and access everyone else’s research and planning through their blogs?
>>it has been because u can see how much people are doing and then set urself targets...also other peoples research may come in handy too..and vice versa
6. How do you feel about the fact that your teacher can keep a close check on your progress through accessing your blog? Is it too intrusive and controlling or is it encouraging and supportive?
>>i like the fact teachers are able to keep a close eye on our work..it makes us work more..and it is encouraging and supporting.
7. How useful have the comments been that you received from…a. Macguffin, b. other students.
>>Macguffin never commented..bit upset.. other peoples comments enouraged me to keep up the good work
8. How has the blog helped with your essay planning? How useful was the blog when it came to writing the essay? Do you think your first draft is better because you have used a blog?
>>to be honesttttttttt it would have been the same..
9. How would you evaluate the quality of your blog? What could you have done better?
>>i think my blog was pretty good, i kept up to date with all the tasks did lots of extra research and stuff..but doing more wudnt hurt so yea
10. Do you think you will get a better final grade for your independent study through having used a blog?
>> well maybe because i got help from looking at other peoples research, that maybe.. other then that i dont think so.
11. Which are the best three blogs? Why?
>>cant really name three...lots of people were keeping up to date..bushara, ramneet, fuzz, rajan, raspreet
12. Do you think next year’s Year 13s would benefit from setting up an Independent Study blog?
>>yeah..
13. Are there any negative aspects to preparing for an Independent Study using a blog?
>>that other people may get away with copying yours
14. What could be done to improve teaching and/or learning in future through blogs?
>>teachers should comment more.. reading last years macguffin commented a whole lot more..this year we didnt really get any
15. Overall, are you pleased that we used blogs? Has it been interesting and enjoyable? Why? Why not?
>>yes it has
1. How easy has it been to set up your Independent Study blog and to get used to posting things on it? Were you given enough support in doing it? What other help would have been useful?
Yes it was easy because i had set up a blog for my practical production already so i knew what to do and how to do it.
2. How did the blog help with your research? Did the blog motivate you to do more and better research? How? Why?
Yes the blog did help me to do more research because a lot of my research was done on the internet i could easily post it up onto the blog, and having to post up information from libary books allowed me to be more specific with the notes i posted.
3. Is it useful having all the Independent Study/blog tasks posted on the Macguffin blog? Does it make it more likely that you will get them done?
Yes, i forgot to do a few tasks but the blog allowed me to catch up with the class.
4. How often (honestly!) do you check the Macguffin blog? (Remember, it should be at least twice/week).
When i had internet access only once a week.
5. Has it been useful being able to see and access everyone else’s research and planning through their blogs?
Yes because i am lazy i would do my tasks to the an average standard, but looking at other peoples just motivated me to do tasks better.
6. How do you feel about the fact that your teacher can keep a close check on your progress through accessing your blog? Is it too intrusive and controlling or is it encouraging and supportive?
No this is a good thing the only way to avoid getting caught slippn is by doing your work.
7. How useful have the comments been that you received from…a. Macguffin, b. other students.
The first comments i got really helped me, they told me to write more about my perspective on the study instead of copy and pasting research, this prepared me for the actual essay.
8. How has the blog helped with your essay planning? How useful was the blog when it came to writing the essay? Do you think your first draft is better because you have used a blog?
Yes definately, im not a plan person but i made quite a good one from my blog postings.
9. How would you evaluate the quality of your blog? What could you have done better?
NOTHING!!!10 out of 10 for my blog
10. Do you think you will get a better final grade for your independent study through having used a blog?
Yes, i think i would have been a lot more lazy if i was prinitng off and highlighting or writing out all my research.
11. Which are the best three blogs? Why?
Jatinder, Alice and Kalpan
12. Do you think next year’s Year 13s would benefit from setting up an Independent Study blog?
Yes, if they are willing to put in the work.
13. Are there any negative aspects to preparing for an Independent Study using a blog?
If your pc or internet goes dwon your in trouble and you may lose the ability to write things out thanks to copy and paste.
14. What could be done to improve teaching and/or learning in future through blogs?
For every post we should have to write an essay paragraph by the time you come to write your essay you have a strong base structure and will not get writers block.
15. Overall, are you pleased that we used blogs? Has it been interesting and enjoyable? Why? Why not?
Yes it has been good for my work and the online CONVERSATIONS have been funny.
It aint letting me sign in so ima do it here...
[1]. How easy has it been to set up your Independent Study blog and to get used to posting things on it? Were you given enough support in doing it? What other help would have been useful?
Yeah, been quite easy since we did the practical production one so we knew what we were doing. Didn't really need much help on setting it up since there were instructions.
[2]. How did the blog help with your research? Did the blog motivate you to do more and better research? How? Why?
The blog helped me because everything was in order, and i could just use it when ever i needed to. It motivated me to do more work as it was different from the usual folder and book work.
[3]. Is it useful having all the Independent Study/blog tasks posted on the Macguffin blog? Does it make it more likely that you will get them done?
Yeah, because if your not in for a certain lesson you can refer back to them and understand what you have to do.
[4]. How often (honestly!) do you check the Macguffin blog? (Remember, it should be at least twice/week).
2-3 times honestly.
[5]. Has it been useful being able to see and access everyone else’s research and planning through their blogs?
yeah, you can refer to their blogs when a part of your research links. You can share the research as well. Even though i didnt really look at anyone's blog unless i knew they directly linked to my independent study.
[6]. How do you feel about the fact that your teacher can keep a close check on your progress through accessing your blog? Is it too intrusive and controlling or is it encouraging and supportive?
Nah they can see your progress and tell you what your doing right or wrong. It is more easier for them to keep a check on the work as it is clear and more easier to access. By them keeping a close chek is more motivating to actually get the work done.
[7]. How useful have the comments been that you received from…a. Macguffin, b. other students.
Students comments were good, they highlighted points i need to touch upon in more detail or points that i had missed out. No comments from Macguffin...tut tut sir!
[8]. How has the blog helped with your essay planning? How useful was the blog when it came to writing the essay? Do you think your first draft is better because you have used a blog?
Blog was useful when it came to writing the essay as it was much more easier to refer back to the research.
[9]. How would you evaluate the quality of your blog? What could you have done better?
Hmm, i actually like my blog because i posted up all my research and everything on time. theres always room for improvment though.
[10]. Do you think you will get a better final grade for your independent study through having used a blog?
No i think its more down to how much i work for it, the research would have been done regardless if i had a blog or not.
[11]. Which are the best three blogs? Why?
Everyone put effort into their blog, but i found Heena, Kiranjit, Navdeep and Alice's blog the most useful and best. As they all were doing women and their blogs were always up to date.
[12]. Do you think next year’s Year 13s would benefit from setting up an Independent Study blog?
Helps being organised and they will find it easier to refer back to, more motivating to work from.
[13]. Are there any negative aspects to preparing for an Independent Study using a blog?
Ermm, just gaining access to your blog, sometimes it does not let you sign in or just post anything up. [Like Now]
[14]. What could be done to improve teaching and/or learning in future through blogs?
Just more feedback from teachers on the blogs, more helpful as you recieve indivdual feedback on what you can improve or what you have done well.
[15]. Overall, are you pleased that we used blogs? Has it been interesting and enjoyable? Why? Why not?
Yeah, i liked the blog idea it was different and more organised.
=) AVI
1. How easy has it been to set up your Independent Study blog and to get used to posting things on it? Were you given enough support in doing it? What other help would have been useful?
It was easy to use, I didn’t get enough support, no other help would have been useful.
2. How did the blog help with your research? Did the blog motivate you to do more and better research? How? Why?
Because it’s all there in one page it helped, plus there was no way of losing my information. It didn’t motivate me to do more research because the blog was enough work anyway.
3. Is it useful having all the Independent Study/blog tasks posted on the Macguffin blog? Does it make it more likely that you will get them done?
Yes it does
4. How often (honestly!) do you check the Macguffin blog? (Remember, it should be at least twice/week).
At least once a week
5. Has it been useful being able to see and access everyone else’s research and planning through their blogs?
Yes it has, because I can use their research to help me with my work
6. How do you feel about the fact that your teacher can keep a close check on your progress through accessing your blog? Is it too intrusive and controlling or is it encouraging and supportive?
Its too intrusive, but is helpful because the teacher can help.
7. How useful have the comments been that you received from…a. Macguffin, b. other students.
I don’t pay attention to most of the comments
8. How has the blog helped with your essay planning? How useful was the blog when it came to writing the essay? Do you think your first draft is better because you have used a blog?
Yes it was useful, because I could look through all my previous research which made it easier for me to write my essay.
9. How would you evaluate the quality of your blog? What could you have done better?
My blog was good, I could have put more stuff in it.
10. Do you think you will get a better final grade for your independent study through having used a blog?
yes
11. Which are the best three blogs? Why?
Kalpan, because of the twinkling images and the detail of her work
Navdeep and heena, because their research was useful for me
12. Do you think next year’s Year 13s would benefit from setting up an Independent Study blog?
yes
13. Are there any negative aspects to preparing for an Independent Study using a blog?
the blog freezes all the time
14. What could be done to improve teaching and/or learning in future through blogs?
I don’t know
15. Overall, are you pleased that we used blogs? Has it been interesting and enjoyable? Why? Why not?
Yes it was too much, it helped.
ive done it here because my blog don't work.
1.Pretty easy… as most of us have computers at home it wasn’t a relatively new concept.
2.I wouldn’t say it ‘motivated’ me – it meant I kept a record of all my research rather than it being on loose sheets.
3.Yeh definitely… makes it more formal. No excuse for not getting it done unless you don’t have access to the internet.
4.Actually.. about once a week.
5.Not really.
6.Not intrusive or controlling at all.. just like teachers checking homework; the same thing.
7.Macguffin – useful. Pupils – no one really cares that much to give detailed and helpful comments (I speak for myself too), plus most of the time its rushed
8.It’s been really useful - I had all my research available. In fact I printed it all out like Mr Bush suggested and as a result I included all my research in my first draft in some form or another.
9.More consistency in ideas and research.
10.Couldn’t really say.. unless you compare previous years but that isn’t really reliable I guess.
11.Jatinder, Sherish and Jaskeerat.
12.Yep.
13.Yeh.. writing this.
14.More teacher/pupil interaction.
15.It definitely has it highs and lows.. but definitely is a great example to set to other departments especially when you move to the new school .
1. How easy has it been to set up your Independent Study blog and to get used to posting things on it? Were you given enough support in doing it? What other help would have been useful?
I really found the I.S blog easy and helpful as it is was motivating and helped keep you on track. Support was given by many teachers where they checked the work and would provide feedback.
2. How did the blog help with your research? Did the blog motivate you to do more and better research? How? Why?
The blog was very motivating, and the research that was used for the I.S, made it much easier to help with the final essay.
3. Is it useful having all the Independent Study/blog tasks posted on the Macguffin blog? Does it make it more likely that you will get them done?
Yes, I think that was very helpful as the tasks were written in great detail and made it easier to complete the task.
4. How often (honestly!) do you check the Macguffin blog? (Remember, it should be at least twice/week).
I check the blog almost after every other day to check my work, and also to see any other tasks and to post up research.
5. Has it been useful being able to see and access everyone else’s research and planning through their blogs?
Yes, that was very useful as you can see what type of other have done which is very motivating, also the blog buddies task made it easy as you are able to refer to theri work.
6. How do you feel about the fact that your teacher can keep a close check on your progress through accessing your blog? Is it too intrusive and controlling or is it encouraging and supportive?
Well, i think this is quite encouraging and supportive becuase you could ask your teacher to help you and they can access it straight away to see what you are up to.
7. How useful have the comments been that you received from…a. Macguffin, b. other students.
I think comments were not really useful, however when there is a task where somebody or macguffin will post a comment especially for feedback, then yeah it was useful.
8. How has the blog helped with your essay planning? How useful was the blog when it came to writing the essay? Do you think your first draft is better because you have used a blog?
The blog has been useful as i refered back to alot of the research i had done and made it much easier when doing the essay.
9. How would you evaluate the quality of your blog? What could you have done better?
I think my blog is very detailed and informative as well as visually appealling. I could improve it by having more research and more detail to make it even more easier.
10. Do you think you will get a better final grade for your independent study through having used a blog?
Ummm, i dont really know about that but i think the blog has a very large role with the final essay as that is the main foundation of the essay - the research.
11. Which are the best three blogs? Why?
Well i think the best three are:
1.Heena - She did a lot of hard work and very detailed
2. Jatinder - It is well researched
3. Kalpan - Very colourful and interesting.
12. Do you think next year’s Year 13s would benefit from setting up an Independent Study blog?
Yes definetly.
13. Are there any negative aspects to preparing for an Independent Study using a blog?
Well i cant really think of any.
14. What could be done to improve teaching and/or learning in future through blogs?
Nothing really, its perfect in my opinion.
15. Overall, are you pleased that we used blogs? Has it been interesting and enjoyable? Why? Why not?
Yes definetly, it is interactive, and you learn more about ICT, and takes out your creativity skills.
Kiran. A
1. How easy has it been to set up your Independent Study blog and to get used to posting things on it? Were you given enough support in doing it? What other help would have been useful?
the blog was easy to set up as well as posting things up on it. the support given was gud.
2. How did the blog help with your research? Did the blog motivate you to do more and better research? How? Why?
the blog was gud cuz everyfin u researched u jus post up on the blog and if u needed ne info u can jus get on a pc and go back to the blog. made the research better cause u didnt have to print of loads of work.
3. Is it useful having all the Independent Study/blog tasks posted on the Macguffin blog? Does it make it more likely that you will get them done?
ye cause if u dunt u got da teachers on ur case!
4. How often (honestly!) do you check the Macguffin blog? (Remember, it should be at least twice/week).
aboutt onces/ twice as week lol
5. Has it been useful being able to see and access everyone else’s research and planning through their blogs?
ye cause u get ideas from their blogs. but i dunt actuli go on other pplz blogs jus 2 pplz lol
6. How do you feel about the fact that your teacher can keep a close check on your progress through accessing your blog? Is it too intrusive and controlling or is it encouraging and supportive?
abit of all of them... if you dunt do your wrk mr bush and gary can check up on it. it supportive as once u dun da wrk dey tell u wt else to luk at.
7. How useful have the comments been that you received from…a. Macguffin, b. other students.
dunno never had any lol
8. How has the blog helped with your essay planning? How useful was the blog when it came to writing the essay? Do you think your first draft is better because you have used a blog?
umm ye is helpd abit.
9. How would you evaluate the quality of your blog? What could you have done better?
put alot more research and made it luk more better.
10. Do you think you will get a better final grade for your independent study through having used a blog?
ye cause the wrk had to be done on the blog so the work was gettin done.
11. Which are the best three blogs? Why?
Rajan...loads of info
Fuzz... gud info nd luks gud
Sherishiosss...alot of wrk on hers
12. Do you think next year’s Year 13s would benefit from setting up an Independent Study blog?
Ofcourse!
13. Are there any negative aspects to preparing for an Independent Study using a blog?
people may jus copy lol...
14. What could be done to improve teaching and/or learning in future through blogs?
set more worrrk!!!!
15. Overall, are you pleased that we used blogs? Has it been interesting and enjoyable? Why? Why not?
ye comes away from all da papers and folder wrk nd bla bla bla...
Mohammed
1. How easy has it been to set up your Independent Study blog and to get used to posting things on it? Were you given enough support in doing it? What other help would have been useful?
i think setting up was easy cuz we all knew the procedure from last year cuz of our practical productions and so was posting things up...erm i guess it would be more useful to get more feedback on the work we're set 2 post on the blog
2. How did the blog help with your research? Did the blog motivate you to do more and better research? How? Why?
i think the blog definately motivated me to do more and better research because it's a much easier and organised way of doing things because all your work is in the same place and you know where 2 find everything for your reference
3. Is it useful having all the Independent Study/blog tasks posted on the Macguffin blog? Does it make it more likely that you will get them done?
i think it's really useful because you know where to look just incase you forget or something...i think thas 1 reason i got all ov them done :)
4. How often (honestly!) do you check the Macguffin blog? (Remember, it should be at least twice/week).
honestly...a couple of times a week
5. Has it been useful being able to see and access everyone else’s research and planning through their blogs?
kind of...sometimes someone elses research may help you with your own n give u a few ideas
6. How do you feel about the fact that your teacher can keep a close check on your progress through accessing your blog? Is it too intrusive and controlling or is it encouraging and supportive?
i find it more encouraging and supportive to be honest...it makes me work harder than i would otherwise
7. How useful have the comments been that you received from…a. Macguffin, b. other students.
i don't think Macguffin ever really commented...n i dnt think i gained that much perspective from other peoples comments :S
8. How has the blog helped with your essay planning? How useful was the blog when it came to writing the essay? Do you think your first draft is better because you have used a blog?
i felt it was really useful...i knew where everything i needed to refer to or access was like stuff i may have written as part of a blog task that i could include or quotes n stuff
9. How would you evaluate the quality of your blog? What could you have done better?
i think my blog is pretty sik :) i've worked hard at it to make sure i do all my work n 2 a high standard...i could of done more self directed research tho...
10. Do you think you will get a better final grade for your independent study through having used a blog?
hopefully...
11. Which are the best three blogs? Why?
theres quite a few really good ones to be honest...Bush,Sherish,Rajan,Kavita,Fuzzy, Harveen...
12. Do you think next year’s Year 13s would benefit from setting up an Independent Study blog?
i think they definately would
13. Are there any negative aspects to preparing for an Independent Study using a blog?
nope...o but it's a lil inconvinient sometimes when it gets stuck etc...apart from tht noo
14. What could be done to improve teaching and/or learning in future through blogs?
i think that maybe the teachers could check them more thoroughly and give more individual feedback just to ensure everyones on the right track or doing the work properly
15. Overall, are you pleased that we used blogs? Has it been interesting and enjoyable? Why? Why not?
i'm happy...it's been a good way of doing my work...very organised and structured
RaSpReEt..x
1. yh its easy to set up a blog...dnt think its too hard..i guess you can et help from your friends if u dont know how to set it up....dont take that long..
2. yeh ...in a way i think it did help with my research because i can look back and everything will just be there ....i dont think i would have done the research if it wasnt for the blogs.....lol....was scared incase mr bush cheked ..and it aint on ma blog
3. no...it the independant study that has to be handed in anyway posting it up on the blog is just hastle....
4. LOL i only chek the blog when i have to do homework...but i have to be told that there is homework to be done in order for me to chek on the blog.
5.umm..for the individual i think it just makes you organised i mean you cant loose bits of paper here and there ....but i dnt really look at other peoples blogs....i only go on my blog and thats when work it set
6.i think its good as i said previously i wouldnt have done my reasearch if it wasnt for the blog...i think its a good way to support students as teachers can easily see weather students have done their work or not..and it makes it easier for teachers as they can chek it at any time...less time consuming.
7. umm..what comments ...:S ?
8.to be honest i didnt make much use of the blog when i came to do my 1st draft on my essay....i left it last min and just rushed to te library and used the books.
9. i have done some bits in quite detail....but i think my blog could be more attractiv by posting up pictures i just have too much writting.
10.hmm not to sure ...i didnt really use it for my 1st draft.....perhaps if i do for my next draft i will :D
11. sherish bushra and dinny
they have all done consise work and in detail and they have made their blogs look atttractive
12.yh its extraaaa but it makes you do the work meaning you'll do better
13. dnt think so
14. ummmm... not much ....i mean we get feedback from other students ...maybe when there is a task set ....you should post a comment on everyones work..to show that you have not just looked at it but read it ...makes you feel as if you are doing work and it is getting marked and commented on saying what can be improoved....cus it just feels like we are just posting up stuff...but bo feed back is given on what can be dun to improove the work...or praise to say the work is good
15. i am pleased because it made me do the work
Prascilla
Baliner
1. How easy has it been to set up your Independent Study blog and to get used to posting things on it? Were you given enough support in doing it? What other help would have been useful?
* pretty easy...not rocket science all we did was follow instructions.
2. How did the blog help with your research? Did the blog motivate you to do more and better research? How? Why?
**It keps everything in order and organised, much better than havig a folder
3. Is it useful having all the Independent Study/blog tasks posted on the Macguffin blog? Does it make it more likely that you will get them done?
**Yeh because its modern lol its more exciting than a folder!!!with a folder you are likely to lose it.
4. How often (honestly!) do you check the Macguffin blog? (Remember, it should be at least twice/week).
**Honesty ... once a week.. not as much as i cud
5. Has it been useful being able to see and access everyone else’s research and planning through their blogs?
**Erm..well..i dont like the thought of others looking at my blog just like i wudnt like anyone lookin into my folder! its MY work!
6. How do you feel about the fact that your teacher can keep a close check on your progress through accessing your blog? Is it too intrusive and controlling or is it encouraging and supportive?
**i think its ok but if the teachers are really controlling it kills the fun.
7. How useful have the comments been that you received from…a. Macguffin, b. other students.
**havent recieved any from MacGuffin, i dont think anyone has! people only comment on their friends page lol
8. How has the blog helped with your essay planning? How useful was the blog when it came to writing the essay? Do you think your first draft is better because you have used a blog?
obviously :S yeh it was useful since all my research was on the blog lol (silly question lol)
9. How would you evaluate the quality of your blog? What could you have done better?
**i really dont know posibly more work... theres alwats work that cud be done
10. Do you think you will get a better final grade for your independent study through having used a blog?
** erm... the blog didnt help that much it was just a good way of keeping and organising my research. if i had a folder i wud have probably got the same. the only difference with this is that its on a blog.
11. Which are the best three blogs? Why?
** all of them are great. im not gnna name the people.. because u know who u are..if u put hard work into the blog then its you =)
12. Do you think next year’s Year 13s would benefit from setting up an Independent Study blog?
**yeh coz then they cant say " i 4got my folder at home" or "i lost my folder" lol
13. Are there any negative aspects to preparing for an Independent Study using a blog?
** everyone can see ur work
14. What could be done to improve teaching and/or learning in future through blogs?
**make blog work fun!
15. Overall, are you pleased that we used blogs? Has it been interesting and enjoyable? Why? Why not?
yeh i have.. its ok...apart from the technical errors that takes the ****
1. How easy has it been to set up your Independent Study blog and to get used to posting things on it? Were you given enough support in doing it? What other help would have been useful?
It is quite simple to set up the independent study blog. The posting were quite simple and easy to use, yet sometimes if you were to press publish to blog the Internet may mess up and you would have to start it again!
2. How did the blog help with your research? Did the blog motivate you to do more and better research? How? Why?
As most of the research is done on the Internet, the blog motivated me to use links and websites to the blogger. It allowed me to do better research by firstly having it at a click of a button.
3. Is it useful having all the Independent Study/blog tasks posted on the Macguffin blog? Does it make it more likely that you will get them done?
Sometimes it is more useful to have it all on the macguffin blog as you know what needs to be done and when it has to be done for. Having done them on paper sometimes, allows you to check your work and makes you work harder in my opinion.
4. How often (honestly!) do you check the Macguffin blog? (Remember, it should be at least twice/week).
I check the Macguffin blog about 4 to 5 times a week. Not Lying. As it is on my favourites!
5. Has it been useful being able to see and access everyone else’s research and planning through their blogs?
It is useful to see other people’s blog, where you can check and maybe help them on areas they are having problems with.
6. How do you feel about the fact that your teacher can keep a close check on your progress through accessing your blog? Is it too intrusive and controlling or is it encouraging and supportive?
Having the teacher checking your blog, is quite encouraging and supportive as it allows the teacher to check your progress and comment on your work. On the other hand having done the work on paper and handed in, more comments can be made on your work rather than on the macguffin blog.
7. How useful have the comments been that you received from…a. Macguffin, b. other students.
Yes comments have been useful from Macguffin and other students. It allows a student point of you and also a teachers point of view on your work.
8. How has the blog helped with your essay planning? How useful was the blog when it came to writing the essay? Do you think your first draft is better because you have used a blog?
No having do first drafts on the blog is quite annoying actually. My reasons for this is that it is extra work to set up a white board, post it up on your blog and then printing it out for the teacher to mark. I feel it should just be printed out.
9. How would you evaluate the quality of your blog? What could you have done better?
Yes I could have done better on the blog by adding more research to it. I still prefer to do it on paper, as I feel I put more effort into my work, thus getting a better grade at the end of the year.
10. Do you think you will get a better final grade for your independent study through having used a blog?
As said in the above question, I like the old fashion of paper work, as I work harder and to get a better grade, but the blogger does motivate me to do more research on my topic area.
11. Which are the best three blogs? Why?
Everyone’s blog is very good in their own way. Well done!
12. Do you think next year’s Year 13s would benefit from setting up an Independent Study blog?
It depends on how they like to study, on paper on posting up comments on the your own blog.
13. Are there any negative aspects to preparing for an Independent Study using a blog?
Yes the internet issue, as technology can have break downs once in a while, thus cannot logging in to your blog, such as changing your internet provider and the time it takes to switch over.
14. What could be done to improve teaching and/or learning in future through blogs?
The aspects that can be used to improve teaching and learning in the future through blogs in that not having everything done on the blog. Having the work split 50/50, into paper and blog work.
15. Overall, are you pleased that we used blogs? Has it been interesting and enjoyable? Why? Why not?
Overall I would have preferd using the paper method of work, yet this blog idea as been a new innovative idea for the 21st century.
Sawan
1)It was really easy to set up my blog but i hate it. I find its a waste of time and i find it better
to write on paper.
2)Blog didn't help motivate me to do research. I done my reseacrh and kept in word doc. files because it takes toooooooooooooooooooooooo long to post up and when you copy paste your text you waste 10mins editing it.
3)Useful to have tasks posted up on blog so we know what to do, but you should also tells us in lesson and also Mr Munro should be more informed and also tell us, so people have no excuses.
4)I check the blog when i have to but generally atleast once a week.
5)Don't bother assessing other peoples blogs as they no-ones doing a similar text.
6)Thankyou sir, you can keep us on track and motivate us, keep us on the right path and encourage to realise our potential.
7)I aint recieved no comments.
8)I hardly use the blog and only use because i'm told to. I prefer to have everything on paper infront of me instead of clicking and scrolling to find info. More thoughts flood out on the page rather than on screen.
9)My blog is rubbish, i openly admit and i'm not ashamed. i can't stand it, i cant help the way i feel. Just you lot can't see the work doesn'y mean i haven't done it.
10)No.
11)Everyone's different, but they'll probably have to have a blog anyway. You're not going to change it are you.
12)Bushara, Minty and Sherish, they have done plenty of research, and are always up to date, well done.
13)Yeah, when it crashes and you lose all your hard work, you feel like what's the point. It's much faster by hand than having to post up work on the blog. There's other work for other subjects that need to be done.
14)Do work more on paper than on blog. Make sure the blog works properly for a change.
15)No i hate the blog, because its tooo time consuming and just is long.
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