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Welcome to Cornerstone’s 6th grade science weblog. Scroll down for blog guidelines & grading rubric. Navigate to the other pages to contribute.

GUIDELINES

Blogging Terms and Conditions:

1. Students using blogs will follow all common sense rules of using and staying safe on the Internet. They will not leave their blog site for any reason, unless given express permission by their teacher. Do not, under any circumstances, agree to meet someone you have met over the Internet.

2. Students using blogs are expected to act safely by keeping personal information out of their posts. Use your initials only! You agree to not post or give out your first name, your family name, password, user name, e-mail address, school address, home address or other information that could help someone locate or contact you in person. Also, do not link to your personal blog/journal from your school blog, or vice versa.

3. Students using blogs agree to not share their user name or password with anyone other than your parents (and teacher). You agree to never log in as another student.

4. Students using blogs are expected to treat blogspaces as classroom spaces. Speech that is inappropriate for class is not appropriate for your blog. While we encourage you to engage in debate and conversation with other bloggers, we also expect that you will conduct yourself in a manner reflective of a representative of this school. This includes:

a. All post should be education-oriented and related to content and curriculum being studied in your classes.

b. Do not use IM or conversational language. Be thoughtful about your posting and post with clarity.

c. Always make sure you check your post for spelling errors, grammar errors, sentence structure, and choice of words.

d. When you are writing your opinion on a topic, make sure you are not going to be offensive to anyone as you write.

e. Make sure your post consists of your own original ideas or factual information. Do not post about things that are not true—no urban legends or rumors.

f. Do not plagiarize.

g. Stay on topic.

5. Student blogs are to be a forum for student expression. However, they are first and foremost a tool for learning, and as such will sometimes be constrained by the various requirements and rules of classroom teachers. Students are welcome to post on any school-appropriate subject.

6. Student blogs are to be a vehicle for sharing student writing with real audiences. For this pilot, all responses will be monitored by your teacher. If somehow you receive a comment that you feel is inappropriate, do not respond and alert your teacher right away.

7. Student Blogger will not “gang up” on other bloggers in their posts either directly or indirectly. Also, when posting a comment to someone else’s blog, don’t be critical. No destructive criticism.

8. Students using blogs take good care of the computers by not downloading or installing any software, and do not click on ads or competitions.

9. Students who do not abide by these terms and conditions may lose their opportunity to take part in this project.

RUBRIC

5 Points – YOUR POSTING CONTENT Points Received______

4-5 points - Topic is fully discussed with several examples from your experience and research

2-3 points - Topic discussed a little with only one example provided

1 point - Topic barely discussed with no examples provided

5 Points – ORGANIZATION Points Received______

4-5 points – Paragraph is well organized and makes sense

2-3 points – Paragraph is somewhat difficult to follow

1 point – Paragraph is not organized and it is difficult to understand what you are talking about

5 Points – ACCURACY Points Received______

4-5 points – Few to no errors in spelling and grammar

2-3 points – Many spelling or grammar errors, but it is still possible to understand

1 point – Meaning is unclear due to spelling or grammar errors


5 Points – RESPONSE TO ANOTHER POSTING Points Received______

4-5 points – demonstrated that you read their posting by reacting to or asking about what your classmate wrote

2-3 points – not sure that you read or understood your classmate’s posting based on your response

1 point – no demonstrating of having read classmate’s posting

Total Points Received_______/20