For teachers
What is it?
The Christchurch Kids Blog is a safe and interactive blog for children aged eight to 12 run by Christchurch City Libraries.
How it works
With guidance from teachers, children are able to create their own content on things that interest them, using a login created for their class. They can also comment on blog posts.
All content is moderated by staff at Christchurch City Libraries
What are our aims?
- To get children writing and commenting, sharing their thoughts on books, movies and music.
- To introduce pupils to new authors via profiles and interviews.
- To encourage use of the full range of library resources – for fun and for learning.
- To promote and report back on local events.
The blog aims to get children in Christchurch and Canterbury discussing books they read, movies they watch, music they listen to, and interacting with authors.
As administrators of the blog, we highlight areas of the library collection, including non-fiction, fiction, reference materials, audiovisual, and our increasing range of web resources.
We also highlight events in the library and throughout the region, such as New Zealand Music Month, Kidsfest and other holiday programmes.
We monitor the blog to ensure content and comments are appropriate.
What are the benefits?
- The blog is a fantastic way to promote a love of reading. We regularly post book reviews of new and exciting books that children could read and the children themselves will be able to post their own reviews for others to comment on.
- We can highlight particular areas of the curriculum that you may be studying to further children’s learning experiences. For example, we have a blog post about ANZAC Day that gives ideas of where children could find information about this.
- You could use the blog as a discussion forum about a book that you may be reading and discussing in class. It is easy to post a question/s about a book and get the children to post a comment in reply to this.
- Your class could share samples of their writing on the blog. They could write a post about something that is happening at their school or share a story or poem they have written.
We would like to invite you and your students to participate in the blog, either adding a comment on someone else’s post or writing their own post
For more information or to get involved, please contact christchurchkidsblog@ccc.govt.nz
Team 23 said,
September 13, 2010 @ 12:19 pm
What a great site.
zackids said,
September 13, 2010 @ 12:23 pm
Thanks
We hope that your class will enjoy it and join in the conversation when they can.
Zac
Sheryl Gwyther said,
September 14, 2010 @ 9:11 am
I’m an Australian author and would like to pass on my, and lots of my writerly friends and colleagues’ best wishes for you all and the beautiful city of Christchurch as you go about getting the city back to normal after the earthquake and its aftermath.
zackids said,
September 14, 2010 @ 11:47 am
Thanks very much Sheryl. The amount of support from people throughout New Zealand and the rest of the world has been amazing. Thanks for thinking of us in little old Christchurch.
Zac
sherylgwyther said,
September 15, 2010 @ 12:52 am
Christchurch is one of my favourite (most liveable) cities – besides Brisbane, of course!
sherylgwyther said,
September 15, 2010 @ 12:57 am
Sorry to hog your blog, but I just realised my first junior fiction, ‘Secrets of Eromanga’ is in 5 of your libraries in Christchurch district – Central Library, Linwood Library, New Brighton Library, Shirley Library and Upper Riccarton Library.
I’m super chuffed!
zackids said,
September 15, 2010 @ 8:25 am
That’s great Sheryl
It would be great if you could tell us a little about your book. Feel free to send us an email and we can post some info about Secrets of Eromanga on the blog. Our email is christchurchkidsblog@ccc.govt.nz
Zac