An end to the Investigation!... or is it?

At this stage, we're in the process of putting the final wraps on the investigate phase and preparing to look forward toward the next phases of Design and Plan.  We would like to take a moment to reflect back on where we started and what we know now that will help propel us forward.

We began with a our unit questions that presents the problem were trying to solve: 

How can we use our blogs to share our ideas online (in a responsible and safe manner) in order to have a positive effect on our community and ourselves?

We learned about Martha Payne, who's blog Never Seconds has done just this...  she has created a place online where she shares her ideas and perspective (in a responsible and safe manner) that is having a profound effect on her, on her immediate community (the meals have gotten much better) and on our global community.  The students around the world that make up Martha's audience, are now  paying much better attention to what they eat, they're becoming a more knowledgeable community through participation in her blog and they're raising thousands of pounds to help feed impoverished children in Malawea.

Sharing ideas online: check
Responsible and Safe behavior: check
Impact on herself: check
Impact on her community and the world: double check

Our final task for the investigation phase was to reflect on the unit questions and select the criteria we felt were most important in creating a successful blog.   Finally, students were asked to use their blog as a space to publish their fist post in the form of this reflection.

Here are a few student samples of reflections that truly captured the essence of why we're blogging and what they can do to make their blog successful.

Blogging 101 by Hayley D.

Internet Fame: Here I Come! by Benen W.

Where Will We Go? by Chance B.

Talented Tiana's Blog by Tiana T.

Well That Was Awkward! by Mikaila W.