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Class blog voted the country's best
MARIKA HILL - Manawatu Standard Last updated 12:00 20/11/2010
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MURRAY WILSON/Manawatu Standard RELUCTANT BLOGGER: Russell Street School teacher Stephen Baker helps his "Digiridoos'' class update their award-winning blog
The buzz of creative learning has transformed a Palmerston North teacher from IT-illiterate to the country's top classroom blogger.

Stephen Baker and his Russell Street School class, the Digiridoos, won Best Class Blog at the Interface magazine awards recently.

Mr Baker admitted to being a "reluctant blogger" three years ago, but the tech bug took hold, inspiring him to use a blog to capture children's attention.

The students post videos, photos, games and daily lesson updates on theinsandouts.co.nz, drawing about 100 viewers per day.

Mr Baker said children learn more when they're having fun and interacting.

"The blog makes our class open 24/7. The kids don't realise they're learning things.

"It's visual, it's their language – games, videos, iTouches – that's what kids know. They're only nine- or 10-years-old but they've grown up with it."

The blog has attracted viewers from the United States, Europe and Asia, including expat grandparents interested in their grandchildren's learning.

Children publish their work online and write personal blogs that are linked into the main page.

"It's communicating to the world. That's what the blog does, it brings everyone to you," Mr Baker said.

The children's IT knowledge would baffle most adults – a position Mr Baker was in when he began teaching nine years ago.

The buzz of being creative online spurred him to learn about making the most of technology.

Something must have clicked, as his former class at Hokowhitu School came runner-up in the blog competition last year.

The Russell Street School pupils are thrilled by the win.

"The children are stoked because it's like our little baby."

The school benefited too, winning a laptop valued at $1500.

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