Blogging in the Classroom

Though there are many precautions to take into account, I have definitely taken a positive view on integrating blogging into the classroom. They allow quiet voices to be heard, students to become engaged, promotion of collaboration, work to be easily shared, collected, and preserved, etc(1). Blogging could be started as early as the elementary grades.

For example, integrating into a grade four classroom. As students are starting to learn more and more about using computers as well as the internet, using blogs can be a great tool for practice. In turn it will allow internet safety to be taught and carried out by students. When used in the english/language arts area, blogging can be used as a way to help strengthen writing skills. For example students can write in the blogs using new writing styles or techniques they have just learned. The blog could also be used to help brainstorm ideas as well as ask questions about story plots, morals, characters, etc. Blogging can also give students a spot to post their work, they can then reflect on what they have learned as well as reflect on others work. I agree that reading the blogs of others is just as important as writing your own(2). Integrating blogging into the classroom has innumerable benefits, however teachers must ensure web safety.

Important safety issues for teachers to remember when blogging in the classroom:
-Teacher supervision and easy access to student blogs
-Privacy and posting to the public
-Content, perversion, authenticity, misrepresentation
-Respect
The list goes on...


(1) http://literacymatters.wikispaces.com/Blogging

(2) http://remoteaccess.typepad.com/remote_access/2006/05/blogs_invitatio.html

http://www.eschoolnews.com/eti/2004/10/000180.php

http://www.eschoolnews.com/eti/2005/06/000882.php