Blogging in the Classroom

Now I have never had a blog before this class because well, I never really like writing. I thought the main purpose of a blog was to just write about your day, sort of a journal or diary available to the public. Once I started learning more about blogging though, through C I 556, I realized that blogging can be used for so much more than just personal thoughts or ideas. I realized that it is a place where people can discuss different topics, share different ideas, and let others know about new things. You can share personal or professional information. One thing I had never considered before was using it in the classroom. After reading articles about blogging and discussing it in class I realized that blogging might actually be a good idea in the classroom. One of the main things that I liked was the idea of having student’s journal a few times a week. The article we read talked about how this allows students to just free write about a topic of their choice, and then the teacher can easily read it and comment back on it, as well as other students. The part I really liked about this was that it saved the teacher the trouble of lugging the journals home and back and then having to search through them to find the latest entry. Also, you don’t have to worry about not being able to read their handwriting! I also thought blogging would be a good way for students to share things with their classmates such as stories or poems the write. When it comes to using blogs in the classroom there are some things teachers need to make sure of. They need to get school and then parent permission and make it private so that only the class, and maybe parents, can access it. I think blogging can be used at any grade, but would be better suited for upper elementary. Also, it needs to be monitored. Teachers need to make sure the students are posting appropriate content. Lastly, the students need to have fun with it. It is more of an activity than an assignment. There are so many things out there to write about, why not share them with others!