How to
Incorporate Blogging in the Classroom
Teachers
Teachers can use blogs to post assignments, due dates, class
information and events, and content. Teachers can also link sources like
Youtube videos, articles, slide presentations and podcasts to their blogs.
Teachers can use blogs instead of a traditional paper
newsletter. They can share upcoming events, special dates, and fun things to
come and also share the highlights of the previous month.
Teachers can also use blogs to facilitate online discussions
between their students. Teachers can post a question and students can answer
and reply to their classmates. Teachers can also post a topic and ask students
to find credible sources about that topic.
Students
Students can use blogs to publish their writings, educate
others on an important topic, keep a group up-to-date on upcoming events or
promote something of importance to them.
Blogs also allow students to share pictures or images to
enhance their writings, include links to credible sites that strengthen their
argument or opinion and even link videos or slide show presentations.
Why Use Blogs
Teachers assign essays, journal entries, and research papers
all the time. Why not assign a blog post instead? The same guidelines can apply
to a blog as to a traditional paper. Importance can still be put on things like
grammar, punctuation, content and properly citing sources. Blogging just adds
some excitement for the students because it’s something different.
When students create blogs instead of traditional papers
they can share their thoughts, ideas, opinions and research with the world
instead of just their teacher and classmates. Since blogs are available
globally students may put more effort into their writings. Blogs hold students
accountable because their writings are posted online for their teacher and
classmates to read and possibly even the world.
Teachers have the responsibility to teach their students how
to use technology. Blogging is a very popular trend within technology. Students
should know how to create blogs, comment on blogs, find appropriate blogs, and
follow blogs.
Educational Blog Sites
While there are lots of blogging sites available there are
some blog sites that are strictly for educational purposes. Two of the top
educational blogs are Edublog and Kidblog. Both of these blogs are strictly for
education and are safe and secure. Neither site has advertising, so there’s no
worry of inappropriate content. These sites are made for kids, therefore they
are simple to use but still have options for personalization through themes,
colors, fonts, etc. These two sites also offer teacher collaboration and
professional development.
Kidblog.com
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