Using Blogs in the Classroom
One of the greatest advantages of introducing blogs into the classroom is their versatility. Education has become more dependent on technology resources. This is the perfect opportunity to utilize blogs in your everyday classroom. Students can work on their blogs at school or at home. It is a great hybrid resource that allows students to work on their writing skills and share their writing with their teachers and classmates. Classmates are also able to collaborate with each other by commenting on posts and sharing their feedback on classmates’ posts. Blogging gives students a voice and allows them to create content that interests them.
If you are serious about blogs becoming a major part of your classroom, I feel there are some precautions that should be taken. Proper internet etiquette and usage of resources would need to be taught to students. I will link a resource below that I feel does a great job of educating students on Internet safety in an engaging and age-appropriate way.
Source:
Hong, W. (2008). Exploring Educational Use of blogs in U.S. education. US-China Education Review, 5(10). https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED503871.pdf
Hi Amanda, your blog looks great! It would be great to use blogs to communicate with my students. The advantage is versatility since technology is so important nowadays in education. While researching this topic, I could not find much on blogging in first grade, but I wonder how useful this would be. I have students who can not get on apps, so I’m unsure how they would handle a blog. I love how you ended your blog, “blogging gives students a voice and allows them to create content that interests them.” Everyone’s voice should be heard voice; thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHi Amanda,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your first blog post about...blogs! :) I absolutely see the benefits to using blogs in the classroom. It gives students the chance to talk to their peers and the outside community on a different level. Thanks for sharing that Common Sense Media resource!
Hi Amanda,
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing infographic to illustrate the many benefits of blogging in the classroom! This practice naturally promotes cross-curricular activities (writing is typically not preferred by my 4th graders), provides an easy way to share work and communicate with families, helps students work together, and provides a real-life opportunity to learn how to demonstrate digital citizenship.
You make really good points about netiquette and usage of resources; students absolutely need to understand these before diving into this world full of possibility. I was even thinking of having them create their own list of norms as we do in the classroom. Still, it’s exciting to consider all we could explore and accomplish by starting one of these. Thank you for sharing!
Hi Amanda,
ReplyDeleteI love the visual! It explains simply and effectively so many reasons why blogging in the classroom makes sense. I really appreciate the quote about discouraging the "sage on the stage" teaching style. I have been reflecting on beginning a blog with my 4th and 5th grade students, and my biggest worry is how to not take too much control. Our students rarely get to practice academic skills on topics they actually choose. I want to be careful not to drive the blog so much that they do not really buy into it. I would love to hear their true voices and see them participate because they truly want to. Thank you for sharing!
Hi Amanda,
ReplyDeleteYour blog is very visually appealing, great job! I love the infographic that you started with, it really draws reader in and engages them. I agree with you about taking precautions before introducing a new type of technology into your classroom. No matter the age, all students need to be taught proprer internet ettiquette and expectations for your classroom!
Thanks for sharing,
Erica