Now, I teach 9-12 high school students. Most are either in World Geography or World History class. I decided that blogging would be the perfect way to get them writing. I was super excited and dove right in only to have it all come crashing down around me. See, I only have one student computer in my class and the computer lab is usually reserved for math or language classes. I had hoped students would be able to blog at home only to discover that most had Internet on their phone, but not unlimited plans or access at their homes. I was pretty upset. I did at least attempt blogging a few times, but it was very tedious with only one computer.
I pretty much gave up on student blogging after that experience. Recently, however, so many of the bloggers that I follow have been mentioning student blogging again. It's almost been like a sign that maybe it is time to try again. So hopefully next school year, I will figure out a way to make blogging, or at least micro-blogging work for me!
One of my favorite articles on student blogging can be accessed at this site. Mrs. Ripp lists her top ten reasons why students should blog. Here is a paraphrased list of her reasons.
- Audience
- Easy to store/track
- Open communication
- Teaches safe Internet use
- Peer teaching
- Teaches global citizenship
- Transparency of learning
- Become aware of writing style
- Quick check of understanding
- Students have a voice
First, we are quickly becoming a paperless society. Blogging eliminates nuisance such as storage of Composition books, messy handwriting, smudgy ink, etc. It is easier for both teacher and student. I can access their writing from my classroom, home, and even on the go on my Kindle Fire. Students can also access their work from many platforms which means forgetting your supplies becomes a bad excuse.
Next, blogging opens communication up between student and teacher and peer to peer in a completely new way. Both teacher and student can bring up questions and opinions in an open forum. Commenting on strong work, good ideas, etc. can open up even more ideas which can really help students as they delve into deeper depths of knowledge.
Also, our students use technology CONSTANTLY! Those against technology in the classroom for safety reasons really annoy me because usually they are ignoring the fact that it is a part of our lives that is not going away. My 6 month old niece already knows how to tap color specific buttons on her Dad's Ipad. Rather than ignoring these new technologies, I believe that we should embrace them and teach our students appropriate use. Blogging is just one way that we can do that. Students learn about Internet safety in regard's to personal information, but also learn Netiquette and global citizenship. These are skills that will help them greatly in their adult lives.
Finally, blogging gives the teacher an easy way to check for understanding. It is typically easy for students to avoid a teacher when they are less than confident in the classroom. However, if every student is maintaining a blog, it is easy for even the quietest student's voice to be heard. Misconceptions or weak knowledge can be identified in a low pressure situation and alleviated either through comments on the blog or reteaching in the classroom.
I think that this article really brought to life the reasons why blogging is important in the classroom. It definitely has made me want to explore opportunities for blogging with my students next year.
If you think blogging is something you would like to try in your classroom, here are a few resources that I found useful:
- Article on how to make blogging meaningful for students.
- Youtube video on blogging in the classroom.
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