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Blogs continue to be the hot topic. A blog is akin to a daily journal or diary. It’s a place to reflect and compose your thoughts. Blogs can be private or shared and can also allow readers to comment on a topic.
How it works: Most blogs work on a server’s database application (SQL/PHP). Users login and then can compose, format and post their message from any web browser. Messages are often accessed by date, but you can organize posts into topics as well.
Students: A student blog would be a great place to foster reflective thinking. A student posting once a week could provide insight into what is working for them, what they are questioning, or what they are struggling with in the classroom. It could also be a place to share thinking about current events or issues or used as a required course journal.
Parents: Could gain valuable insight into thinking and learning through access to a student blog. Letting parents respond to a blog topic would also be a great way to help them become more involved in learning.
Colleagues: Professional development blogs could help teachers sort through their beliefs, biases, and problems with important topics. It is possible to use a blog as a classroom website.
Issues: SECURITY – obviously a blog’s greatest benefit is being wide-open to reading and replying. The problem is that students can use blogs as places to slam each other or engage questionable content. If using a free service, you may not have access to student accounts. As an alternative run a blog on your school intranet. While blogs allow comments, they generally do not foster two-way communication on a topic.
Resources:
- Student Blog http://manila.cet.middlebury.edu/michaelb
- Student Learning Journal http://binaryblue.com.au/myphpblog/learner.php?blogid=20
- HS Classroom Website http://www.glnd.k12.va.us/schools/ghs/teachers/cjackson/archives/cat_english_12.html
- First Grade Website http://www.butlerville.net/1a/
- Professional Development http://tamingthetiger.typepad.com/action_research/
- Blog Ideas for Education http://exampleblog.teacherhosting.com/blog3/archives/cat_romeo_juliet.html
- EastSide Bloggers http://blogs.writingproject.org/blogWrite89
A multi-editor, multi-purpose weblog by students at East Side Community High School. Click on student names to browse their blogs. - Weblogging to Success http://www97.intel.com/education/odyssey/day_299/day_299.htm
This is an article about an 8th grade classroom using blogs to support the learning process. - Reading and Writing with Blogs – this PDF shares results from using a blog as part of an online project http://www.people.virginia.edu/~sbk8q/31232k.pdf
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