I wonder why more teachers not using blogs with their students? After reading about the many benefits students gain from blogging, it’s a wonder why more teachers are not implementing this into their daily lessons plans. According to Soloman & Schrum (2014), blogging changes the audience for student’s writing samples. Instead of simply writing a narrative for a teacher to evaluate, they are writing to people of different ages all over the world. Their audience goes from a single teacher to a global audience. Finally, blogging can offer students immediate feedback from people from various perspectives in addition to the teacher in the classroom.
Blogs can also become a student’s portfolio for many types of writing (descriptive, narrative, and expository). From my teaching experience, writing can be a dreadful task for some students, though with blogging this may spark a student’s interest. Blogging is more like free writing and allow can students to write about their interests, thoughts, and creativity. It opens an ongoing discussion with a variety of people. Students can receive immediate feedback when blogging, instead of a solitary feedback from a teacher’s perspective. Blogging is writing, 21st-century style!
Getting Smart by Susan Lucille Davis shares the benefits of real writing versus pretend writing. Real writing is purposeful and authentic writing for the students. Pretend writing is writing completed in the classroom through the five writing processes (brainstorming, rough draft, editing and revising, and finally publishing) for achieving a grade. Davis shares the benefits of blogging helps developing crucial skills with language development, understanding word relationships, and even creating opportunities for a positive change in this world. Not only is blogging beneficial for students, but teachers reap the benefits as well. According to Edutopia, blogging allows teachers to reflect on their learning and progress, showcase their own student’s projects, ask for help from peers around the world, and share resources and “aha” moments. There are only positive effects that come from students blogging.
I found Mrs. Carroll’s classroom blog is very interesting and highly tech savvy. She demonstrates a strong understanding of technical knowledge. Her blog has interactive hyperlinks for her students and parents to learn more about her personal life and ways submit information through glogster. Her glogster is an interactive tool, I would like to learn more about, so I can add it to my own personal teaching blog.
Another interesting blog I came across was Sue Water’s blog. This blog provides simple instructions how to teach students the correct techniques for posting a blog and replying to a peer’s blog. Her instructions are simple yet exact. She suggests using a letter format when replying to a peer’s blog, and the importance of correct grammar and spelling usage (no texting language). Making a connection to a friend’s blog is essential. This can be accomplished through stating a simple compliment or personal connection to the writer of the blog. I have included her tips in my rubric below. I have bookmarked both teacher’s blogs to help improve my own professional blog.
Here is an example of a rubric I would implement with my students to guide them through successful blogging.
References:
Davis, S (2012, October 22). 10 reasons Why I Want My Students to Blog. Getting Smart. Retrieved September 5, 2017 from http://www.gettingsmart.com/2012/10/10-reasons-why-i-want-my-students-blog/
Soloman, G. & Schrum, L. (2014). Web 2.0 How-To For Educators. (2nd ed.). Washington, DC: International Society for Technology in Education.