Blog

How and why would I use a blog in the classroom?

Many blogs provide commentary or news on a particular subject; others function as more personal online diaries. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, Web pages, and other media related to its topic. The ability for readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of many blogs. Most blogs are primarily textual, although some focus on art, photographs, sketches, videos, music, audio, which are part of a wider network of social media.

Using blogs in my grade three class will allow opportunities to explore:

• PMI Charts
  
• de Bono's Six Thinking Hats
  
• Collaborative Authoring
  
• Project Drafting
  
• Ranking Tool
  
• SWOT analysis
  
• T-chart
  
• Y-Chart
  
• Compare and Contrast
  
• KWL Strategy
  
  

I have added this YouTube clip where children discuss why they like using blogs in the classroom.


I can see several advantages to using a blog that simply could not be achieved better in any other way. I have listed some of these below:

1. It provides your students with a “live” audience.
2. Normally assignments will have only one reader: The Teacher. By asking your students to contribute on the blog, they will increase the interactivity with other readers (fellow students or the millions of Internet users all over the globe).
3. The focus will be more on content (as opposed to form)
4. It provide extra reading practice for students.
5. This reading can be produced by the teacher, other students in the same class, or, in the case of comments posted to a blog, by people from all over the world.
6. Blogs can be used as online student learner journals
7. The value of using learner journals has been well documented. Usually they are private channels between teacher and student. Using a blog as a learner journal can increase the audience.
8. To guide students to online resources appropriate for their level.
9. The Internet has a bewildering array of resources that are potentially useful for your students. The problem is finding and directing your learners to them. For this reason, you can use your tutor blog as a portal for your learners.
10. Blogs can increase the sense of community in a class.
11. A class blog can help foster a feeling of community between the members of a class, especially if learners are sharing information about themselves and their hobbies, and are responding to what other students are writing.
12. To encourage shy students to participate.
13. There is evidence to suggest that students who are quiet in class can find their voice when given the opportunity to express themselves in a blog.
    To stimulate out-of-class discussion.
14. To create a space for pre-class or post-class discussion.
15. Because students are writing for publication, they are usually more concerned about getting things right, and usually understand the value of rewriting more than if the only audience for their written work is the teacher.
16. As an online portfolio or even an archive of student written work.
17. To help build a closer relationship between students in large classes.
    

Huffer, D (2005). The educated blogger: Using weblogs to promote literacy in the classroom. AACE journal, 12 (2), 91-98 [electronic resource] 2005 retrieved August 23, 2010. From http://www.editlib.org/

Peck, K & Dorricott, D (1994). Realising the promise of technology, (Vol 51).issue 7 [online resource] 1994. Retrieved August 24, 2010 from http://www.dromano.com

video from www.youtube.com