The article "So You Wanna Blog" discusses how we used to
write essays in class. No one ever read
them but yourself and the teacher. We
rarely shared that knowledge that we learned with others. We rarely had the opportunity to discuss our
thoughts or ideas about the topics we researched. Blogging enables us to share content,
thoughts, ideas and opinions with others and illicit their feedback. The author suggests EduBlogs and KidBlog as
two good blogging sites that are teacher friendly.
Parental Involvement
Blogs can be used to establish lines of communication
between home and school. Blogs can
provide a window into the classroom for parents. It is a easy way to determine what students are
doing in classroom. Teachers may not
have the level of participation they would like and may become discouraged with
blogging. One would first have to
educate parents about blogging. Parental
participation would have to be encouraged. The author suggests sending a FAQ
Sheet that explains what a blog is and why you are blogging. Various items that should be covered with
parents are discussed in the “Guide to involve Parents.”
Example of a Blog Policy
If you are interested in creating a blog for educational
use, you should consider creating a blog policy. Arapahoe High School’s blog policy includes their tips for successful
blogging. The policy states that the
blog will not used to promote profanity, racism, sexism, or personal attacks. It
should be used as a learning tool to promote discussions outside of the
classroom. It advises student to give
constructive criticism if they do not agree with others. Viewing their policy
will give you some ideas of what you may want to include in your blog policy.
I love the comparison of traditional writing with blog assignments. It is true. In the past, writing was just for the student and teacher. I believe that blog posting gives them more responsibility because they know that what they have will be shared. They must spend more time on their work, because a large population will see it. It is important for us to encourage our students to share their ideas with others, because that is what they will need to do as they advance through education and enter their careers. I think it is a great technique to help them not only improve their writing in general, but specifically in terms of writing for an audience, something with which many students struggle.
ReplyDeleteParent involvement is a must when it comes blogging. It is a perfect time for parents to see what their children are writing and doing in schools. Before I create a blog for my students to write on, I would provide permission slips so that parents are aware of everything that is happening in the classroom. I also like the blog policy. It is very important for students to understand that bad languages, cutdowns are not allowed
ReplyDeleteKidBlog is a FANTASTIC blogging site. I have heard of KidBlog several times before and know of a few people that have used this site to create blogs for their students! Parent Involvement is essential for students that use blogs. I think blogs are a fantastic way to keep an open line of communication between parents and their children. As a teacher, I think it is part of our jobs to set specific guidelines and boundaries and identify the appropriate uses of blogs. Parents need to make sure they are on the same page as the teachers and work together to make sure that blogging is being used as a benefit to their child's education.
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