Blogging in the Classroom

Let me just start off with this proclamation: I like blogs. I’ve kept personal blogs in the past, I am a pretty avid blog reader, and I have completed blog-based projects for other classes here at MSU. Depending on the age range, socio-economic makeup, and access to technology that my future students have, I’d imagine that many students will already have acquired a similar level of comfort with technology that can then be parlayed into classroom blog use.

After poking around in the so called “blogosphere”, it is quite clear that blogs can serve many different purposes. There are three main ways that that I would like to tailor blog use to function in my classroom. First, I’d like to have my students create blogs, either individually or in groups, depending on the technology available to the students. Blogs are a novel medium for student students to complete written work, and I feel that kids would enjoy this change of pace from the typical “pencil and paper” type report. Additionally, blogs serve as an organized and efficient way for peers (and possible “outsiders”) to read and respond to student ideas.

I’d also like to set up a classroom blog that would serve as a communication tool for the parents and families of the students in my classroom. All too often, parents get one word responses to questions like “What did you learn at school today?” A classroom blog would provide a stable means of communication that cannot be lost in a backpack or dropped on the school bus floor.
Finally, I envision myself using blogs as a means of communication with other educators, be it across the hall or across the country. Other teachers can be incredible resources, and I’ve seen many blogs in which teachers share great ideas that can adapted for use in my future classroom.

Blog Write provides a great model in how to get students involved in blogging. Mrs. Meeler creates a space where students learn about the process of blogging right alongside the process of writing. The blog is well organized, providing links to student work and to student resources. This blog was used during the 2005-2006 academic year and it is really interesting to browse through the posts to see the evolution of this project from start to finish. Write Blog also attracted comments from readers from all over the globe. Everyone from college professors to local new reporters showed support and interest in the comments left on Blog Write, which seemed to get Mrs. Meeler and her students pretty excited!

Bit by Bit is a blog for teachers written by Bob Sprankle, an elementary teacher from Wells, ME. Not only is Bit by Bit an entertaining read, it is also quite informative. Mr. Sprankle gives some great ideas for teachers --like this post about the many different possibilities of using the inexpensive “Flip Camera” in your classroom. Bit by Bit also has a plethora of links to other useful teaching resources as well as a a collection of Bit by Bit podcasts.