Blogs in the Classroom

I think that blogs should absolutely be used in the classroom. Many students in our classes will have their own blogs, and almost all will be familiar with the technology involved. The use of blogs is an attempt to connect with our students through a discourse that they will value and understand. Blogs may address classroom ideas or procedures in a non-threatening way that students feel comfortable with. This said, blogs obviously need certain ground rules.
A blog should never make someone feel uncomfortable. Language and content should be appropriate always for students and parents to view. Ground rules need to be placed upfront so that students know the high expectation a teacher has for the blog’s use from the students. If the students do not use the blog properly, comments may need to be approved before posting them- though unfortunately this diminishes the immediate efficacy of the blog and makes it more difficult for students to use the blog as a means for helping other another.
A blog can also help communicate classroom goals to a student’s parents. The blog is an easy means of communication between parents and the instructor. The instructor can be sure that the parents are actually receiving the information he/she is sending home for them to read. Parents can ask questions, make comments, and voice concerns on a blog. They can also retrieve and follow which assignments their students should be completing at home.
Blogs can be used in the classroom in a variety of wonderful ways. They can serve as class resource available for home use. The blogs may have the syllabus and appropriate due dates along with detailed instructions for assignments so that students are able to access them at all times of the day and review information that they may have forgotten from class. The blogs may have calendars with class activities listed so that students can see the material that they missed during an absence. Blogs can also be a safe means of communication between teachers and students and between students and their peers. Teachers can communicate in the public domain with a student about a question without having to give the student any sort of personal information (email, phone number, etc). The students can also answer one another’s questions on the blog. The blog could also be a tool for use in the learning process. Student work can be posted or displayed for accolades, perhaps selecting one excellent example from the previous week to go on the blog. Students can also contribute articles to the blog.