To Blog or Not to Blog....

How do you feel about blogging in the classroom? Depending on the teacher, you may see it as a good thing or a bad thing. If you think its a good thing, you are reading this blog! If you think its a bad thing, then you aren't reading this at all!

As a form of electronic communication, blogging has many uses in today's classroom. Take for instance one 5th grade teacher that I know. She uses blogging as a way for her students to write about historical events from the perspective of historical figures. One of her students wrote a series of entries about Paul Revere and his midnight ride. As a culminating activity, her students read postings by other classmates and posted comments. It was a great way for her students to connect history and technology.

Due to privacy, many of us stray from doing things like this. We worry that our kids information may not be protected. What are some ways to protect their information? One great blogging site for kids is called Kidblog. This is a safe way for your students to blog in a secure online community. Kidblog allows you to create an online classroom, where students can post and respond to information, only if they belong to your class.

Maybe you don't want a blog per say, but you like the idea of getting your kids to write. I often use a social network called Edmodo for my students to complete a "Do-Now" or ice breaker. It's a great way for students to respond and post to a particular question aimed at activating prior knowledge. I will often have my kids write for the first 5 minutes. After everyone has posted, I will have my students briefly discuss with a partner what they have written. Then we discuss as a whole group.

No matter how you use blogging or the idea of blogging, it will benefit your students. They are using this form of communication everyday, so why not try to use it yourself?