I must admit I was a little uncertain about blogging in the classroom. Not being able to see the immediate value in it I was dragging my feet on creating my own blog. I initially did not realize that blogs were suppose to be interactive and questioning but now that I understand this I see how beneficial blogging in the classroom could be. As a requirement for Literacy in Education I had to complete a blog as well as do some research on what a blog is and how it could be beneficial. Through research and practice I can now see how blogging in the classroom could be a great tool to use.
Blogging can be used to check for understanding as well as differentiation. Posting questions that your class has to answer is a great way to discuss a topic in an environment that is easily differentiated. Different levels of questions can be assigned to different students according to their abilities. This is a great tool to encourage communication for students who are reluctant to share in class or need more time to think or even those who maybe need to write answers down. Many studies point to the benefits of group work and a properly designed interactive blog is really a big jigsaw.
Blogging ties right into how the students are used to communicating as well. Most students have facebook, instagram, snapchat, or twitter and are accustomed to communicating through electronic means. Not to mention that many schools have gone to or are transitioning into 1:1. We as teachers need to find creative ways to use this technology to further the understanding of what we are teaching in a platform that is second nature to many students.
As a teacher I plan to use blogging to guide students on responsible ways to use technology while engaging students in ways that encourage communication. Studies have highlighted that group work has a beneficial impact on social relationships and leads to positive social interactions especially among different socioeconomic groups. This holds potential for students to become future participants in a democratic society that values discussion of public issues (Larson, 2011). This is easy to see that blogging is an instrument to be used to help our students become future involved citizens who have learned to have meaningful and respectful conversations and to further develop their opinions about debatable topics.
Blogging can be used to check for understanding as well as differentiation. Posting questions that your class has to answer is a great way to discuss a topic in an environment that is easily differentiated. Different levels of questions can be assigned to different students according to their abilities. This is a great tool to encourage communication for students who are reluctant to share in class or need more time to think or even those who maybe need to write answers down. Many studies point to the benefits of group work and a properly designed interactive blog is really a big jigsaw.
Blogging ties right into how the students are used to communicating as well. Most students have facebook, instagram, snapchat, or twitter and are accustomed to communicating through electronic means. Not to mention that many schools have gone to or are transitioning into 1:1. We as teachers need to find creative ways to use this technology to further the understanding of what we are teaching in a platform that is second nature to many students.
As a teacher I plan to use blogging to guide students on responsible ways to use technology while engaging students in ways that encourage communication. Studies have highlighted that group work has a beneficial impact on social relationships and leads to positive social interactions especially among different socioeconomic groups. This holds potential for students to become future participants in a democratic society that values discussion of public issues (Larson, 2011). This is easy to see that blogging is an instrument to be used to help our students become future involved citizens who have learned to have meaningful and respectful conversations and to further develop their opinions about debatable topics.