Blogs in Education
Blogs are a great tool for sharing thoughts and ideas with fellow educators. As part of a Professional Learning Network it can be very helpful. As a contributor to the bigger educational conversation it is invaluable. Some practical ways of using blogs as a educator would be sharing classroom successes and failures to illicit encouragement and ideas for improvement. When researching a topic, a teacher could add information that they know and information that they are looking for so that their blog readers can share ideas. Also, I've heard that professional bloggers can make some pretty good money, always helpful on a teacher's salary.
For student it offers an authentic way to publish their writing work. Our students are experts in so many areas from motorbike repair to minecraft. They can see that they are part of a greater community and can experience the sharing of their expertise through blogging. Kathleen Morris in her blog "Why teachers and students should blog." points out some wonderful reasons for student blogging including, having a voice, authenticity, and digital footprint. The last one being a great idea on getting students to understand the positive nature of their digital footprint and to guide them through the process of creating value for themselves and others in the digital landscape.
With any social media there are risks. When a blog is made public, you have the opportunity to interact with some wonderful people and some not so wonderful people as well.
References
14 Mar. 2018, http://www.kathleenamorris.com/2018/03/14/benefits-blogging/. Accessed 21 Jul. 2020.
I have certainly been the recipient of some great ideas from other bloggers. Because they are generally shorter and add good links, they are attractive for teachers.
ReplyDeleteAs of yet, I haven't used blogging with students. You are definitely correct that students have good knowledge that they can share. They will need some reminders against speaking authoritatively if they are not sure about what they are saying. They do have a responsibility to their audience. Regardless, I think there is potential for student use.