Blogging+in+Education

by C. Denise Squires

I chose the topic of “blogging in education”, because it is one of the Web 2.0 tools that I could realistically see myself using with my students, my students’ parents, and/or fellow educators. For this article, I did research on what and how others think about the pros and cons of blogging in education. But before I go into detail about that, I wanted to put down in writing (for myself as much as the readers of this article) what blogs actually are.

First I would like to define the term blog and some other terms associated with blogs. Blog: - A blog (or weblog) is a website in which items are posted and displayed with the newest at the top. Like other media, blogs often focus on a particular subject, such as food, politics, or local news. Some blogs function as online diaries. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, web pages, and other media related to its topic. Since its appearance in 1995, blogging has emerged as a popular means of communication, affecting public opinion and mass media around the world. (Wikipedia) Blogger: Any contributor to a blog

Blogging: The processes of creating or maintaining a blog Blog Posts, or Entries: The material (text, images, links to other blogs, etc) that is contributed to the blog. When I was first introduced to blogging I didn’t understand the difference between a blog and a webpage. But I have learned that a blog has certain attributes that distinguish it from a standard web page. What I have learned is the following: Bulleted items are summarized from: [] The education blog can be a powerful and effective technology tool for students and teachers alike. However, as in any educational resource teachers should be “blog literate” before introducing it to students, and close monitoring of the students’ contributions to the blog is a must. PROS CONS So…..Is blogging for the classroom? I believe the answer is a resounding yes. The benefits outweigh the risks. In addition, there are blogging program/online tools that require a password to publish information as well as other teacher controls to insure the students’ safety.
 * A blog is a way to publish to the Internet frequently, without the need for many technical skills, unlike a traditional website. I use the phrase “traditional website” because in actuality a blog is a website.
 * A blog is usually updated frequently, with ordered, dated posts (reverse chronological order). A website is frequently just static information, the order and sequence depends upon the purpose of the site.
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Personally, I see the biggest and best difference is that a blog allows your audience to interact with you. They can post comments to your posts, and even link from their blog to your posts. This allows a conversation to occur between the writer and the audience.
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">You can keep up with many blogs much more easily than hundreds of websites. Because blogs have an RSS feature, you can monitor many blogs by subscribing to them, and automatically get updates whenever their website changes on your computer. The updates can come to you, you don’t have to go look to find out which blogs were updated last night.
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">In summarizing, blogging allows people like you and me to set up our own little place on the internet without having to learn all the technical aspects of setting up a website.
 * || * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Blogs are highly motivational for students. (It is a whole lot more interesting writing about something that is going to be shared with others than just the teacher reading it for a grade.)
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Blogging is an effective forum for discussion and collaboration.
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Blogs create excellent opportunities for students to read and write. Students are much more engaged in writing when they have a real audience AND knowing that the audience can comment on their work.
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Because blogs are easy to create and update efficiently, they can be used to inform students of class requirements, post handouts, notices, and homework assignments, or act as a question and answer board.
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Blogs can be used to communicate with parents, which can assist parents in becoming an active participant in their child’s learning.
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Must be certain that the blog and the information contributed to it is within the school district’s guidelines and acceptable use policies. Also, there are policies concerning displaying of student work (not just with the district, but the school and parental permission) that must be adhered to.
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Blogs may be viewed publicly, as any other Web site. Students must be trained on issues regarding access, privacy, security, and free expression. As blogs have no publisher, producer, or editor, students must carefully consider the content of postings to avoid anything defamatory, libelous, or an infringement upon the rights of others.
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Blogs are created by individuals for various and assorted purposes. Content should be recognized as the opinion of the blogger, and, therefore, may not necessarily be factual.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">The following links were used as resources and contain much more detailed information about blogging in education: <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">[] <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">[] <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">[] (GREAT FOR ELEMENTARY)

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">The following are links to blog programs with built in controls: <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">[] Specifically designed for education <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">[] Specifically designed for education <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">[] Listed on Kathy Schrocks’ Guide for Educator’s site <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">[|http://www.blogger.com] Listed on Kathy Schrocks’ Guide for Educator’s site ||  || [] This is a youtube video of Blogs in Plain English by Lee LeFever. I love this guy. If you need an explanation of anything that has to do with technology, Lee has made a video if it and it really is in plain English. This is a great compilation of some useful blogs for teachers to use:

http://community.educationworld.com/node/5684