BP1_2009_Educational Uses for Blogging

There are many uses for blogging in Education. If broken into categories, these might be categorized by who they are useful for. Teachers can use blogs to correspond with other teachers, to find information for classroom use, or to use as teaching tools within the classroom. Not to mention finding information on funding sources, state and national education related news, and more. Students can use educational blogs to find information for classroom use, to keep up on topics related to the classroom or to contribute to blogs themselves. Administrators and above can use blogs to keep staff informed of new information, and have the staff contribute anonymous feedback to blog posts.

Students in my Speech classes have asked if they'll get to use technology, especially blogging, to express their thoughts in the classroom. Currently, I have the students write journals in response to our weekly debate segment. I currently have it set up so that we hold a debate for the last twenty minutes of class on Friday afternoons. For the first 6 minutes of class the following Monday, the kids do a journal write in response to the debate. This allows the students to say anything they didn't get to say in class (if they didn't have the opportunity), or reiterate their thoughts in a way they may not be able to verbally. They also get to practice their writing skills, and practice reflective thinking. It also allows them to try to come up with solutions to the problem.

I'm thinking creating a new blog post for each debate topic would allow students to practice all the same skills, but also to share thoughts with one another. It would allow students to further reflect on the good ideas and points made by fellow classmates. Having screen names that don't identify the students as themselves would allow them to submit anonymously (I would have a master list of student's screen names). Students love to communicate, and using blogs in an educational arena would allow them to use the technology they already love to use, and use it in a constructive, smart way.

One of the best ways I personally find for use of blogs is to keep up on the latest news in education. I've subscribed to blogs from national and state sites to keep up on the latest info from educational associations. I'm also excited to use blogs to contribute to the information out there for educators. Studying for my Masters has put me in a position to gain new perspectives and to share my new found insights with fellow educators.

Blogs appear to be a tool for the future in educational use. If used with caution in the classroom, students can gain new knowledge and insights, and share thoughts and values. Teachers can stay connected with other staff members within their district, as well as connect with teachers in other districts, states, or even countries. Art teachers across the country could share lessons, and cross-curricular planning could occur between subject areas through blogging. The uses for blogging are endless, as are the possibilities. So log on, educational world, and blog on!