Classroom Blogs

A classroom is essentially a living organism.  Everyday there is change- change in what is being learned, change in how we are showing learning, change in the tools that we are using.   With all the change and progress, it is important that we take time to connect with others, reflect, and get feedback.

One of the changes that we are seeing is that students are more in control of their learning and are exploring areas that interest them.  They are able to express their thoughts, research, and preferences on any number of topics.  Teachers are now helping to guide students on a path of learning, assess students understanding throughout the learning process, and then evaluate parts of learning as a cumulative experience. 

One of the more recent developments in how students can express themselves and how they can demonstrate their understanding is through apps and websites.  In particular, the world of education is embracing BLOGS and VLOGS.  Teachers create blogs, administrators have blogs, and now, students have blogs.

TEACHER BLOGS

As a teacher, things can be overwhelming.  There are lessons to plan and execute, papers to grade, data to analyze, assessments to create, and so much more.  Teacher blogs are a way for educators to share what is happening in their classes (ideas for set up/organization, innovative lessons, etc) and to get feedback.  These blogs help educators connect with other educators and with parents.  While these journals can be a great way to share resources, they do take time and energy. 

STUDENT BLOGS 

Student blogs allow for students to document their experiences as they learn and grow.  The blog becomes a portfolio of sorts, where the students makes a choice on what to share.  It tracks the students' learning as they progress and grow.  It is a way for students to express their voice.  Blogs can be used as a formative (ongoing) assessment or as a summative (overall) evaluation of learning.  Blogs provide the opportunity for structured responses, such as answering a question.  They also allow for free form responses, documenting your week of learning.  Blogging connects our students and allows them to start seeing the bigger picture.  However, these too take time and dedication.  In the same way that a teacher blog must be kept up to date, student blogs must be maintained to be effective.

Classroom blogs work on many different levels.  Teachers and students can access blogs as an effective tool.  http://popplet.com/

So why talk about blogging?  A technology becomes more available to people of all ages, abilities, and economic statuses we have to start thinking of how we connect with others in a safe way.  Several websites that cater to safe student blogging are https://kidblog.org/home/ and https://edublogs.org/.