written by contributing writer, Caitlin Smith
Whether you teach young kids or those on their way to college, technology has become an ever present force in their lives and yours. Why not bring a little of this into your lessons as well? Many teachers have begun incorporating blogging into classroom projects, giving students a chance to learn how to use the web for practical purposes (rather than just to social network or chat) and share their hard work with people from all over. Here are some tips to help you get started using blogs as part of your assignments.
1. Give students immediate feedback. One of the great benefits of blogging is that you can give students feedback right on the content they create. You can send it any time and they can read it at any time. Take advantage of this, as it may help kids get excited about the process.
2.Avoid singular class blogs unless all students can participate. The point of blogging isn’t just to get kids using the net, it’s to teach them how it works, how to communicate in text and what information is appropriate for the public sphere. Students may be better served by creating their own blogs or by working in small groups where each student takes a turn at the blogging wheel.
3.Assign a specific purpose. Don’t just let your students blog as they please, make sure that blogging in your classroom serves a specific purpose. Whether you want them to record their daily activities or create weekly reports about an in-class science project, make sure the boundaries of a blog are clearly outlined.
4.Use good blogging tools. This is one area where you want to make sure you use the best tools out there for blogging, especially if you’re unfamiliar with the intricacies of technology. The good thing about this is that many of these are free, at least in a basic form and it won’t cost you a thing to set up accounts and learn more about their features.
5.Consider class RSS feeds. This way, students will be saved the work of checking for updates on their classmates or classroom blog. They’ll have an automatic listing of every time something is updated, making it easier to keep up with the project and get involved on a more personal level. If you have a smaller class, you may even want to consider creating a single aggregation blog that can be a central location to direct students.
6.Tailor it to your own needs. Some teachers state never to use blogs as discussion forums while others encourage it heartily. The reality is that things like this are entirely up to you. If you feel it’s more beneficial to your students one way or the other, it’s up to you to decide, regardless of what any other educator thinks. You know your lesson plan and your students better and can make an informed decision.
Most of all, remember that like any new technology, learning how to make the most of it in the classroom may have a bit of a learning curve. The best way to find out what works is to try new things, so be patient with your blogging endeavor.
This post was contributed by Caitlin Smith, who writes about the accredited online universities. She welcomes your feedback at CaitlinSmith1117 at gmail.com