23 Things: Thing 3

How might a blog support the work you do?
As educators we work tirelessly to learn better ways to reach our students. I see blogs as one way in which to support teachers by allowing us yet another forum for questioning current practices, responding to other educator's struggles and successes, and supporting one another in reaching and engaging all students in high-quality educational experiences.

How might you use a blog with students?
As an elementary teacher, I am constantly trying to find ways to engage students in meaningful writing assignments. We expect them to want to edit and revise their pieces but, when the audience is limited to only a few peers in the class and their teacher, it can be difficult to motivate them to work to their full potential. By the simple public nature of blogs, students are immediately hit with the relevance and necessity of constant revision and editing. They will quickly learn that it is crucial to their message to be clear and concise. Blogs could be used for reflection, collaborative learning, improving the culture of a classroom, expanding the audience beyond the classroom, and for assessments.

How might they respond to a blog assignment?
I believe students will respond to blog assignments with greater interest and motivation to do well. I think that they will be more likely to check the "assignment" requirements and will want to put forth their best response because their writing, like reading and speaking, have at some point become and extension of themselves and they will want that extension to show their unique beliefs, values, and voice.

What concerns do you have about educational blogging?
Some of my concerns about educational blogging include assignment objectives and privacy. I think for blogging to be truly valuable teachers (as in all assignments) need to have clear expectations and guidelines. I also believe the teacher should have some control over postings and more so to keep students putting their best foot foreward than to control the actual meaning of the comments. Educators need to also teach students that online comments in many forums are permanent and that we need to be careful in our approach to responses even when we are passionate about a particular topic. Have your students think of the person they respect the most and make sure that they would proudly display their posts to that person.

Privacy is always a concern in an educational setting and teachers need to follow all privacy rules for students' identities. Make sure that any parental permission necessary has been granted and that parents are fully informed about how the blogs will be used and who will be able to access their student's posts.