Why Use Blogs in the Classroom?

I began to think about this question soon after I decided to use blogs in my classroom. I realize that even before doing any research I knew why blogs were a great addition. Blogs speak to my audience – my students. Instead of shying away from a social media, I am embracing it and using it to my advantage. As already mentioned, teenagers are fitting more hours of media into less hours than on the clock. As a teacher, I am fighting for their attention amongst Facebook, Ipods and text messaging. By using blogs, students can participate in a digital discussion that will lessen the dead air time in class. (What I say “dead air time”, I mean the awkward silence before a student beings the chorus of responses in a class. Although students are thinking during this time, blogs allow for thinking to happen even before students come into class.) In addition, even the shy students will be able to have their voices heard, or rather their ideas read. Below is a list of reasons I have found that support the use of blogs in the classroom.
· Promote critical thinking
· Combine solitary reflection with social interaction
· Become an online filing cabinet for a students ideas and documentation for their development
· A means of building relationships
· A space for shared learning
· Fosters ownership and choice – students decide what to write rather than giving what the teacher wants to hear.
· Bloggings interactive nature creates enthusiasm for writing
· Allows for lessons in digital citizenship, “netiquette”, digital privacy and responsibility
· Suits many learning styles
· Students are digital natives – using the internet to communicate is natural to them
· Parents can view students work
· Fosters peer to peer mentoring
For my classroom, my focus is on promoting discussion in as many ways as possible. I have noticed that when asked a question in class, students provide little detail in their oral answers. Their comments always beg me to follow with “Can you elaborate on that point?” I have noticed that after the second session of blogging, responses are more thoughtful. Perhaps it is because students have as long as they wish to respond. Blogging provides a student with an unlimited amount of think time. There is no audience starting at them – only a blank comment box. I think a question I have for my students will be in regards to how long it takes them to blog a response.