Journal 3

Five Don'ts of Classroom Blogging, Julie Sturgeon, T-H-E Journal, February 2008

Blogging has become a great benefit for students today. Online journaling is here to stay and can be incorporated into many different school subjects. It can be a fantastic supplement to daily lessons, as well.

The author puts together some advice from teachers who have already tapped into the blogging world with their students.

1. "Don't just dive in." Set up guidelines and objectives beforehand or you will have problems galore.
2. "Don't confuse blogging with social networking." This kind of blogging is for academic purposes. Make sure that your students are collaborating and creating thoughtful questions and comments.
3. "Don't leap at the freebies." Most of the free sites don't offer the structure or security necessary for schools to use them. There are advertisements aplenty and not all of them are appropriate for the school setting.
4. "Don't force a sequential style." Make the blogs easier to operate by structuring the entries topically, rather than chronologically.
5. "Don't leave the blogging to the students." Give your students feedback on your own blog. Point out the positive things they are doing. Let them know that you are part of their community and blog with them.

Question 1: Would my students be able to keep up with blogging along with all of the other coursework that is required of them?

Answer: If I could incorporate the blogging into the current lesson plans in place of some other coursework, it would make it more fun for them to finish and they would actually enjoy the learning!! It would be exciting to read each other's journaling and beneficial for them to read their peer's take on the lesson.

Question 2: Would this be a supplement that I could incorporate into all subjects?

Answer: Blogging can be used with every subject. Science project ideas could be written up and comments could help the budding scientist improve his/her original idea. Math vocabulary can be defined in a way that is meaningful to the student. Language Arts essays and original poetry can be written and commented on. The possibilities are endless.