Web 2.0 song, Are You Blogging This?

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The many uses of blogs

There are so many different ways to utilize blogs in your classroom.

1. Classroom Management - create a blog to post:
* class requirements
* class syllabus
* presentations
* handouts
* podcasts
* rubrics
* assignments
* notices/announcements
* question/answer board
* communicatin portal for parents

2. Collaboration - create a blog to collaborate and showcase learning with others.
3. Discussions - create a blog to foster discussion on a varity of topics pertaining to your content area.
4. E-Portfolios - create a blog to showcase students work:
* Creative writing
* podcasts
* multimedia creations
* other documents

Other ideas for integrating blogs into your curriculum:
- Students take turns on writing 'Weekly Reviews' on a book that is being read in class, or a movie, a television special, etc.
- Students post lab entries to collaborate and discuss scienctific experiements and discovery
- Practice critqueing a website and providing rationale
- Students create a newspaper story covering a district event - include pictures
- Role play and discuss different perspectives: when studying geology - write as though they are the rock; when studying history - blog or post a podcast as a person from the past.

Benefits of Blogging

While reading about the 'how to's' and 'why's' of blogging in the classroom; I have come across three reoccuring statements about the benefits of blogging:


* Blogging is highly motivating to students; especially those who may not normally participate in open class discussions.

* Blogging promotes more opportunities to read and write.

* Blogging can be utilized as a form of collaboration (within the class or with other classes around the globe) and discussions - again, allowing an avenue for students to express themselves.