Journal 3

Five Don’ts of Classroom Blogging-by Julie Sturgeon

This article lists five common pitfalls teachers encounter when attempting to use blogging as part of their curriculum. First, don’t just “dive in”. Teachers are advised to have students sign off on a code of conduct for blogging. Students who violate the rules should lose their internet privileges. Requiring adult permission is also advised. Students need guidelines before being allowed to use an educational blog.
Second, don’t confuse blogging with “social networking”. A genuine educational blog is about students helping each other with class work, not about socializing. Students are required to include questions related to the subject in their blog, and to comment on other students questions.
Third, don’t leap at freebies. Some blog sites are free, but also include advertisements that are outside the educator’s control. These free sites do not offer the structure a school needs. Class Blogmeister is recommended because it is easy to use but gives the teacher a lot of control.
Fourth, don’t force a sequential style. Structure entries by topic rather than time to help readers make more sense of the blog and find information quicker.
Finally, don’t leave the blogging to the students. The teacher needs to structure how the student uses a blog and responds to others blogs.
Educational blogging can be beneficial. Blogging helps students become better writers. Participating in blogging can increase communication and literacy.

QUESTION 1
Why can’t teachers just have students create their own blog on one of the free sites?
On free blogging sites, students are exposed to third-party advertising that the teacher has no control over. Also, student postings and comments are available to anyone using the blogging site. Free sites do not offer the structure a school needs, or protection for students. Postings cannot be approved by a teacher first.

QUESTION 2
What are the benefits to using blogging with students?
Blogging can help students become better writers. Blogging is a creative and fun way to engage students in writing and to aid in transitioning from paragraphs to essays. Blogging offers a multimedia experience where students can work with images, video and music. Students may perform better when they know their peers will be reviewing their work.