More "Student Blogging" Links that Show Benefits to Student Blogging

As we enter 2nd semester, our 8th grade students will continue to run their own student blogs. Some students have really had fun with these and really grown in their writing skills. And some, some are still trying to remember to blog! So far, I have given them topics to write about and interacted with them by commenting on every blog (I think I commented on over 600 blog posts during the first semester!). Now, students will be posting blogs about their literacy topic they choose during the 3rd quarter. And students will be going out on the web and reading blogs they have interest in and commenting on those. So...students will start to interact with other writers out in our world and invite those writers back to their own blog. Students will be given some training on how to comment appropriately on other people's blogs and the importance of comments and feedback when writing before they actually go leave feedback and comments on blogs. These blogging assignments should be fairly easy for the students since they are not re-creating any new material (just blogging what they write for literacy) and they are reading and commenting on blogs they have interest in already. So, it should be a fun quarter for the students!

And just to re-visit why I have the students blogging, several new stories and research articles have popped up about student blogging that I thought parents and students might have interest in. Please click the links below to learn more about the powerful benefits of student blogging. Have a great 2012!

Student Blogs May Reduce Social Stress.

Six Reasons Students Should Blog

2012: Year of the Student Blogger?

And remember, if you want to view your child's 8th grade student blog, go to my blogsite (I don't use it much, but I do use it to house all of our student blogs) and look for their name down the left hand side of the screen. When you find it, click on it and you will be taken to their blog site. Enjoy!

Mr. Barry's Counseling Edublog Site

Our 8th Graders Are Blogging UPDATE! You Can Now Follow Your Child's Blog

Yes, parents and guardians, I now have a very simple way for you to follow your child's blog. Some of the kids have been blogging every day and some of the kids are doing just what I assign them to do. And sadly, a few are not blogging yet. But with the end of the quarter very near, I am positive they will get blogging this week as their grade depends on it! :) So, how do you follow your child's blog? Simple. Follow these quick and easy steps:

1. Go to Mr. Barry's Edublogsite by clicking here! (site address is mrbarrycounselor.edublogs.org in case link doesn't work). Mr. Barry does not blog much on this site, but it is important for you to find your child's site.

2. Look on the left hand side of his blog site.

3. Find your child's name and click on it.

4. What pops up should be your child's blog.

5. Read and Enjoy! And as you read, please discuss the same things I do such as knowing what is appropriate to post and not post, knowing how to type and communicate professionally by using proper grammar, capitals, and punctuation, and keeping up with the assignments. You might even talk about how you work and represent yourself online through emails, social networks, blogs, forums, etc.

Thank you!

Our 8th Graders are Blogging!!

Yep, they are blogging! Just like this blog, only they are much more creative and having even more fun. Well, some of them are having fun anyway. The others are still thinking this is just boring school work, but a few seem to like it more and more each day. So, why are the students blogging and what are they blogging about? Well, read more to find out.

First off, I have attached several links below to other articles and blogs about the importance of student blogging. But my beliefs are that writing and maintaining a blog can help a student with basic literacy skills (grammar, spelling, capitalization, etc.) and typing skills. I believe about 95% of my writing is on a computer and my family members who work outside the home say they think they do even more than that in their job. Bottom line is that students will be typing and writing online with their career someday. It truly is a Life Skill. Next, it helps student take a simple topic and expand on it and really reflect. As other 8th grade teachers start having students blog about what they learned or talked about in class, students can really reflect about their knowledge and express themselves. This is something they cannot necessarily do in a 40 minute class period. Finally, some students may really find that maintaining a blog online that is not just limited to assignments from teachers, but their own personal writing may be able to deeper explore themselves and actually learn and teach others. Each time we use the lab to write our blogs, I share a few blogs that I follow with them and they can see how these blogs can have an effect on our staff or even people all around the world.

One thing I didn't mention about students blogging online is that I am monitoring everything they post and helping them edit it and refine it. This is helping with their digital literacy and helping them be safer and smarter online. Over 80% of our students belong to a social network and randomly post information that they don't think twice about. Through these blogs, I am helping them think about what they post and what the consequences of those postings are. I hope what they learn in class makes them think a little more about what they put on facebook, twitter, etc. Students are going to be online, that won't change. I hope I can be their "driver's ed" teacher as they learn to drive on the Internet Superhighway and teach them the correct and safe way to be online. If they have learned one thing so far, they know whatever they post is out there and could affect them years in the future....hopefully for the good. Please click on the articles below to hear what other experts have to say about students blogging.

(By the way...if you want to read your child's blog or follow it, please ask them for the web address and you can follow it just like I do!)

Why Should Students Blog Answer 1

6 Reasons Students Should Blog

Edublog Blogger response (our students use Edublogs as this is the blog site built for teachers and students so it is much safer and has more restrictions)