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!)
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)
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