So you’ve decided to introduce blogging in the classroom? Or maybe you’re on the fence about why you should? Obviously, if you’re reading this, you are perhaps into blogs (I’m just on a hunch since this is a blog). Think about the skills that you’re using as you’re reading this post. Inference (Did you look at the title and think this may be of some interest to you this year)? 21st century skill (Navigating the internet, checking a bookmark or email, typing in a web address)? or maybe you’ll exercise the skill of connecting with the world (Writing a comment, sharing this post with a colleague, or even retweeting it to your Twitter feed)? Any way you think about it, blogging offers a plethora of ways to offer your classroom a new opportunity to incorporate standards in a new and engaging way.
If you’re debating blogging in the classroom, here are a few reasons you can’t say no!
Exercise writing in the curriculum
At the end of the school year we were asked to review our data from the most recent testing. This data indicated that students were lacking in the the area of writing, which was not truly a surprise. As students are being asked to take fewer multiple choice tests, it opens up the door to more writing. However, this is a skill that must be practiced in order to be perfected. I decided to introduce writing through weekly blog posts for students to ensure more exposure and increased writing in the curriculum. Some weeks may be more structured than others, but the point will remain; Students will be writing consistently. How you say? Try these ideas:
- Take your math journals online
- Write a written response to a video clip taking a certain stance on an idea or belief
- Host an online discussion about a topic and require students to provide citations from a/the text to support them
Our classsrooms are filled with many levels of learners, which leaves a plethora of opportunities for teachers to reach each student. Although this can seem like an endless journey, blogging can help! Improved student writing is often a point of goals in IEP’s and PLP’s which gives a disti
Increase 21st Century Skills
Blogging in the classroom is the most useful platform for reinforcing 21st Century Skills. By taking your students writing online you are able to teach, reteach, and reinforce the many levels of learning we are asked to promote in our classrooms. While blogging students can be asked to think critically, problem-solve, exercise global awareness, and you are media and internet literacy through a stream of project based learning! Want to take it a step further? Before beginning blogging you can take the time to teach the following skills from a digital standpoint:
- Digital Citizenship
- Importance of privacy and withholding information online
- Internet communication etiquette
Share your classroom with the world
While writing is the most important part of blogging for students, sharing their writing comes a close second. Many of our children are already on social media, but the idea that people (besides their friends) are their as well isn’t so “real”. By sharing their writing through a hastag, tweeting a link, or just word of mouth students now have an opportunity to let the world hear their voice. As we move further into personalized learning, this also becomes a time for them to make connections with people beyond the four walls of our classroom and give them a launching pad for ideas with real-life connections. Don’t know how to share? Here are some ideas:
- Share on social media using the hashtag #comments4kids
- Post the links to a student’s blog post in your school via qr code
- Send a weekly newsletter highlighting a student response
Come back next Wednesday for how to get started blogging and the many platforms available for blogging in the classroom! Are you excited yet?