After looking through multiple pages on the internet, I was able to put together a list of ways that I feel a blog would be beneficial in the classroom.
Collaboration
Blogs provide a space where teacher or students from around the world can collaborate on a topic of their choice. This is a great way for teachers to offer extra help on assignments by posting podcasts or vodcasts. Multiple students will be able to access help at the same time. The teacher could also offer tips for solving problems or suggestions for research. Students can also participate in cooperative learning activities that require them to relay research findings, ideas, or suggestions.
Discussions
Blogs can lead to discussion outside of the classroom walls. Every person that has access to the blog has an equal opportunity to share their thoughts, feelings, and opinions. I like that students have time to reflect on what was taught in class and come back at a later time to post their thoughts. This can lead to a deeper understanding of the concept.
Student Portfolios
I really like the idea of having the students create a portfolio on a blog. Here they have a chance to present and organize their digital products for an audience to see. It will be easy for them to see how they have progressed through the year and intensify their understanding because their entries are archived. Also, the students will realize that their items will be published and therefore, they will most likely be motivated to produce a higher quality of work. By having their work on the blog, teachers and students can comment on their work and they can continually improve it.
Classroom Management
I had never thought of using a blog for classroom management until now! A blog could be used to keep students and parents informed instead of constantly sending home notices. This would be a great place to post homework assignments, projects, test dates, and it can also act as a question/answer board.
Information found at: http://teachingtoday.glencoe.com/
Stephanie,
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this post, I agree with you, there are so many uses for a blog in the classroom. And for a blog to help collaborate teachers with each other is also a great tool. Many teachers want to see what each other are doing in classrooms, but there is the problem of time and scheduling. However, just like you said, a blog can really help teachers collaborate with each other, especially those that are in different schools/ countries.