Blogs in the Classroom

I have never heard of or considered blogging in the classroom. I am fascinated by the posts, videos, and student participation in the blogs I saw (  http://huzzah.edublogs.org/ ).  I think there are several benefits in having a class blog. 

Blog leads to a whole different approach to the student - teacher dynamic. Teachers are able to provide a safe zone for student opinions. Students are able to put time and effort into writing reflective  responses that would possibly not be presented otherwise.  Blogs are beneficial for students that may be timid to share their opinions out loud in the class. People appear more real when they share about themselves.  Students could get to know their teacher and each other better and develop a type of bond, which may lead to more motivation and interest in school.

Blogs encourage writing and reading. Blogs may be helpful for students to increase their vocabulary and spelling. Once a student is online, they have easy access to a thesaurus, dictionary, and search engines. Search engines may also encourage further curiosity and the need to explore. I know with me personally, when I am looking up something on Google or Wikipedia, I tend to research other related topics. 

Blogs are great for sharing class assignments and projects with students and parents.  Parents may feel more involved in their child’s education and are encouraged to participate.  Blogs can promote collaboration between the school, students, parents, and community, which is important for a student’s success.

There can be negative effects to a classroom blog as well. For students that don’t have computers or internet, it could create a division in the class room; between the students that have computer/internet access and the students that don’t.  If a blog were incorporated in this situation, something would have to be done to make sure everyone has realistic equal access to computers and internet.  

I would personally like to have a classroom blog, but I don’t have any great ideas yet about cost effective access to computers/internet. The only idea I have so far is access to the Public Library or school library, but that may be unrealistic for parents that work long exhausting hours. I’m sure I will figure something out when the time comes.