Educational Uses 4 Blogs

Educational Uses for Blogging

Technology is advancing faster than most schools are willing to acknowledge, which means educators have the responsibility of changing the tools they use to teach. Grover (2009) states, “if schools cannot change fast enough to keep pace with the advances in learning technologies, learning will leave schooling behind” (p.1). For this reason, educators should be taking every measure to incorporate technology into their lessons and blogging is a simple and effective way to accomplish this task.

Blogging can be used to enhance current curriculum in any classroom for multiple reasons, but the most substantial reason would be to bond the uses of technology between home and school for students. Zawilinski (2009) states, “classroom blogs bridge the ever-widening gap between out-of-school literacies and in-school literacies” (p. 652). Blogging is a simple tool teachers can use to demonstrate the importance of technology in the classroom while also teaching creative thinking, self-reflection and effective communicating skills (Ramaswami, 2008).

Blogging can serve multiple purposes for educators. Teachers can create classroom newsletter or informational pages for parents. This would allow parents to check on homework, see projects or provide up to date changes in curriculum. Mirror blogs or reflective blogs could be used to enhance intrapersonal skills and guide personal evaluation of performance or understanding. On the other hand, students can build interpersonal skills through literature discussions by reading and commenting on various views and reactions to literary pieces. Blogs are also an effective way to showcase student work such as student writing samples, art projects, podcasts or digital videos (Zawilinski, 2009).

While the above-mentioned ideas are simple, yet powerful, ways for educators to incorporate blogging into their classrooms, blogging is also a great resource for educators. Communicating through blogging is a great way for professionals to share their perspective. Teachers can promote educational discussions, offer professional support, and contribute ideas for change within their profession. Not only does blogging offer educators a larger community, but also enhances understanding of current issues in education. By and large, blogging is a dependable, creative tool for educators and a simple way to incorporate technology into the classroom.

Grover, Shuchi. (2009, Nov. 10) [Review of the article “Rethinking Education in the age of technology: the digital revolution and schooling in America”]. Teachers College Record. Retrieved January 7, 2010, from http://www.tcrecord.org/Content.asp?ContentId=15828

Ramaswami, R. (2008). The Prose (and a Few Cons, Too) of Blogging. T H E Journal, 35(11), 21-25. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.

Zawilinski, L. (2009). HOT Blogging: A Framework for Blogging to Promote Higher Order Thinking. Reading Teacher, 62(8), 650-661. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.

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