Why Should Students Blog?

I found this video on Teacher Tube from a teacher in New Zealand that uses blogging with her students. This proves that the web creates a global audience for our students:)



Check out these blogs created by this video's author, Rachel Boyd, and her students:
Rachel Boyd's blog
Room 9 Nelson Central's 2008 blog
Their 2008 writing blog

Finally, here is Rachel's wiki with information about setting up your own blog.

Thanks Rachel for allowing me to share your great ideas with the world!

Blogs in Education

Over the past year, I have encountered many interesting blogs dealing with education. There has even been a name attached to the people who embrace this type of blogging: Edubloggers. Blogging in education may be a hard idea to grasp for those new to technology integration, but by checking out some great resources, hopefully they will see the light! I want to share some different ways that blogging is used in education.

Blogging can be used as a classroom or school communication tool. Blogs can be created to keep staff members, parents, and/or students up-to-date on what is happening in the classroom or at the school.

Parkway Elementary School's Blog
High School Staff Development
Sheridan School Showcase
Mr. Reynold's First Grade Blog

Blogs can also be set up so teachers and students can share ideas. This is by far my favorite use of blogging in education, as it gives the students a voice. I will go into this in more detail in a future post - the possibilities are endless, even for the very young! Below are some examples of blogs used to enhance discussion and encourage collaboration in the classroom.

Literature Circle Blog for Upper Elementary
Literature Response for High School
Sixth Grade Social Studies Class
Middle School Writing - the students even have their own "pages"
Mr. Wolfe's Fourth Grade Blog - this one has entries written by the students
Kindergarten Blog - check out the student entries!!

Another type of education blogging is for spreading information among teachers. Professional educators can share ideas, success stories, and resources with a global audience easily through the use of a blog. Here are some examples:

A Geeky Momma's Blog
Bud The Teacher
21st Century Learning

Some companies specializing in technology integration have their own blogs, where information is shared on how to use their products. Here are some to check out:

Promethean Blog
Discovery Educator Network Blog

For more information on blogs in education, check out this information from Teachers First.

Here are some free places that you can start your own blog:

Blogger (the one I use for this blog)
ClassBlogmeister
Edublogs
Word Press

If you have a blog written for K-12 education, please feel free to post a comment with a link to your blog so others can check it out!