Blogging for learning
September 4th, 2003 | by Tim Wilson |Imagine having a Web-based writing system that any person could use without knowing any HTML. Imagine having your students getting instant feedback from their peers as they develop a writing assignment. Imagine communicating with your students’ parents or the larger community by sending an email and having it displayed on your Web page. Imagine your students developing a group project and gathering information and feedback from others around the world and having their final product published on the Internet.
All these things are not only possible, but easy using any of a number of popular blogging products. What’s blogging? The term “blog” was formed by shortening “web log.” A blog is an online journal that may be password-protected to restrict access or open to the world. Blogging has been around for a few years now, but has recently reached the point where even non-techies are becoming aware of the medium. I believe the time is right to exploit the power of blogs to accomplish our educational objectives.
I won’t go into a lengthy list of potential uses of blogs in education beyond what I’ve written already. Instead, I encourage you to have a look at the following Web Tools Newsletter. In it you’ll find many links to thought-provoking articles about the use of blogs in education.
So how could we use blogs to accomplish the HITS? How would blogging by teachers improve their communcation with students and parents? How would you use a blog? Leave a comment. Let’s discuss it.
9 Responses to “Blogging for learning”
By Mary Jo Merickel on Sep 4, 2003 | Reply
Tim,
I think using blogs would be great. I wanted to do this last year with my class, but problems occurred in setting it up - security, etc. I think the use of blogs would encourage writing - even at the elementary level.
By Mary Jo Merickel on Sep 4, 2003 | Reply
I would use blogs for my students to post their work so their parents could see it - or anyone could see it - and hopefully give them feedback - they get tired of ONLY getting feedback from me!
By Tim Wilson on Sep 4, 2003 | Reply
The security issue certainly can’t be ignored. Some teachers may want to password-protect some portions of their blog or their students’ blogs. Others may want to open it up. All of the major blogging systems that I’m aware of allow for both types.
How cool would it be for elementary students to become published authors?!
By Scott Roiger on Sep 4, 2003 | Reply
I think using blogs would be great. I currently use email with students, parents, and outside volunteers for feedback on writing. This sounds much easier. I’d like to find out more about using this in the near future.
By Tim Wilson on Sep 4, 2003 | Reply
Check out the link to a Web logs in Education FAQ. The author has some good answers to basic questions and provides some great links to good examples of weblog use.
http://www.weblogg-ed.com/stories/storyReader414
By Terri Osland on Sep 5, 2003 | Reply
Hmmmm, as I read through some of the material, I am learning that Weblogs are more versitile (sp?) than just a discussion site.
Would our Teacher Webpages be considered a weblog? Could we pursue creating a “discussion” element to the Teacher Webpages for teachers to direct their students to?
By Jason McDonald on Sep 5, 2003 | Reply
A couple of ideas from north of the border:
I am trying to get Movable Type up and running at my school. I have a few ideas for how I hope to use it.
I thought it might be a good way for teachers to share their expertise with each other. This site is one where a first-year teacher and her mentor share the mentoring experience for the benefit of other teachers.
I plan to use MT in my French, Science and Social Studies classes. Assignments can easily be added and modified. Students can share ideas and web resources for collaborative projects.
I’m excited about the possibilities!
Good luck. I plan to follow this site and see how things go. Thanks for this great resource.
By Tim Wilson on Sep 5, 2003 | Reply
Hi Jason,
Welcome! Here’s a perfect example of how blogging can encourage connections between people with shared interests. I had promoted this blog’s existence with only about 20 people in my own school district. Imagine my surprise at learning someone from outside had already found it! Please check out the link Jason posted above. This is an application of blogging I certainly hadn’t thought of.
By jack on Sep 5, 2003 | Reply
Any electronic meassaging could be interesting and useful. It would be fun to try a project to see if it’s a practical application to use.