Are you currently a blogger? I know that there are many teacher bloggers out there, and I’m proud to say that I subscribe to several for inspiration and ideas. While I haven’t always been a blogger, I’ve been dabbling in it off and for the past 2-3 years. I’m definitely more consistent now, and have been thinking about the possibility of having my students blog as well.
This past weekend I cleaned up most of my blog and went through past posts. I was pleased when I came across a series of posts on student blogging from two years ago. It was nice to remember when I blogged with my students at my previous school, and I found that all of the information is still relevant and current. So I spruced them up a bit, and grouped them together in a Student Blogging Series.
Why do students need to be bloggers?
Students today are generally adept at maneuvering through social media. However, as adults we understand that they often don’t make the best decisions in terms of what goes out into the digital space. With blogging, we can help them to transform their digital footprint into one that reflects the positive aspects of who they are, rather than just a slew of selfies with their tongues sticking out.
Blogging also gives them a real-world application of their writing that is public. This can be done in a way to protect their identities while still giving them a voice. There’s more on the line if they know that hundreds or thousands of people will read their blog post, so they take more ownership and pride in it. They can also practice interacting in a positive way with people from other cultures, and learn how to be a part of a global community.
But..I don’t teach English Language Arts. What’s the point?
As you’ll see in my past blog posts on student blogging, it’s definitely not necessary to teach ELA and have students blog. In fact, the practice of blogging actually lends itself to multiple disciplines, and allowing you to incorporate more thoughtful and meaningful assessments. Think about it – there are blogs on just about ANY subject you can dream of. The act of writing isn’t isolated to only ELA – it is the cornerstone of all forms of communication.
Edublogs Blogging Challenge
This blogging series comes on the heels of registration for the next Edublogs Student and Class Blogging Challenge. When my classes last participated, it was a great activity. The challenge consists of weekly tasks that encourage bloggers to mix up their posts, and students and classes have the opportunity to connect with other bloggers across the world! There’s nothing quite as satisfying as having students receive comments from a class in France or Africa!
[bctt tweet=”This blogging series comes on the heels of registration for the next Edublogs Blogging Challenge. @edublogs” username=”mrslepre”]If you have a class or if your students have individual blogs, I encourage you to join! If you’re just thinking about starting the blogging process with your students, here are links to my posts to get you started – from the very beginning with paper blogging, to posting on a regular basis with my interdisciplinary team.
Thank you for the great food for thought. You make some really excellent points here!
Thanks Amy! Have you tried blogging with your students?
-Kim