Blogs in the Classroom

I am somewhat nervous about this post as I fear that many of my new ideas for incorporating technology into my classroom are not the least bit new to more tech-savvy teachers.  With that said, the question of how, and why, might I use blogging in my 8^th grade Humanities classroom has been asked.  Blogging actually can fulfill part of Washington State’s Social Studies assessment requirements.  One of the requirements is that students present their project to a “real world” audience.  In other words, the project must be shared with community members and/or educators other than just the classroom teacher.  Using blogs to post student projects presents their work to an unlimited real world audience.  Blogs though, would provide more benefits than just showcasing student work.

One benefit of blogs in the classroom is increased motivation.  We all have those students who are intrinsically motivated.  They will give their best effort no matter the situation or assignment.  On the other hand, we all have students who can use extra motivation from time to time.  The knowledge that their work will be posted for others to not only see, but critique, can often provide this extra motivation.   Also, blogs are a form of social networking and I am quickly discovering that any assignment that has social networking involved sends student interest and motivation through the roof.  It would be hard to argue that students don’t work harder on assignments they enjoy.

Receiving feedback from outside the classroom is another benefit blogs can provide.  One of our assessment projects requires students to solicit input from community members about a proposal the class has made.  If necessary, students need to revise their proposal based on the feedback they receive.  In the past, soliciting community input proved to be a challenge.  Blogs would make this process far more streamlined and efficient.

Blogs, like many new technologies, are very intimidating for older teachers like me.  The entire reason I chose a specialization in incorporating technology into the classroom is because if I am going to call myself a teacher, I can’t let my own fears get in the way of providing my students with the best education possible.  What I am discovering along the way is that delving into the world of technology is not nearly as intimidating as I originally thought.