Blogging

What is Blogging?

Pros

reflection and processing power
encourages storytelling
encourages research
encourages analysis
promotes interaction
promotes regular writing
increased reading and writing
engaging student discussion
improved writing skills
authentic audience
published writing
digital citizenship
platform for introverts or reluctant speakers
increased communication using comments section
public vs. private
- public allows for authentic audience and encourages digital citizenship and knowledge of the real world
- private keeps kids safe
opportunity to teach kids how to write an acceptable public response
opportunity to connect with students across the district, state, country, and world
- check out G+ Communities
academic writing
creative writing

Cons

hard to grade - consider using a rubric to help yourself out
safety concerns
- private or public
- need (opportunity) for digital citizenship lessons
parent fears
- educate parents and include them in the discussion to lessen fears

iPad and Chromebook friendly
works K-12
text, audio, video, graphics
teacher dashboard
student access to one another's blogs for commenting
code to share with outside entities like parents and other classes
only one class per teacher email, so either all students in one, or create ghost emails for different classes

Still Growing and Improving

"[I]t forces me to write. I usually try to write a couple times a month on my own but that is pushed to the side when I have too much homework."
"It is a good way to have us write without it being formal or full of pressure. I also like the fact that I have control over what I write about, and that definitely makes the assignment easier."
(my personal favorite) "I don't like any assignments in general. However, I feel like the loose nature of the structure of the assignment makes it less agonizingly painful to do than most other assignments."