Advantages of Using Blogging in the Classroom

After reading “Blogging: An Introduction” it became quite evident that blogging can serve a variety of purposes in the classroom and it clearly has many advantages. One particular advantage of blogging that resonates with me is the opportunity it provides for students who may not be comfortable speaking in class. I can remember being quite shy during class discussions in high school and I would have much rather shared my thoughts and opinions in a blog. When using a blog in this way the teacher and other students would also be able to provide feedback and further discuss issues that scheduled class time might not allow for. Another advantage of blogging in the classroom is the option of making the blog either public or private. I think that this option would definitely ease some of the safety and security concerns that parents may have. The more I think about blogging, the more I think about how blogging would be an excellent tool for creating a truly interactive classroom newsletter. Students could publish exemplary samples of their work as well as write weekly updates about what they are learning. Teachers could advise parents of classroom activities and field trips as well as inform them of a need for classroom volunteers. Another great aspect of using a classroom blog is the fact that it is accessible from any computer. Blogging has many other advantages and as teachers it is our responsibility to implement technology such as blogging into our classroom in a creative and purposeful way.