This space is reserved for my findings on the uses of blogs in education. In researching several resources I found that some of the uses of blogging in education include: teacher communications to students, parents, and possibly other teachers, and the use of student and/or teacher blogs for collaboration, reflection, and dialogue. Blogging has been shown to increase student interest in writing in all subject areas and communication through sharing opinions, comments, questions, and concerns about daily issues and current events. Students can discuss assignments, and share reactions with one another while showcasing their writing abilities and developing critical thinking skills. Blogging has also been used to share student work, for online book clubs, class newsletters, and communication with students in other countries. Blogging has become more popular with the development of more advanced tools that teach a variety of skills and empower students to take ownership of their own learning experiences. Learning communities contribute to real-world experiences through blogging. While many still view a blog as a personal journal or opinion, the opportunities to connect and give and receive feedback add a new level of opportunities for personal growth, reflection, and development. Our PTA has established an account on Facebook this year for our school so that teachers, parents, students, and other stakeholders can follow the activities that make our school special, especially those programs and benefits that are sponsored by our PTA. This networking opportunity is very important to encourage collaboration as well as to communicate ways that volunteers can get involved and to share needs and accomplishments for all of the areas of our school.
Blogging is a valuable tool and one that I will have to adjust to using. While the benefits are obvious, the time factor that is involved not only to keep posts current, but also to follow other bloggers and feeds is a concern. I look forward to the possibilities and what I will learn from my peers and colleagues: D
