Teacher and class blogs are very useful tools for several reasons. Teachers can post not only assignments and homework, but also discussion questions. Students can respond by posting comments to the teacher's post. There are at least two pedagogical advantages to this type of discussion. One is that students are writing, not just speaking. The second is that everyone can participate.
Too often, class discussions are dominated by a handful of students who do all the talking while others never speak up at all. Using a blog discussion forum enables every student to contribute. Furthermore, they can respond to each other, which leads to many possibilities for constructive peer criticism.
Blogs are quick and easy. Comment moderation requires little time on your part, and is a 100% effective way of keeping inappropriate comments off your blog.
Furthermore, you can easily add links to many useful resources specific to your subject. You can add files, pictures, and media to your blogs.
Blogs: Create our own weblog to communicate to our learning communities
- Best Practices: Principal blogs, specialist blogs, teacher blogs
- Understanding the importance of knowing your audience, posting with consistency, developing blog writing tone, and wrapping the blog in its purpose
- Creating a blog account for ourselves on Blogger.com
- Writing our first post: audience, tone, purpose
- Types of blog entries: article spotlights, interviews, professional thoughts, opinions, investigative
- Dealing with security: settings, comment moderation, permissions and levels
- Things you should change: blog description, time zone, who can comment
- Email assitance: enabling comment notification, enabling posting via email
Here's an excellent blogging resource page.
Contact me by commenting here or by email at bvelcoff@schools.nyc.gov if you want to create a teacher and/or class blog.