Blogging by Students and Teachers

To be honest, I've not had a lot of experience with Blogs before this class. Most that I've looked at or responded to have been related to health issues or people living over seas such as soldiers. I've know people that have kept family and friends informed when someone was ill, had a baby or serving over seas. I never really gave much thought to how these could be used in education. I'm amazed at the number of ways that teachers have found to incorporate them into their teaching. As I read other accounts, I am excited by the prospects of using Blogs in my own classroom even as a first grade teacher. One of the ideas I like most is using a Blog to showcase the student of the week. The student could create a Blog with the help of the teacher including pictures, hobbies, activities, favorites, etc. He/she could also showcase work if desired. Other students could comment on the Blog and write friendly comments about the student of the week. Parents and other teachers could get involved as well. I also like the idea of using Blogs to showcase books. This would be a great alternative to standard book reports. Students could be grouped into "book clubs" where each group reads a different book. The group then creates a Blog that other groups can get on to learn about the book and make comments. Another possibility would be to create a classroom Blog that we could communicate with other classrooms in other states or countries. Truly the possibilities are endless. Given the nature of the Internet, of course, it would be a primary consideration for teachers to ensure the safety of the students using such technology. Teachers need to keep a close watch on what is being published on the Blog and instruct students about how to stay safe using the Internet. I do not think students should publish any specifics including last names, school name, addresses, etc. Even though some sites may be safe, I think is a good idea to teach students these precautions as a standard practice.