Looking through some of these blogs, I see many different styles and purposes. Some are very formal and some not so much. Most are opinionated but some are backed up by facts. But one thing is for sure, there is a place for blogs in a classroom. With proper instruction and guidelines, I feel students can benefit from these free writing spaces. The results are endless and the limitations are few, but if done properly, the possibilities could change the classroom as we know it.
The blog that caught my attention was the blog Spies Like Us. It is amazing to me what kids can do with any type of technology these days, not always positively. Unfortunately people, no matter their age, don’t always think before they post on boards or use cameras to take pictures etc. etc. There are already countless stories of unfortunate happenings as a result of the internet. In many of these cases, age has no bearing on the result, not even fifth graders.
While teaching high school PE is not the ideal situation for incorporating blogs in my teachings, there are ways to incorporate them, maybe I will blog to find some of these ideas.
I totally agree with you about blogs being a great place for students to write. It is sad that people can use blogs for the wrong reasons. It is almost like we need to have a blog etiquette for blogging. Great post.
ReplyDeleteI agree that blogs belong in the classsroom. If student blogging doesn't fit into the classroom setting, maybe you could create a blog that the students and parents could access from home. This one lends itself to pictures and comments about upcoming happenings or trends in physical education. Great post and the link was right on for our school antics.
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