Blogs In The Classroom

The more I think about it, the more I begin to like the idea of using blogs in the classroom. Considering that more often than not, all children are likely to have a computer at home, this would be a great way to share work they do at home.

I, personally, have found this blog a great way to organise my thoughts and ideas on the various sessions we have carried out in uni before embarking on placement in January (it's tomorrow now...eek!). This blog has enabled to create stances and opinions over topics I would otherwise struggle to form opinions over. If I have found this, i'm sure that blogs can benefit children in a similar way.

However, it is of course important to protect children when they work online, so it would therefore be necessary to set up the blogs with the children, rather than allowing them to surf the internet themselves. Also, guidence for parents would be needed allowing them to see why the children are being encouraged to blog.

Such blogs would enable children to post thoughts and queries they have about work they have been asked to carry out at home, or even any extra work they have chosen to carry out outside of schools themselves. From here, the class teacher would be able to keep up with the work the children are doing outside of school, incorporating the children's 'digital native' postion, and comment back on work they do produce/make comments on.

THIS website provides a great example for what I am trying to describe here. A virtual space which enable children and teacher to communicate, yet one which is safe for the children to use and that will not worry parents about their children using the internet.

Also, blogs would be a great way to keep in touch with children from schools in other countries. When I was in primary school, we had pen pals from a school in America, who we would exchange letters and photos with via the schools. Blogs would be a perfect way for this to be carried out and be brought more into the 21st century!

Perhaps this is something to keep in mind for when I have my own class in September...??