Journal #4 “Five Don’ts of Classroom Blogging by Julie Sturgeon

I love that Brock Dubbels believes because he has seen firsthand that his students do better when they know their peers will be reviewing their work rather than just the teacher. That is funny because I think that I do better on assignment when that is the case as well, I just never thought of it that way. It is like our personal blogs for this class. I love to see my classmates’ blogs and see what they saw and how creative everyone is, and I worked hard on mine for the same reason. I agree with the author that classroom blogging can be touchy and keep teachers on the defensive because students, especially teenagers will definitely push the line on what they say and some of their comments may be inappropriate. The number one don’t that was stressed is to set up guidelines and rules for the students to follow when using the blogs. I think it is a great idea for students to sign off on a code of conduct for blogging that sets the ground rules. If students know that these types of behaviors will not fly and they will not be allowed to use this great resources if they misbehave will make students think twice before behaving inappropriately. Another suggestion that the author makes that I agree with is to be sure to keep the blogs educational and focused on coursework rather than allowing students to socialize. That is not the purpose of this resource in the classroom setting.

Question #1 - What benefits does blogging provide students?

The traditional ways of teaching do not always provide successful results in classrooms today. Students lose interest and sometimes these ways of teaching do not relate to the real world. Utilizing technology such as blogging in the classroom will be more beneficial for kids in today’s society. They will use the type of skills in future jobs and to communicate to other people in society. One of the skills that students use when blogging are their writing skills. It is great to have them write no matter what way they are doing it. Writing on their blog is a great way to improve students writing skills and have them enjoy writing.

Question #2 - How would I manage the blogs to be sure students are utilizing this tool correctly?

I would continuously monitor my students’ blogs to be sure that they are using it in the correct context and on task. I would set up scheduled times that they could use the computers in a lab or in the classroom and continuously monitor as they are working. By setting up rules and having them sign a code of conduct students will understand the severity of breaking the rules.