Blogging in the Classroom

Hi! My name is Kelsey and I was born in Lethbridge and raised on a cattle farm South-East of Lethbridge. I am taking the B.Ed After-degree program and my major is Physical Education. Sports and physical activity have always been central to my life. Traveling is also a passion of mine and I have been fortunate enough to visit some very beautiful places. Recently, I spent two months (June/July) in New Zealand with my boyfriend traveling and visiting family and friends. Here is a video I took of some native New Zealand fur seal pups we came across near Kaikoura, which is on the East Coast of the South Island.

After reading through the assigned readings, I discovered that there are several benefits of using blogs within the classroom. Blogging can motivate students to become self-directed learners and thinkers. These skills will help students succeed not only at school within the classroom, but outside of the classroom as well. Blogs can also motivate students to participate in class, especially those students who otherwise might not participate in class. Blogging provides students with an excellent opportunity to practice their writing skills. Students tend to focus more on their writing and editing when they know their blog entries will be viewed by a wider audience (teachers, parents, peers, and others). This in turn can help to improve their writing skills. Blogs can be effective forums for collaboration and discussion. This collaboration and discussion can help increase the sense of community between the members of a class. A blog can be a great tool for communicating with parents. Parents can access information on special events occurring in the classroom such as concerts, field trips, celebrations, etc. Parents can use blogs to see what their children are learning, what assignments they are doing, and what the classroom expectations are. It helps to build a community between the parents, teachers, and students. Another great benefit of using blogs is that it provides students with an online filing cabinet where they are able to retrieve assignments, readings, handouts, homework, etc. Click on the link below to watch a Youtube video that summarizes some of the benefits of using blogs in the classroom. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whm3pxqkvB8&feature=related