BlogValue

Why do people blog? Do they just like to "hear" themselves? Isn't it just a glorified diary for all to read? At first glance, that seems to be the reaction of most. But blogging is much more than that. There is value in writing for a larger audience (for both teachers and for students), there is value in reading other blogs (there is lots of information sharing out there), there is value in the comments (both for the commenter and the original poster), there are connections being made out there that could never be made before.

__Different Ways to Use Blogs in the Classroom:__ Information - daily journal, assignments Communicate with Parents/Newsletter Student Discussion Student Reflection Student Writing Class Reporting Post Writing Prompts Showcase student work Post Photos/Projects On-line book club Student Portfolio

Preparing to bring blogs into your classroom:
 * Decide on a type (teacher blog for information, discussion blog, blog for every student) - each one has a different strategy for implementation.
 * Set up the blog
 * Give students access
 * Develop a few intro activities to get students used to blogging
 * Develop some expectations and objectives that you convey to your students

Blog Examples/Tools