BP2_2010011_EduUses4Blogs

“Pedagogical strategies and resources, activities and tasks have been designed and allocated in ways judged to be appropriate to the age and level of different groups of learners (Davies & Merchant, 2009)” is a statement that I find interesting, as educators hear that we must meet the needs of all students by allowing them to use the tools that will enhance their learning ability. We then hear that we may not use Web 2.0 tools in the classroom. Our students use technology on a daily basis via their cell phones and computers, yet we (education system) limit students’ abilities to use these everyday tools for their educational purposes. We must meet the students’ needs, but we may not use the tools that they thrive on seems to be contradictory to the current goal of education. Many schools and districts block the use of blogs and other Web 2.0 tools for students and educators, which limit the ways of sharing information and communicating. Blogs and education can be a winning combination when integrated appropriately.

Blogs are electronic communication systems based on a “website that an owner or ‘blogger’ can update on a regular basis” (Davies & Merchant). Blogs can be used to enhance interactive notebooks that are required by many school districts. Students create and use an interactive notebook (paper journal) to demonstrate their learning and thinking processes. Students need to be able to reflect upon their learning and an interactive notebook is a way for them to do this and keep it all together in one place. However, when this knowledge is limited to a notebook that belongs to and is used by only one student, students miss out on sharing and learning from each other. Blogs may be used to enhance the paper form of interactive notebook by allowing students to share their thoughts and learning experiences in a collaborative environment. Although students in a class may be taught the same information in the same way, they do not always process and understand the information in the same way. A blog would allow students to learn from each other’s interpretation of information.

Blogs allow for a non-pressured environment for students to share their thoughts. Students are able to post their responses without feeling uneasy in a classroom setting. This allows for students to gain confidence with expressing their views and their knowledge. A teacher would be able to post a question for discussion within the classroom setting and allow students to respond in a blog created for that classroom environment only. Students share their ideas and receive feedback from their peers and teacher without feeling threatened. If the blog is opened to other individuals, then the students have the opportunity to receive feedback from professionals in the field of study that relates to the question posted.

Many districts and private schools do not have the server storage space available to allow students a means to have an electronic portfolio. By allowing the use of blogging in school, students would have a unified place to share and compile their work (a portfolio). Blogs allow for textual posting, posting of images, videos, sound clips and other items that would reflect the works of students. Students would benefit from having a single place to post their work in a chronological order. “Updates are normally date-posted and displayed in chronological order with the most recent entry or posting shown at the top of the page” (Davies & Merchant) thus allowing a teacher, student, parent or other interested party a way to view a student’s progress over time.

Although this is a short list, the applications for blogging in the classroom are limitless. Creativity and need will guide how blogging and other Web 2.0 tools are integrated into the field of education. If we are to truly meet the needs of all students to allow for success, we must allow them to use the tools that meet their needs regardless of our (educators and field of education) comfort level with these tools.

Davies, J., Merchant, G. (2009). Web 2.0 for schools: learning and social participation. New York, New York: Peter Lang Publishing.