BP1_2009101_Educational-Uses-of-Blogs

What are blogs? According to Wikipedia, a blog is "a type of website, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order. "Blog" can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog." 


While there are many types of blogs over a myriad of topics, the leading question for my entry today is how are they being used for educational purposes?


Helena Echlin from Edutopia in her digital discussion: Take Your Class to the Internet claims that "blogging can be a powerful educational tool." Whether some teachers see it as "an electronic notebook -- one student can't lose (or claim the dog ate)" or "a forum where a class discussion can unfold 24/7". She also mentions that a blog can be customized for classroom management, a learning journal, an online notebook, a class discussion forum, o a place for personal expression. 


When getting started, Mimi Gilman, also from Edutopia, mentions that teachers may not know where to start and so, she posted some Starting Points for Newcomers.


The Online Education Database (OEDb) offers a list of the Top 100 Education Blogs that are listed by topic chosen by their staff. Edublogs, are currently powering over 377,000 blogs that are targeted only to teachers and students. These two links may be your initial stops to give you a thorough overview of how blogs are reshaping education today.


The following is a list of research-based articles about blogs and their impact and uses in education. I suggest you browse through them if you have a bit more time to keep reading. Some of the topics that come up is blogs' usefulness, stories of success using blogs in different subject fields, as well as concerns on implementing blogs in the K-12 classroom. 

1. Techtalk: Web 2.0, Blogs, and Developmental Education
2. Avoiding the Digital Abyss: Getting Started in the Classroom with Youtube, Digital Stories, and Blogs.
3. Collaborative Literacy: Blogs and Internet Projects
4. Student Blogs Mark a New Frontier for School Discipline
5. Blogs: A Natural in Business Communication Courses
6. Using Blogs to Improve Differentiated Instruction
7. Exploring Educational Use of Blogs in U.S. Education
8. Using Blogs to Enhance Critical Reflection and Community of Practice
9. Reflections on Using Blogs to Expand In-Class Discussion
10. To Blog or Not to Blog
11. Blogs and Wikis as Instructional Tools