I can see many ways that blogs would be a benefit to a teacher. There are many obvious ways, like having the students keep their reading journals as a blog, using the blog to post results of reports and experiments and using the blog as a class homepage where information is stored. All of these methods would simplify assessing progress, as any computer with an internet connection can take you to a student's blog. It also increases accessibility for students by allowing them to work on the assignment at home without having to worry about format conflicts or similar problems.
Another great asset that blogs provide is the vast amount of information available for teachers blogs like The Cool Cat Teacher Blog provide a variety of teaching aids like lesson plans and free online resources. I found the Cool Cat Teacher Blog on David Warlick's blog, which is a perfect example of how easy it is to find resources on a blog. There is so much information available, and it covers almost any topic you can imagine. Blogs can be a hugely valuable resource to a teacher if they know how to use it.
The benefit of blogging because of the accessibility is something I agree will allow students to engage not only the student but it also gives the parents a chance to participate in their childs learning. As a teacher, some may get stuck in the monotony of their lesson plans. Having other resources to keep the juices flowing in your classroom will be extremely helpful.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that I really like is all of the uses that a classroom blog could offer to your students as well as to their parents. I want to get my degree just so I can make one for my students. It is true there is so much information out in the internet world that can help you with creating new lesson plans, planning activities, whatever and if you do not know where to look it could get confusing. This cool cats teaching blog really looked liked a good one to have book marked!!
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