As a proponent of student blogging I am often asked what it “does” for my students. The thing is, it does quite a bit.
- Provides them with a voice. Education cannot be done to students anymore, they have to have a voice since it is their lives it effects the most; blogging gives them that.
- Gives them an authentic writing audience. The product doesn’t end with me and a grade, it is out for the world to see and to continue to be developed.
- Puts their place in the world in context. We think our students know how much in common they have with kids their age around the world, but they don’t usually. Blogging with those kids and connecting through projects such as the Global Read Aloud brings the world in.
- Increases their global knowledge. Again, when you connect with others through your work and words, friendships develop and as does a mutual interest in the lives of one another This is the modern version of penpals.
- Instills them with tech saviness and confidence. Blogging teaches my students yet another tool to use and we also use it to showcase other tools we have played around with. They feel confident in their skills as bloggers and it carries into their overall tech approach.
- Instills safety rules and measures to be taken whilst online. We drill safety all year and the kids know the lessons by heart. It is our job to teach them how to be safe and the best way to do that is to work with them in situations that could be unsafe if treated the wrong way.
- Teaches them how to give constructive feedback. We comment on each others posts but they have to be constructive comments. Blogging is a natural extension of the peer edit.
- Teaches them how to have a meaningful written dialogue. When students don’t get comments on their posts, we often go back to see why not. Usually they realize it was not written in a manner that invited others to participate in their writing. Revision and reformulating follows.
- Cements proofreading and spell check. We don’t want the world to see us as a poor spellers or grammatical buffoons.
- Expands their geographical knowledge. We pushpin maps with the location of our connections, this sparks more questions, which lead to a deeper relationship between the students and those we connect with.
- Furthers their empathy, as well as interest in others. Blogging should not be a solitary experience, but rather one that invites discussion. To have meaningful discussions one must care about others, which is shown through their questions.
- Encourages them to view their own writing through a more critical lens. Because we have a portfolio of their writing from the beginning of the year to now, we can go back and see their development. Are they developing as a writer or what do they need to focus on? The stakes are raised because it is not just the teacher that sees their work.
- Creates reflective students. Because students are given a mouthpiece to the world, I see them take more chances to reflect on themselves and their choices. It is remarkable to see a student reflect on what grades has taught them or what it means to be a student.
- It creates opportunities for us to have fun.
26 thoughts on “What Does Student Blogging Exactly Do?”
Great list – one I will be sharing with the teachers at my school.Did you leave the word "us" out of the section on proofreading on purpose to make your point?;-)
That is what happens when you blog with a baby in your arms! Thank you for pointing it out.
This is a great post to push some into testing the blogging waters as well as confirming for many the great things they are already doing by blogging with their students. Thanks for yet another great post. And BTW, have a few teachers in the GRA and they are enjoying it.
This post is very helpful and inspiring. As a HS English teacher, it can be daunting to ask students to share their work with the wider world in the net. You have outlined several reasons that outweigh concerns for student's confidence level and privacy concerns. Thank you!I blog at:http://teachingcontext.wordpress.com
As a Grade 4/5 teacher in North Vancouver, I ensure every student post and every comment is moderated by me for safety's sake. Also, this ensures high quality writing I think… or does it? At the beginning of the year I think an emphasis on proofreading is essential to set the expectations I have for my students' online writing. But I can't help but wonder is it stifling writing? Should small errors (to for too, or a missed capital) prevent a post from being approved by me? It certainly masks the progress a year-long blog might record in comparison to unedited writing… yet how to strike the balance between generating lots of interesting content versus an insistence on getting the mechanics of spelling, punctuation and grammar correct.My students can be found here:kidblog.org/WestCoast
Paul, I think you bring up a great point which is actually making me rethink my editing in the beginning. You are right if we want our portfolio to be authentic then we should let students true spelling show at first. Thank you for making me think! When I get my students blogging this year I will have them visit your students' blog.
I have seen an increase in a commitment by my students to writing. When they read a comment from another student or parent, they immediately realize the impact of their voice. There also seems to be a bit of competition for the most comments. And if that creates better writing in my students, then I'm all for competition.
Love this and all your advice about blogging. I am going to start my 7th grade science students blogging this year and am very excited about it, but nervous about how to get started and teach them how to blog.
It is also a good source of income on the side for students. Student blogging is the common way for students to get started in internet businesses that make money. It may even show them a career on internet marketing.
Proofreading does not only apply to student bloggers. But also in an online business, all data should be checked before uploading it on the internet. Bad grammar may leave a bad impression on your visitors, making it possible that they will not visit your site.
Besides that, it also provides more opportunity for them to widen their horizons in case they want to pursue the field of IT. You could just imagine the demand for Search engine optimisation in Australia now.
Blogging is becoming a hot trends to students and as a personal journal online. But many are not aware of the right techniques and all the technical issues regarding maintaining a blog.
You could just imagine how many australian seo company encourage student blogging. I mean, they get to make money while in school and they gain experience that can prepare them in their future.
Student bloggers are what you consider budding entrepreneurs and those who gets the hang of it becomes a successful blogger. Most students nowadays only wants to share their knowledge and experiences to other without knowing that they can monetize their blogs. It's a good stepping stone for them.
Yes, actually I heard that dropshipping companies are even eyeing for these so-called student bloggers and creating platforms that would catch their attention to somehow help them out in marketing the products and services they've got. I think what they are really aiming for is those bloggers who are active in different social networking sites such as the Instagram, facebook, twitter and as such.
Student blogging can also serve as an extra income for them if they do it right. When I was a student, a website designer perth taught me the about AdSense back then. I was generating revenue while blogging. It's not a lot of fortune but the money did help me finish my studies.
To improve your blog site, I suggest you take up comptia training and other IT course which will help you understand the inside-job/framework of every site you're going to visit.
Thanks for sharing I learned a lot from your advice. it's big help on me I'm a student and also working part time money matters to me a lot because I'm already the breadwinner of the family since my father died, I'm also studying how to become certified financial planner so that I can manage our finances really helpful tips cheers mate!
I think it's good that as early as now, students are being encouraged to do blogging. Because with the looks of it, internet marketing london plays a crucial part in the business world today so it helps if they are developing their skills already.
I guess student blogging is one of those lucrative industry in which marketing has evolved into. I personally like that commerce since it can actually give students the chance to fend for themselves.
Student blogging is a tool for the young minds to speak their ideas out. It's a way for them to be heard, and to express themselves. I believe they also deserve a copyright for each and every piece they make.
I am totally agree with you..Jogos de moto
As far as I can remember, marketing companies are using this platform as part of their strategy to promote something. Also apart from that, the youth uses blog to air out their concerns on the society, which is cool and more effective.
In my opinion, student bloggers should also have the basic knowledge in web designing so they can apply it to their blogs. It's always an advantage to know more than what you're assigned to do, so you can go with the twists and turns in the field of your work.
Thanks for sharing, I learned a lot. It left me speechless. I am a student, and I have read all of your recommendations. It is truly exceptional and beneficial to me. I was feeling some things were missing in the student circle, and after reading your declarative words, I’ve noticed some changes in myself. I’m also studying to become a certified financial planner so that I may better handle our funds. Thanks for the advice, buddy!