Ways To Use Blogs in the Classroom

After reading Chapters 1-3 of our textbook I was amazed at the different ways Blogs and the Internet as a whole could be integrated into EVERYTHING done in the classroom. Reading this made me feel like I wanted to start apply for every grant possible in order to get a classroom set of laptops for my students. After the book referred to how blogs could be used to meet all 12 of the ELA standards I was furiously taking notes about how to apply this in a classroom setting (which I've recently interviewed for!!!!)

Thinking ahead to having a classroom of 30 students of my own (instead of 450 students) I think that I would:

1) Read articles on-line on topics that interest them and make reactions, reflections, and summarize what they read.
- This allows students to choose something they are interested in will make them more likely to complete the assignment and creates interest in them to know more about a topic.
- By asking students to write about what they read covers to major aspects of the ELA standards (reading/writing) as well as requiring them to think.
2) Create an on-line book club where students could reflect and ask questions about what they read.
- I think this would be great for students to post their thoughts, reflections, favorite parts, and questions they might have. Allowing classmates to respond to each other keeps the teacher from just "giving the answer" when students ask questions. In this way students are interacting with one another and "teaching" each other.
3) Connect with a classroom in another part of the country or world (electronic penpals)
- I think writing is such as important part of life that any way we can promote writing and encourage students to write for pleasure (as well as school assignments) will give them practice and get them excited about the various purposes and audiences used in writing.
- Helping students to connect with other students from around the world allows them to practice their writing skills while also helping them to be more open to making new friends, learning about new cultures, and experiencing new avenues of communication.