I was extremely happy to see students blog discussions continue after the class is over and grades finished. Watching my students blog activity really reinforced the fact that students need an outlet for discussing current events. Learning is a life long activity that we as teachers should try to facilitate if possible. With the Internet now acting as a life resume that everyone seems to be checking now, shouldn’t we as educators help them build that portfolio?
Integrating blogging into the curriculum can be a serious challenge. What is the appropriate use of blogs in the classroom? Should student papers be blogged instead of turned in? Maybe English essays should be blogged and commented on by students for the “first draft” in which they receive feedback from other students and teachers. Some teachers would argue that students need teacher feedback rather than student feedback due to the quality of feedback (or lack thereof) that students would supply. I tend to think that the more eyes that look at something, the better.
Is it ethical for students to be asked to publicly post work? Provided you allow them to use a pseudonym, it seems like an ethical practice. I would like to see more examples of actual classwork completed online in a K-12 setting. Please comment if you have great examples.
