What+Are+Blogs?



= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =__What Are Blogs?__= Blogger.com shares a presentation explaining the blogs and their functions

[|What is a Blog?]
Below is a video that discusses what blogs are and how they have become a popular means of spreading personal and professional news

=__**Blogs in the Educational Sense**__= Teaching Today provides teachers and users alike with the benefits of using educational blogs in the classroom

[|Using Blogs to Integrate Into the Classroom]
=__What Blogging Does For Students__=

There are many benefits to implementing blogs in the classroom. Support Blogging shares the many educational benefits for students to use blogs in the classroom.
====**Helps them find a voice:** Another benefit to educational blogging (and wiki-writing) is the opportunity for the student to find a personal "voice" and to develop individual interests. Much like journal-writing, blogging gives wings to ideas that otherwise can stay trapped in the mind. Many individuals find that blog-writing changes their lives in a significant way by allowing them to express their ideas in a medium that appears to have life and longevity--and that might find a kindred audience.==== ====**Creates enthusiasm for writing and communications:** It is not expected that all students will take to blogging (just as not all students enjoy writing), but it is believed that blogging has a unique ability to create enthusiasm for writing and the communication of ideas.==== ====**Engages students in conversation and learning:** Educational Blogging is more than just being about writing, just like writing is more than just writing business correspondence or a lab report for Chemistry class.Unlike traditional forms of publication that are one-way, when the work is done at the end of the publication process, students can be engaged in ongoing conversations about their ideas and thoughts. This can be threatening for some administrators afraid of endangering children, yet, it brings a reality to the classroom that was not previously possible.==== ====**Provides an opportunity to teach about responsible journalism:** Because students who are posting blogs reach an audience with their posts, whereas a personal diary can be kept private, students have the opportunity in blogging to learn about the power of the published word. Whereas they might be tempted to criticize or make fun of someone in private conversation or in a diary, they can be taught about responsible journalism, and that the consequences of these kinds of remarks in the new world of the read/write web can be serious and long-lasting.====

**Empowers students:** Student blogging is incredibly empowering in the following ways:
====**Encourages student participation from all grade levels:** Even though blogging seems directed towards higher grade levels, it is appropriate to introduce blogging to early grade levels. By introducing blogs early on, students will welcome them in to everyday education, which can lead to the more participation. This shows the students that their voices and opinions are valued at all ages. Encouraging participation early on through blogging allows educators to teach the use of supporting details earlier in the learning process. Therefore, primary teachers should not overlook or ignore blogging because it can be a valuable tool to them as well.==== ====**Gives repetitive and conventional assignments a "new look":** Blogging can bring "dull" assignments back to life for the students. This interactive web tool can make assignments, such as book reports, more interactive. Therefore, the students will have more drive to complete the assignments. By giving the students this opportunity, they can create attention-getting assignments to pull the teacher to the assignments and make grading a new concept.====
 * 1) ====Instead of writing as a mechanized approach to empowerment where we learn to write well enough for school and work, we learn to write for authentic purposes which provide opportunities for life-long learning.====
 * 2) ====Writing and blogging and life are intertwined as difficult issues are exposed and dealt with in a transparent community of voices. Although this type of writing entails risk and trust, growth and teamwork naturally result.====
 * 3) ====Writing and blogging encourage students' initiative to write, to be engaged at more than just the head level. It involves writing from head and heart. Children often have not learned to do more than live from the heart, while adults have concentrated their efforts on more cerebral approaches. This means adults and children can bridge the gap that exists by writing together, creating a community of writers in their classrooms where there is no pseudo-community, only community where humans write.====