Explore+Blogging

Reasons to Blog
Here is a list of blog integration ideas from [|Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms] (Will Richardson), pages 40-42__.__

__**You can encourage your students to blog. . .**__
 * their reactions to thought-provoking questions
 * their reactions to photos and content you post
 * journal entries
 * results of surveys they carry out as part of a class unit
 * their homework
 * their ideas and opinions about topics discussed in class

__**You can have your students create their own blogs to. . .**__
 * learn how to blog
 * complete class writing assignments
 * create an ongoing portfolio of samples of their writing]
 * express their opinions on topics you are studying in class
 * write comments, opinions, or questions on daily news items or issues of interest
 * discuss activities they did in class and tell what they think about them
 * write about class topics, using newly learned vocabulary words and idioms
 * showcase their best writing pieces

__**You might start a class blog to. . .**__
 * post class-related information such as calendars, events, homework assignments, and other pertinent class information
 * post assignments based on literature readings and have students respond on their own blogs, creating a kind of portfolio of their work
 * communicate with parents
 * post prompts for writing
 * provide examples of classwork, vocabulary activities, or grammar games
 * provide online readings for your students to read and react to
 * gather and organize Internet resources for a specific course, providing links to appropriate sites and annotating the links as to what is relevant about them
 * post photos and comment on class activities
 * invite student comments or postings on issues in order to give them a writing voice
 * publish examples of good student writing
 * showcase student art, poetry, and creative stories
 * create a dynamic teaching site, posting not only class-related information, but also activities, discussion topics, links to additional information about topics they are studying in class, and readings to inspire learning
 * create a literature circle (where groups of students read and discuss the same book)
 * create on online book club
 * make use of the commenting feature to have students publish messages on topics being used to develop language skills
 * ask students to create their own individual course blogs, where they can post their own ideas, reactions, and written work
 * post tasks to carry out project-based learning tasks with students
 * build a class newsletter, using student-written articles and photos they take
 * link your class with another class somewhere in the world

__**You can also ask your class to create a shared blog to. . .**__
 * complete project work in small groups, assigning each group a different task
 * showcase products of project-based learning
 * complete a WebQuest

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