Educational Blogging Article Review

The article, by Stephen Downes, was enlightening and educational. To understand and reach your students, in the classroom, you must first listen. I find the student's perspective on blogging interesting. Utilization of technology/blogging affords students the ability to retrieve directions, assignments, grades, general information, guidelines, post their work, reflect and record personal thoughts. It motivates them to read and write more often and opens up the opportunity to read comments from fellow bloggers from all parts of the world. This exchange of thoughts promotes higher order thinking skills and encourages students to reflect on their work. Across America, blogging for some teachers may seem like a complex process, due to a lack of understanding or experience, but for students, their readiness and yearning to incorporate blogging into the learning process is long overdue.

Blogging is a medium that expands a student's knowledge and experiences far beyond the traditional classroom. It has established a form of communication that has rapidly grown and captured our youth. It's a part of their life. They're digital learners. Blogging reveals a persons inner most thoughts, interests and attitudes. It exercises a persons ability to be receptive to other perspectives and assists in the sharing of knowledge. Blogging enhances reading skills, encourages good writing skills, fosters analytical skills, reflection, research and organizational skills, to name a few. There is a whole gamut of learning that is acquired when using weblogs to connect education to today's student.

The history of blogs, software and applications provided gave the pro's and con's to blogs for educational purposes. However, if the blog is monitored by the teacher and the student's are given guidelines and trained properly, it can be an effective tool to supplement your classroom. Blogging makes a person think twice about what to write and how to write it. Blogging is an interactive source of communication that brings self initiated thoughts to the table. Using it for educational purposes is an innovative way to help students feel connected and engaged. In education, students must be given a reason to want to blog, with the purpose of working towards a goal, but with the freedom and respect of others. Keep students engaged with topics of personal interest to them. Communication and the sharing of information provides a healthy stimulus for educational growth.

To succeed in the use of blogs as an educational, supplemental tool you should give guidelines, take proper security measures, provide adequate training and have a meaningful purpose. It will motivate and keep your students engaged on a different level. Blogging offers additional resources and adds some spice into the bland chicken soup, so to speak. Keep your students motivated in their digital world and watch them soar! This may be the "missing link" all teachers have been searching for! http://www.downes.ca