What's In a Blog?

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So you want to start a blog, or you've decided that you want your students to start a blog. What now?!

Personally, I would strongly suggest starting a personal blog on a topic about which you yourself have an interest or knowledge base.  Write reviews of your favorite books, chronicle your attempts at cooking new vegetarian recipes, or create an online journal of the crazy things your kids do. If you create a blog about something you are passionate about, you will find it much easier to find the motivation and inspiration to actually write. You will find yourself eager to work on your new project, to explore different features and to find other bloggers with shared interests to interact with. When you have done all of this, you will have a basic understanding of why and how we blog, and you will be better able to introduce the concept of blogging to your students.

In chapter 3 of Richardson's text, he makes the argument that, much as teachers of writing should write themselves, teachers of blogging should blog themselves. It sets a good example for the students, and it hones the teacher's own skill set. A teacher who blogs consistently will be better able to effectively teach her students how to use blogs as educational tools.

I also agree with Richardson's suggestion of starting small with classroom blogs and building on skills throughout the year. I think Richardson makes a fantastic suggestion when he recommends that teachers provide students with a list of blogs to read and explore, as a way of familiarizing students with the concept of blogging. I would think carefully about which blogs I included on that list, and really make an effort to connect with the interest areas of my students. I might include blogs like Cat vs. Human, Post Secret, or It's Like I'm Magic. I might even conduct an interest survey of the class before creating the list of blogs for students to explore. Finding blogs that will genuinely interest students is a great way to make their introduction to the world of blogging a positive experience.

At the outset of the school year, I think the classroom blog should primarily be a place where students can go to look for important information. Throughout the school year, teachers can slowly increase students' involvement with the blog, so that by the end of the year students are comfortably responding to the teacher's posts, creating their own posts and engaging in meaningful conversation via comments.

What are some ways that you think you might introduce the topic of blogs to your classroom? How would you get your students excited about reading blogs and blogging themselves?

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