Student Blogging

Getting students to write can be a very difficult task. Getting students to want to write can be equally as difficult. I've seen many writing programs come and go through the years. Most seem to rely on writing prompts to get the creative juices flowing.

The problem I see with all these programs is that  it forces the students to write about something they may or may not have an interest in and publish for an audience they don't really care about (the grade book). I believe that students will produce more authentic writing if they can write about topics that interest them. Getting authentic and meaningful feedback (aka a real conversation) makes the publishing part of the writing process more desirable.

This is where student generated blogs come in. Blog writing is informal, which takes the pressure off of writing and gives your students a voice in a safe environment.

Blog is short for web log. It's like an online diary or journal, except that it's not private. Instead it's intended for an audience. Blogs can be written about almost any topic. Other students or readers can leave comments which can lead to great discussions.

There are many reasons why your students can benefit from blogging. You can read some of these reasons here and here.

In our school district Edublogs and Kidblogs are two blogging platforms that are allowed. Both have free versions as well as more advanced features for a fee.

Here are some helpful resources for getting your students started with blogging.

• Primary Blogs - this is a list of classroom blogs you can use to see examples of what other classrooms are doing with their blogs.
• 10 Tips for Introducing Blogging into Your Classroom
• Ideas for Classroom Blogging
• Why My Six-Year Olds Blog

I would love to help you try blogging with your students. Reach out and lets inspire your students together!