Benefits of Classroom Blogging

In my days as a classroom teacher, I began to use blogging with my students. The software I used was a forerunner to the more advanced tools that are available now, but the concept was the same. I taught sixth grade, so the students were particularly tech-savvy. What's more, we'd utilized the mobile computer lab (laptops) frequently, so integrating blogging into my classroom was a no-brainer. It gave me a chance to have student respond to questions about literature they'd read in a manner that was appealing to them. What's more, they were given the opportunity to react to one another's posts and use critical thinking skills to critique and analyze the thoughts and ideas of their classmates. The conversations that occurred in the blog setting also transferred over into literature circle and guided reading discussions that enriched the learning experience of the students. Students that had struggled or 'shut down' in the typical paper-pencil/reading journal approach to responding to literature suddenly were shining stars in this new on-line forum.

Beyond my classroom experience, I've been pondering the use of blogs in my current work as an assistant principal. One possibility would be for the purpose of streamlining efforts. There are many meetings - perhaps a blog would provide a means for discussion amongst groups of staff on important issues without having to call a meeting. I am considering utilizing this approach for some issues related to PBIS, as there never seems to be enough time for us to meet as a group. I hope to give blogging a try with something small, yet meaningful. Once it's been attempted, I'll then work with the team to measure the effectiveness of the blog as a tool to accomplish our goals.