Using Web Logs (Blogs) for Education

EDUC 569 – Practicum in Technology

University of Findlay

Lets go blogging! Look below for links to pages that will guide you to materials that you can use to create blogs to enhance education. Anyone can do it! See how teachers at all levels are using blogs (K-12)! Check out the links below!

Introduction: Many teachers do not develop web resources or use technology for the classroom for a variety of reasons. These reasons may include lack of knowledge or expertise in the area of using technology in the classroom. The reason for the creation of this web page is to show teachers several ways to develop web resources for classrooms that don't take a lot of expertise and are inexpensive or free. This would include the use of blogs! Further more, blogs can be used on Macs or PCs!

What are blogs?

A mix of the word "web" and the word "log." Blog.
Here are three blogs that gives the same information as the first part of this page that were developed with three different blog sources!

Blogs are basically Internet journals of events with a variety of content. Some are simple journals written by people with nothing better to do. Others are very professionally done. Teachers are beginning to use them to encourage their students to write & communicate with others, or as web bulletin boards giving students and parents information about their classrooms. Please examine the links below that give examples on how blogs are used in schools.

Reasons for Using Blogs in the Classroom

In recent years not only has technology become a standard in our curriculum but more importantly, it has become an integral part of day-to-day life. Our classrooms should reflect this change in society to enable our students to become better prepared for the future.
Technology that is integrated into the classroom will help promote success for all students.
Increased computer skills will increase self esteem and confidence.
Not only does the Internet allow students to collect and gather information, it can also give students and teachers the experience of publishing there own information.
To help our students become productive members of the technology age, our schools need to make technology an integral part of the classroom setting.
National Education Technology Standards (NETS) for both teachers and students are in place, now it is our job as teachers to incorporate technology in a meaningful way into our curriculum.
Technology is a supplement to regular instruction. Effective use of technology in the classroom means meeting your existing goals more effectively. We should not use technology in classes because it's neat, we should use it to teach more effectively.
Blogs can develop better writing skills through practice and publication. Writing skills are encompassed in a variety of tests including state proficiency tests at most grade levels.
Students think blogs are cool!
Teachers can use blogs for administrative purposes such as:

Posting of homework assignments
Classroom homepages could be developed which could include: classroom rules, syllabuses, grades, portfolios, etc.
Discussions with parents.

Teachers can use blogs for a variety of student uses including:

The writing of journals
The reporting of classroom experiences (Learning Journals)
Online collaborations
Publishing of reports, poems, or short stories
The gathering of stories for school newspapers can be done more easily
Discussions about various topics and various subject matter
Team projects
Biographical Sketches
See the links below for more ideas

Teachers should check with their principals or technology coordinators to find out what is acceptable use according to each individual's school rules, policies or guidelines.

Schools sometime don't have the software or the hardware to use in developing web materials. Blogs are a way to look at developing web pages or web materials that are free or inexpensive and can be done on some older but functioning computers which are often found in our public schools.
Descriptions of Web Page	Links
Blogging start up home page.	Blogger.com
Here is a tutorial on how to use Blogger.com.	Blogging
Another web blogging start up source.	tblog
A good resource and articles about blogs.	Blogs
Ways to use blogs in the classroom.	Edublogs Insights
What is it and how to use it... powerful new tool for educators.	InfoToday
A New York Times article about teachers using blogs.	Can Johnny Blog?
Get a list of potential classroom applications using blogs.	Web log-Ed
An article in the Herald Tribune about teachers using blogs.	Learning to write...blogs
Seven year old students are using blogs as part of their normal routine.	Seven year old bloggers
Blogs just for kids!	Pooh Blogs
Teaching Tips: Using Online Journals and Blogs.	Teaching Tips
Using blogs to integrate technology in the classroom.	Glencoe.com
How educators are using blogs in secondary and elementary.	Intel.com
Here are stories that show how teachers are using blogs in various classrooms, grades, and curriculums!	Here are their school's pages.
Mainesville, Ohio Grades: 3-5, Social Studies Weblogs	Little Miami Schools
Blanchester, Ohio Grades: Pre-K through 5, Language Arts Weblogs	Butlerville Elementary
Portland, Or. Grades: Pre-K through 5, Technology Weblogs	Buchman Elementary
Portland, Or. Grades: Pre-K through 2, 3-5, Technology Weblogs	Lewis Elementary
Conyers, Georgia Grades: 3-5, Language Arts Weblogs	J. H. House Elementary
San Francisco, California Grades: 6-8, Language Arts + Social Studies	Bay Area Writing Project
Brooklyn, NY Grades: 9-12, Language Arts Weblogs	Brooklyn High School
Flemington, New Jersey Grades: 9-12, Language Arts, Technology and Engineering Weblogs	Hunterdon Central Regional High School
Here are other examples of how schools are using blogs.
Kern County Schools	Delano High School
Department of Education and training, Government of Western Australia	Lincoln Public Schools
Keansburg High School Library Blog	Holgate High School Blogs
The only way to learn how to use blogs is to jump in and practice. If you have anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes you have enough time to get started! Go to Blogger.com, tblog, TypePad.com, LiveJournal.com, or Pooh Blogs and get started! Have fun! Practice! You might even better understand how blogs can be used in your classroom!

Get into using Technology!

Mail web page questions and comments to tpkohl@artelco.net
Mail me the URL address of any blog you create. I'd like to see it!

This page was developed using Netscape Composer with the aid of teachers.net.