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Blogging: New Journal or Old Bulletin Board?
for secondary grade students
 In 1988 through 1994, many Indiana students (and their parents) used something called BuddyNet. It was basically a bulletin
board where users could post their writings electronically. We watched as students eagerly wrote poetry, stories, and expressed their
opinions to others. Students engaged with real audiences for their writing. They met and discussed issues with others from their
community and from across the state. Today, classrooms connect worldwide using a similar technology, called blogs.
Blog is short for Web log, or an online journal where others can view and comment on an individual’s writing. Blogs can be
private (accessed if you have the required login and password) or public (no login needed). Blogs can be created and regularly updated
directly using any web browser and managed from any computer with an Internet connection, anywhere in the world. More than 12,000
new blogs are created every day.
You may ask, “Why should my class blog?” Blogs offer a way for students to engage in reflective writing on any topic.
Students know they have an audience other than their teacher, often producing more thoughtful (yes, better) writing. Peers can respond
to their blogs, providing immediate feedback. It’s also a great way for parents to be connected to their child’s classroom. They can see
class assignments, as well as read their children’s postings, perhaps gaining new insights about their offspring. The blog can serve as a
natural writing portfolio, visibly displaying writing skill improvement as the year progresses. As a teacher, you can quickly respond at
the student’s blog, providing immediate feedback not feasible by traditional paper evaluation methods, and it takes less time to manage!
Getting started with blogging is easy, but some schools are hesitant to use the “open” sites such as blogger.com and livejournal.com. You can also buy blogging software to set up classroom and school network blogs that provide local control. Check out Moveable
Type or Manila blogging software; both offer licenses at special rates for educational institutions.
visit other tips for technology integration:
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