Blog
is a good tool in the classroom because students are able to share information
with their classmates or parents, get positive feedback’s, and complete
assignments. “Blogs, as they are known, are easily created,
easily updateable web sites that allow an author (or authors) to publish
instantly to the Internet from any Internet connection. They can also be
interactive, allowing teachers and students to begin conversations or add to
the information published there”. (Richardson, 2010, p.10). “Research has identified many benefit of
blogging as an instructional practice” (Featro & DiGregorio, 2016, p. 2). For
example, “blogs promote student reflection and metacognition, providing
students the opportunity to “reflect on their perceptions of the learning
materials and on their own learning process” (Seitizinger, 2006, p. 6).
Specifically, I can create a blog containing activities for my 8th
grade students to complete at home, discuss class lessons pertaining to
Entrepreneurship, post weekly reflection, and invite parental involvement.
The
two ISTE standards for teacher met by using blog are: (1) “Facilitate and
inspire students learning and creativity. After creating the blog, teachers can
use their knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to
facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and
innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments. (2) Design and
develop digital age learning experiences and assessments. After creating the
blog, teachers can design, develop, and evaluate authentic learning experiences
and assessments incorporating contemporary tools and resources to maximize
content learning in context and to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes
identified in the Standards” (Watson, 2014). Additionally, the two ISTE standards met by student through blogging and how they are met
are: (1) "Empower Learner. Through blogging students leverage technology to take an active role in choosing, achieving
and demonstrating competency in their learning goals, informed by the learning
sciences. (2) Creative Communicator. Through
blogging ‘students communicate clearly and express themselves
creatively for a variety of purposes using the platforms, tools, styles,
formats and digital media appropriate to their goals” (Watson, 2014). Therefore, incorporating blogging into my teaching practice
can be very beneficial for teachers and my learners.
References
Featro, S. M., & DiGregorio, D. (2016). Blogging as
an instructional tool in the ESL classroom. Tesl-Ej,
20(1), p. 1-9.
Richardson, W.
(2010). Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts and other Powerful Tools for Classrooms (3rd
ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
Seitizinger, J. (2006). Be constructive: Blogs, podcasts,
and wikis as constructivist learning tools. The
eLearning Guild’s Learning Solutions e-Magazine, Retrieved from http://www.teachers.ash.org.au/jmresources/research.htm
Watson, R. P. (2014). ISTE standards for students.
Retrieved from https://prezi.com/ry4ltpnwu5-s/iste-standards-for-students/
Watson, R. P. (2014). ISTE standards for teachers.
Retrieved from https://prezi.com/ry4ltpnwu5-s/iste-standards-for-teachers/
