Blogs+in+Education

Blogs have some really strong merits, particularly in distance education. A blog allows teachers and students to make comments on teaching and learning activities, post links and pictures. They could be used for:

- providing weekly, detailed information on major projects/works for the HSC, eg, Visual Arts, Design and Technology - documenting the process for IRPs and PIPs - asking students to complete a physical activity diary - getting students in the class to discuss a topic (similar to what a forum allows in Moodle) - developing a school newsletter

Blogging is a tool that can be used by individual students, in class directed activities or in small group activities. Unlike a wiki, people comment individually on posts that are made, and not collaboratively on one page. Listed below are some websites that demonstrate blogging in education and some advice for using blogs in education.

[|Student Voice] - a place where students can raise their ideas about the world.

[|The Secret Life of Bees] - an English blog for the book of the same name

[|Kindergarten Counting Blog] - used to communicate with parents about how their child is progressing (a public blog)

[|Art Class Blog - Eponymous] - This appears to be a blog where teachers and staff can collaborate about art works and technology.

[|Virtual Staffroom] - a blog about technology in the classroom

The NSW Department of Education has been in the process of of trailling a blogging tool for staff and students. When it becomes available, staff and students will be able to access this through their portal. The advantages of this are:
 * students will be able to complete activities in a secure environment where no outside people will be able to get in (a private blog)
 * parents will be able to have access to some of the students work and be able to make comment also on their progress (a public blog). This will be particularly useful for schools who struggle in having contact between the school and what busy parents are doing.