Blogging in Education

 

    I have to admit, the idea of posting my original thoughts and reflections on the internet for anyone to view was a little intimidating for me - there is something intimate about sharing your opinions with other people that don’t know you and don’t understand the way that you think. However, once I started blogging more consistently, it became a little liberating. I can share my thoughts and ideas on the internet, and the people reading them don’t know who I am. I can pose my thoughts and questions and then read comments from others sharing their responses or countering my thoughts. It is a professional learning community that is very different from the ones I am part of at school. It can offer a more open and honest learning space. 

    Blogs are a great way to communicate with people in and outside of your community. In middle school, I had teachers that used a blog to share updates from our classroom, posted homework, and provided additional support to students. This was in the time before Canvas and similar education platforms. Blogs can still be used in this way - students can reflect on their lessons and learning in class and share this information with their friends and families. Not only are students engaging in academic reflection, writing, and discourse, but they are also using it as a way to collaborate and engage with those outside of their learning community. 

    There are many opportunities for creativity when integrating blog posts with engaging lessons. I can’t wait to learn more about the use of blogs… by reading more blogs!!