A blog, formerly known as a "web log," can be a very beneficial tool in the educational realm, according to the article, "7 Things You Should Know About Blogging." Blogs can be used to motivate learners in many ways. Some of those ways include getting learners to participate in open discussions, to express their own opinions, and to sum up previous lessons learned as a means of review. In addition, educators can use blogs to promote detailed discussions in their particular field of study or discipline. According to Stephen Downes of New Brunswick, Canada, blogs have been used for educational purposes to support teaching and learning since the beginning of 2005. Moreover, universities such as the University of Calgary, uses blogs to create educational learning communities. These educational learning communities allow for students to receive commentary from their peers and their instructors, which allows for much needed discussion and educational feedback.
When using a blog for teaching and learning, you must first specify the guidelines and educational purpose of these blogs. Furthermore, according to James Farmer, If you do not set guidelines for your posts, then your blogs will most likely not achieve their desired outcome for the educational use intended. The possibilities of the topics that blogs can address are endless. Due to the fact that a blog is basically an online journal, they often times address many topics ranging from politics to entertainment and everywhere in between. These blogs are beneficial because they are categorized chronologically from the most recent to the oldest. So, older posts can always be located for references. Another major benefit to blogging according to Bill Ferriter, the author of "Learning with Blogs and Wikis," is that blogs can promote continuous professional development amongst teachers. By viewing commentary, different viewpoints, and links added by other instructors to these blogs, collaboration and further professional development can be constantly occurring. However, according to the ELI discovery tool's, "Guide to Blogging," there are a few downsides to blogging as well. One of the major downsides to blogging is that blogs can always be edited or revised, so it is difficult to keep the information properly archived and documented.
When used properly, blogs can be a great form of open discussion, a field for artistic verbal expression, and can offer much support for teaching and learning. So, whether you are teacher or a student, sign up for your own personal blog today, and see the new heights that blogging can potentially bring to your educational experiences!
Sign up for your own blog today at:
https://www.blogger.com/start
Check out these links that address the many ways to use blogging in education-
Educational uses for blogging:
"Blogs in Education"
Learning with Blogs and Wikis:
A Guide To Blogging: an ELI discovery tool:
7 Things You Should Know About Blogging:
http://www.educause.edu/ELI/7ThingsYouShouldKnowAboutBlogs/156809
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