In my classroom

There are many reasons I would use a blog in my classroom. I am a sixth-grade language arts and social studies teacher at Reedsville Elementary School in Reedsville, WI and the use of blogs in education is very beneficial. The most important reason I see for blogging in the classroom is learning how to write in a context that will be used by my students their entire lives. It is true that the technology and blogs may evolve into bigger and better things but the blogging we are currently doing in sixth-grade will be a great foundation for my students. They will learn what is the appropriate way to use blogs and what is not. Many of my students who do not like writing using a pencil and paper prefer using blogs and this totally enhances the lessons because it reaches more students. It also forces students to critically think and represent themselves on a level that anyone can see. They are very careful when posting and this builds proofreading skills.

For a social studies lesson, I would pose open-ended questions about current events, such as health care reform, that force my students to take a side and defend their opinions. They would be given rubrics that would grade them on the following categories: content knowledge, length (at least one paragraph), rationale and supporting details, conventions (spelling, grammar, and punctuation), and participation (they would post one original response and respond to two of their peers posts. Before going to the computer lab, I might brainstorm some ideas on the whiteboard, citing some of the advantages and disadvantages of health care reform so my students have a starting point. Remember, we watch and discuss current events daily using CNN Student News and national health care has been a hot topic recently. My students are informed about this issue and the ability to blog will show everyone their knowledge.