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Blogging in the Classroom Helps Students' Writing, Communication SkillsAccording to a Seattle Times report last week, a new set of tools is emerging for teachers looking to harness the interactive powers of online communities. These education-specific blog services - such as clasblogmeister.com and edublog.org - allow teachers to post homework assignments, keep in touch with parents, and give students the opportunity to post their opinions and work online and receive feedback from all over the world. "Never in 25 years of teaching have I seen a more powerful motivator for writing than blogs," said Mark Ahlness, a third-grade teacher at Seattle's Arbor Heights Elementary School. "And that's because of the audience. Writing is not just taped on the refrigerator and then put in the recycle bin. It's out there for the world to see. Kids realize other people are reading what they write." Because blogs are often associated with social networking sites like Myspace.com and therefore can be viewed as unsafe, this new niche market of blogging services provide security features not found on commercial sites. For example, students cannot add certain personal information, and classroom blogs can be password-protected to prevent outside access. Some offer teachers the option to approve each posting and comment before it goes live.
Questions, ideas, or in need of more information? Please contact Stacey Pusey at 302-295-8349. |
"Teachers
are reaching out to students with a new class of blogs"
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