Personal journaling has been a consistently popular reflection activity for many teachers. Web logs or blogs are online journals that are available for the public. Additionally, blogs can include links to other sites or even links to other blogs referred to in the entry (backtracking). This dynamic version of journaling is spontaneous and fascinating. Using a blog, anyone can more their ideas from inside or on paper to make them available digitally everywhere.

Using blogs in the classroom offers students an engaging and innovative way to not only journal but also to share the reflections with others. Further, students can get instantaneous responses to their reflections from a diverse audience. Blogging on a specified assigned topic provides a strategy for very dynamic exchanges of ideas. Reading blogging entries broadens the viewpoint and stimulates further thinking.

Activity:

Visit educational blogs and examine some of the ways teachers are using blogging to invigorate journaling and encourage discussion. Select the most innovative method you find and word process a 1-2 paragraph a summary of how it works. Culminate your paper with your views of the pros and cons of the educational blog you reviewed.

Want to Know More? Check out these sites:

http://www.ebn.weblogger.com/

http://educational.blogs.com/edbloggerpraxis/

http://www.weblogg-ed.com/

http://crofsblogs.typepad.com/prototype/2003/11/educational_blo.html

http://www.blogsearchengine.com/education_blogs.html

http://mywebspace.quinnipiac.edu/PHastings/classroom.html

http://weblogs.about.com/cs/educationblogs/