Utilizing Blogs in the Classroom:

            As described by Will Richardson (2010), author of “Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms”, weblogs or blogs encourage students “to read more critically, think about that reading more analytically, and write more clearly” (20).  With this in mind, I began to consider how I might use a blog in my own classroom.  As a fourth grade teacher, I teach an array of subject areas.  From language arts, social studies, math, science and even Latin, I am somewhat overwhelmed with blogging possibilities. 

            One subject area I would like to incorporate the use of a class blog in would be writing.  Fourth grade students often find writing to be a difficult and daunting task.  When completing a writing piece, students will sometimes neglect to edit their work, although they are given many gentle reminders to do so.  The awareness that only one set of eyes will be reading their piece could very well be the explanation for a lack of editing and revision on the students’ behalf.  With this in mind, blogging may be the key needed to unlock the motivation to critically reread, revise, and edit.  As described by Will Richardson (2010), blogs facilitate “a new genre that could be called ‘connective writing,’ a form that forces those who do it to read carefully and critically, that demands clarity and cogency in its construction” (28). 

            Although a majority of our writing is done in class, I occasionally send home an assignment I refer to as the Writing of the Week or WOW.  Generally given once a month, each WOW is different and places a focus on a specific writing mini-lesson.  For instance, students may be asked to “described their favorite place”, a writing piece that must incorporate sensory details.  Students are commonly given a week to finish the assignment, and encouraged to complete one stage of the writing process each night. 

            Using a class blog can enhance the WOW activity.  Prior to publishing their pieces, students can post their writing on the blog and receive feedback from their peers.  “One of the biggest potentials of Weblogs is the ability to create spaces where students can collaborate with others online” (Richardson, 2010, 23).  In my classroom students give constructive feedback through two stars and a wish.  The two stars allow students to verbalize to their writing partner two things they liked about their partner’s writing piece.  While a “wish”, requires the students to give feedback on one way the writing piece can be improved.  Rather than verbally relay this information, students can now post this on our class blog.

            I am looking forward to eventually beginning the blogging process with my students.  Any feedback or comments would be greatly appreciated!

References:

Richardson, W. (2010).  Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms (3rd ed.).  Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.