Benefits of Student Blogging
Below are several excerpts from participants who participated in the State of Blogging, 2015, study by Edublogs:
- Blogging helps with reading, writing, artistic, critical thinking, and social skills. It has revolutionized and energized the way I teach. It has made me a teacher and a learner, and made my students learners and teachers. Blogging is the one activity my students are consistently excited about, and something they will do on their own, on weekends, after school, on vacations. We just finished our school year with a Skype visit with a class we met through blogging.
- I teach English and use a PBL approach to curriculum, focusing on relevant issues in our community. My students use their blogs to write informally about their experiences with primary research, provide support and feedback to each other, and to publish formal writings aimed at an authentic audience. Giving them a public voice inspires them and motivates their learning in a way that traditional approaches to teaching cannot. Using blogs is the best choice I’ve ever made for my students!
- Blogging is a great way to have the students practice critical thinking skills because it allows think time for those who do not always have an immediate answer and needs some think time.
- Blogging makes what we do as schools, educators and students transparent. The home:school connection is essential for student success, and blogs are a great way of making that success realistic.
- Blogs provide an excellent medium for reflection, as well as the development of expressive writing skills. They can be quite informal, or used to develop advanced social writing skills complete with in text links and citations. This is a resource not to be ignored.
- Blogging provides a voice for even the shy student who might not speak up in class. Also, there is a natural sharing of ideas for students in the 21st century who have grown up in a digital world and are engaged by a digital framework.
- Blogging is the perfect platform for putting digital citizenship and online safety skills into action and practicing in a safe environment.