Journal Entry 4: ISTE Article 3

Five Don'ts of Classroom Blogging

by Julie Sturgeon

This article dealt with the issues of classroom blogging. I found it to be very informative and helpful. Most of the concerns the article discussed I believe I would have known to lookout for, but through reading the articles discussion of possible hang ups I think I have a better idea of how to look for them. I really like the recommendation of spending some serious time with one's class to make sure that the students know their ethical accountability. I think that student misbehavior and inappropriateness is probably one of the biggest potential problems in granting the students access to the internet, and the article really addressed this issue. I think I also would have been likely to use the Google blogger, but, because of the article, I now have a good online blog resource that I can use with my students.

How could a blog be implemented in a high school English class?

I plan to have my students use a blog to submit almost all of their final drafts of writing assignments. I also plan to have students be required to use features of the blog to post their assignments. I want them to have pictures, links, music, video, and anything else they can put in that relates to their topics. I think that this will be a good way for students to begin a writing portfolio that can be accessed and analyzed as the students develop in their writing.

How will you use this information to make sure your students blog in a safe environment?

I plan to teach netiquette and spend time talking to students about their ethical responsibility to act in a polite and responsible manner when posting or chatting online. I think it’s a good idea to make students and parents accountable by having the students sign contracts and the parents sign permission slips. This way everyone knows right from the start who will be accountable for misbehavior.