Web Logs as a Classroom Tool

It seems to have happened overnight. Classrooms overtaken by technology and the resources it can provide. I can remember when I was first introduced to the internet in a school setting... I was in Grade 12. The internet is now used and integrated into classroom curriculum as early as Grade 1. This technological revolution has not only modernized teaching structures and curriculum today; but it has provided teachers with added resources at their fingertips. When used effectively, a whole new world, with limitless learning possibilities has been opened up for all students.
Unfortunately, in the wrong hands, the infiltration of technology can also lead to corruption of our youth and lack of classroom/student privacy. The issue of privacy has proven itself critical in order to protect our students from being exploited, to ensure their safety, and to maintain a positive learning environment in a school setting. One of the more controversial tools available to students and teachers today is the web log. What has the potential to be a great technological tool in the classroom can also present a hazard to the students if not used properly.
What makes blogging such a great classroom tool?
The greatest advantage of the web log is that it provides an instant audience for the students. By expressing themselves in a blog, the student now has an audience beyond the teacher. Not only does this make their writing so much more meaningful, but it also requires the student to write responsibly, in a social context. In high school Social Studies classes, one of the first questions a teacher will ask a student when they prepare for a writing assignment is “Who is your audience?” In classic journal writing and essay writing, a student has a theoretical audience that they consider when incorporating vocabulary, tone, and subject matter. That audience is no longer theoretical; it is real. The implications of this are appealing to students as their writing has become so much more purposeful. Examples of the motivation and learning experience a blog can provide High School students can be seen in the following video:
http://weblogg-ed.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/05/WebLoggingSmall.mov
The creator of this video has also created some of his own blogs of his experiences and love for creating web logs in the classroom. When you click on this link, check out his entry from June 11, 2001. He goes into detail about how blogging has evolved over the years as a classroom tool and how it has affected his own classes positively:
http://weblogg-ed.com/category/blogging/
How do you ensure safety and privacy of the students is upheld?
If I were to incorporate blogging into my own classroom (which I can assure you I will likely be doing), there would be some very specific guidelines that I would need to ensure the students adhered to. Students will be excited about their new writing audience, but they also need to be taught how to be responsible with the information that they post and the potential implications of careless blogging.
1. I would provide a lesson on responsible blogging. Not only would we talk about privacy issues and potential consequences of ignoring privacy, but I would also emphasize the vast audience they will be addressing. Complete strangers will be reading these writings and the students need to be sensitive to the various cultural and sociological groups. I would emphasize this under “blogging manners”.
2. As much anonymity as possible would be required. Avoiding the use of family names, the school they are attending, geographical data and other information that could allow a stranger to find them.
3. I would try to use blogging sites that restrict who can see the student’s blogs and profiles.
4. Photos would need to be approved by myself or an administrator prior to posting. There can be signs or other indications of where the student lives in those photos.
5. I would check comments sent to the students on a regular basis to ensure nothing inappropriate is being communicated.
A great example of how a high school Social Studies teacher has incorporated the importance of responsibility into the classroom’s blogging forum can be seen at http://mistercooke2.wordpress.com/.
Despite the potential dangers of exposing students to an international audience, the learning opportunities are too great to ignore the function of a blog in the classroom. With the correct precautionary steps, blogging can be used safely and become an extremely effective classroom tool.