Using blogs in K-12 classrooms

In this site, http://blogs.oaisd.org/236, Bauer Elementary School in Michigan uses blogs to keep parents informed on what their third graders are learning and doing in school. It shows numerous pictures and activities that the children are involved in. The blog covers not only one class but several subjects that the kids are in. The blog keeps the parents updated on the happenings of the school and gives them a feeling of involvement in their child’s education. I really like what this school has done to keep parents informed.

In this blog, http://mtnbrookseniors.blogspot.com/, seniors from Mrs. C’s class in Alabama are required to make two blogs a week on related material from the class. The students must make a post on things that they have learned or discussed in the class that previous week. I really like this blog because it allows the teacher to see who is paying attention and who is just there. This blog is an excellent way to keep the teacher in contact with her students and keep the students updated on things that are going on in the English class. I also like the idea of having the kids make post every week to see what they learned from that week’s class. I would recommend this use of blogs to any teacher.

In my research I have found several teachers using blogs in their classroom. There are a lot more out there than I thought. I have also noticed that not all of the teachers use it for the same thing. The reason I picked the two blogs that I did is because the two teachers are using their blogs for two different reasons. I was able to see that teachers use blogs to keep parents updated on what their children are not telling them and some use them to keep in contact with their students and to see what they have learned or found interesting in their classes.

I really liked the first blog that I commented on. I remember being in elementary school and having to take home all of these notes to let my parents know what were going on in school. I also remember how mad my parents would get when they were supposed to be somewhere but they didn’t get the letter because I forgot to show them or lost it. With this blog parents can download the letters they were supposed to receive but didn’t. I really like the way that Bauer Elementary is using technology to keep everyone in the loop.