I have come to the conclusion that kids want to heard, not just seen! Those kiddos that come into our rooms, and sit in our chairs day after day, actually have a lot to share. As teachers, we need to step aside and let them share. I think as teachers, we feel as if our precious time with our students needs to be spent with us imparting our knowledge. But, there is so much that can be gained from allowing our students to share their thoughts and ideas. Here are just a few great benefits to allowing students to blog:
1. Students get immediate feedback.
When students blog their ideas and opinions are published immediately. Students want to know that what they write is read and appreciated. When students publish via a blog, they know that immediately others will be reading their thoughts. There is more buy in when when students know that they are being heard.
2. Students have a platform with which to argue.
When you educate your students and ask them to form an opinion, they are hungry to share their thoughts. Reasoning skills are a skill that, as teachers, we need to develop in our students. Blogger offers a way for students get their arguments out there, but, furthermore, because students can respond to what their classmates write, they have a format on which to defend their opinions.
3. Blogging gets students to write.
Let's face it. Kids have to write. It is imperative that we produce graduates that can write. We need them to be able to form sentences. The more kids write the better at it they become. And, as kids are reading each other's blogs, they are learning from modeling. Strong students are teaching weak students the art of sentence embellishment. Weak students are learning from their peers. Because students know that their classmates, not just their teacher, will be reading their posts, they are more careful to check grammar and spelling. They don't want to look bad in front of their peers.
4. Blogging saves paper.
Save the trees, people. Birds need a place to live, and green is pretty.
