BP6_2009102_Web2.0 Evaluation_Educational uses for blogs

The applications of blogs for classroom use are numerous, as are the sources for creating and maintaining them.

Instructors can utilize a blog to post assignments, updates to assignments, and related comments applicable to a particular assignment. Students can access updates in a timely manner, as well as be made aware of any corrections or clarifications without having to return to class. On a more specific note, several courses are suitable for assignments that could require students to offer opinions or interpretations of a reading or video assignment in the form of a blog. Open discussions through use of blogs would eliminate the pressure and fears of speak out in front of peers in a classroom setting. Instructors could offer prompts to accompany an assignment given in class, or request a reflective piece from students after concluding a project or group assignment.


Administrators can make full use of blogs to cut costs and create a more useful platform for disseminating information to an entire staff. No more need for memos and weekly announcements. Any topic of interest can be announced as soon as it comes up. With staff members subscribing to a blog feed, their new announcements will "grab" their attention. A blog post allows for public comments to clarify meaning or confusion about dates that may impact several members of the community. Questions that may not be of public interest would not be posted as a comment to such a blog.


Educators could utilize blogs to keep colleagues and/or administrators informed of class progress, class events or ongoing projects that may impact others outside the classroom (such as students conducting surveys or working outside the classroom unsupervised). Similar feeds could announce events of interest to parents or administrators as an invitation to visit or participate.


The primary limitation to use of blogs is, of course, the fact that some students still don't have aces to some of these tools at home. This does not mean that blogs can not be utilized, but simply limits widespread requirements that an instructor might otherwise be able to implements if all students had acess to the blog at school and at home.