Introduction
It's now easier than ever to integrate technology, particulary the Internet, in the classroom. Publishing on the web has become easier than ever. It used to be that one needed to know HTML or know how to use expensive web design software like Dreamweaver or Frontpage. Now it's possible to publish work on the Internet without any technical knowledge. With a few simple clicks of the mouse, anybody can have their own Web page and begin creating content for others to see.
Blogs in the Classroom
Blogs make integrating technology in the classroom easy: no technical knowledge is needed and users' thoughts are instantly published to the Web.
Blogs also make it easy to give students feedback on their thoughts. At the end of each entry is a comment link for others to give opinions or thoughts about the entries.
Anatomy of a blog entry - click here
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Printable: Plan Your Own Blog (PDF)
Printable: Writing Prompts (PDF)
Using Blogs in the Mathematics Classroom
In my classroom, I have used blogs in two different ways: classroom blogs and student blogs, particularly in the form of digital portfolios.
- A classroom blog is one where the majority of the entries are created by the teacher. A classroom blog facilitates assessment and enrichment by allowing teachers to post writing prompts, links, and other resources for students. Click the link above to read about classroom blogs.
Check out the Verity7math blog, featured in Will Richardson's book
- Student blogs are blogs where the entries are created entirely by students. Traditional writing activities such as journals, learning logs, and math autobiographies are all possible on a blog. But blogs also allow users to incorporate links, images, audio, and video into posts, increasing the potential for creative project-based learning.
