The Impact of Blogging in Education
As you engage with the process of blogging, consider how it may be used in college classes. For several years, Edublogs has been collecting data about the impact of blogging in K12 student learning. Below are several excerpts their 2015 State of Blogging study.
Blogging helps with reading, writing, artistic, critical thinking, and social skills. It has revolutionized and energized the way I teach. It has made me a teacher and a learner, and made my students learners and teachers.
I teach English and use a PBL approach to curriculum, focusing on relevant issues in our community. My students use their blogs to write informally about their experiences with primary research, provide support and feedback to each other, and to publish formal writings aimed at an authentic audience. Giving them a public voice inspires them and motivates their learning in a way that traditional approaches to teaching cannot. Using blogs is the best choice I’ve ever made for my students!
Blogging is a great way to have the students practice critical thinking skills because it allows think time for those who do not always have an immediate answer and needs some think time.
Blogs provide an excellent medium for reflection, as well as the development of expressive writing skills. They can be quite informal, or used to develop advanced social writing skills complete with in text links and citations. This is a resource not to be ignored.
Blogging provides a voice for even the shy student who might not speak up in class. Also, there is a natural sharing of ideas for students in the 21st century who have grown up in a digital world and are engaged by a digital framework.
Blogging is the perfect platform for putting digital citizenship and online safety skills into action and practicing in a safe environment.