Cinthia Sanchez

Blogs can be fun and help students develop reading and writing skills.

Blogs increase the sense of community; students learn from one another and discover similarities.

Blogs can use blogs as a class journal and provide the opportunity to receive feedback from a wide variety of readers.

Blogs can foster collaboration and team-building skills as students work together to achieve a common goal.

Blogs can increase the time students spend reading outside of the classroom since students are more likely to spend a longer amount of time reading and responding to a blog than reading a textbook.

Blogs can be used to encourage discussion anytime — whether in or outside of class.

Blogs are a fun way for students to develop an online portfolios.

Most students now are digital natives. Blogs engage them by presenting material in a way that is familiar and comfortable.

Students have a larger audience when they blog. If the blog is public, they are potentially writing for a global audience. This knowledge may empower them and their work.

Blogs allow for self-directed learning. If they are assigned as independent or homework projects, students can work on them when they feel inspired to do so.

Blogs promote multimedia interaction. Students can post pictures, videos, links, and more.

Blogs help parents view student work without having to have parent-teacher conference.

Working online fosters a sense of global interaction. Students can be taught to understand the dangers and the benefits of interacting online and producing work online.

Students can work on collaborative writing projects through blogs.

They prepare students for online social networking.

Work is permanently stored on a blog. Students can review their work — theoretically — for years to come. Blog space can be obtained for free, and so long as the teacher doesn’t remove the content, it will remain there.

Students can determine the topic of posts on blogs, making them more inspired and excited to participate.

Students can communicate with their teachers and other students through a blog. This is especially helpful for shy students who might not otherwise reach out.

They give students an outlet for ideas or comments that may have occurred to them after an in-class discussion has ended.

Blogs will help students widen their vocabulary and improve their grammar and editing skills.

Students can use blogs as a space to brainstorm ideas and get feedback on their ideas from other classmates.

Blogs provide a virtual announcement board for important messages about homework, assignments, deadlines, and more.

Blogs help link an individual educator with a community of experts to offer advise, share tips, and experiences.

Teachers can build their professional learning network through blogs by connecting with other experts and learning about new tools in their field.

Blogs can be used as a forum to share and gather teaching ideas including lesson plans, activities, and curriculum.

Teachers can learn more about Web 2.0 tools and become more comfortable and familiar with them through the practice of writing a blog.

Blogs become a support board where teachers vent frustrations in the classroom or in the working environment and receive feedback and encouragement

Blogs help you meet people you wouldn’t otherwise be able to meet.

Blogs make teachers aware of current events and trends that are important to students — especially pop culture.

Blogs allow educators to initiate discussions that are meaningful and relevant to them and create a sense of community among educators.

Blogs give teachers a forum to share unconventional ideas that may not have had a hearing in more traditional outlets.

Blogs can be used to facilitate classroom discussion, post questions based on the readings, assign discussion groups, host competitions, and highlight the “Student of the Week” or “Student of the Month”

Blogs can provide a record of what was done in class.

Blogs can be used to track attendance if students are required to participate in daily discussions.

Blogs give teachers another way to connect with students. Inspirational notes, words of encouragement, and advice can all be shared with students through a blog.

Teachers can use blogs to teach students about other cultures, and to connect students with their peers in other countries.

Blogs can be used to make last minute or emergency announcements to students or parents.