How to create an educational blog

During the second semester of the academic year that has just finished I started a blog (which is a website that allows readers to leave comments) for my class . It was a continuation of my first class website (the one on Google Pages).

The best thing about a blog is the fact that it allows readers to leave a comment and see their names and comments instantaneously on the internet. The coordinator of the project (aka the administrator of the blog) has full access to what is being written, with the “power” to edit or delete unwanted comments (such as SPAM).

There are two ways you could use a blog with your students:

a) Be the only one who is allowed to write posts and thus manage the content of the blog. This option is again teacher-centered, in the sense that the students can only comment on what you write. But you can also just ask a question in your post and let the students write their answers. (e.g. When do you usually do your homework?) By answering the question, the students not only practice their IT and reading skills, but also their writing skills. This is how I run my class blog. My students are too young (see point b). (They’re only 9-10 years old).

b) For university students, you could set up a blog in such a way that the students can actually post articles on it. For example: Your lesson is about global warming. For homework, the students have to write three ways of saving energy and post it on the class blog. At the same time, they have to leave at least one comment on their classmates’ entries. The teacher’s involvement in this kind of activity is just that of a monitor (and assessor), who doesn’t even have to intervene in the students’ discussion! Of course, if the discussion loses focus, you can always leave your own comment, asking the students to stay on task.

You will have to set up the blog by yourself, but it’s pretty easy. You’ll just have to log in with your gmail account here: http://www.blogger.com/ . In just 3 steps you’ll have your own class blog. Then you set it up in such a way that you give permission to your students to add post (they will also need a gmail account!).

If you need assistance, just give me a shout!