10/10 Would Make my Students Blog in Class Again

A good idea on how I can use technology in my classroom is one I pretty much would like to take straight from this class. I want my students to have a classroom blog that peers, teachers, or parents...maybe parents--if it doesn't put too much pressure on the kids, can access and comment on. Creating blog posts allows students to be creative and completely individualized on how they can complete their post. Writing and ideas can be assessed easily on posts, and it puts students in an environment they are already familiar with. One thing that strikes me from this activity is the power of audience. With an audience outside the classroom it adds another layer of accountability. No one wants to look foolish in front of their peers, so ideally students would create blog posts with a bit more thought out work. Something like this could not happen without technology because without the power of audience is lost. The ability to create and share beyond the classroom is no more, and the stakes are lowered. A student can share a piece of writing that would never have life beyond the classroom and a grade. Being connected allows that same student to share their piece with the world, and see that their writing is important, and that their work is a part of the global community, and they can receive global feedback that shows them it matters.