Step Four: English I blog

I don't use journals in my English classroom. The reason is very simple: I hate grading them.

Still, I know that there is value in asking students to write about what they've read. In keeping with my goal of incorporating technology into the classroom, I created the English I blog.

Click here to see my English I blog.

This is the first time I have invited the students to join me in using technology to enhance their learning experience.

I chose Edublogs.org again, because it is accessible at school; this is important because some students do not have internet access at home.

I post a question every day that we have class, and students are expected to post a comment that answers that question before the next class period.

Here are the advantages of using a blog instead of a journal:

1. It's easy to grade; I just read the comments and give credit to the students who have posted.
2. Students are excited, because they like using the computer.
3. Students don't have to carry any extra materials, and I don't have to keep any extra materials in my room.
4. Students are gaining experience in using technology for work-related tasks.

There are disadvantages as well:
1. Students who don't have internet access find it harder to complete the assignment. (To solve this problem, I have offered my classroom computer after school for those students who need it; in addition, they can use the library computers before and after school.)
2. Students disregard the blog page entirely. (I have found that the same students who do not complete their paper homework also do not complete their blog homework.)

Over the semester, the number of students who post has increased. I have--during class--stressed the importance of answering the blog questions, and I have sent a note to parents about the blog. I now make students write the blog assignment in their agendas every day. In truth, I've found that the ones who do the assignment don't need my reminders, and the ones who don't do the assignment wouldn't do it even if I held their hands on the mouse and typed their answers for them.

One thing I did have to do was model the kind of answer I wanted. Previously, students would respond with one or two word answers, and they either didn't express themselves fully or they created an answer that had little to do with the question. I began to give examples both of the types of answers I did want and didn't want. After a few weeks of this, I noticed a vast improvement in students' comments. I decided then that I would only give examples of what I don't want from now on, and this seems to work well with my students.

I was very excited about the blog when I first began using it; I was sure that the students would embrace it and that they would be excited about using the computer as an extension of the classroom. I have been discouraged from time to time because of the lack of involvement on the students' part, and I've often wondered if it adds anything to their learning experience.

However, I recently had a parent visit my room and tell me how much she appreciated my using the blog as a journal. She stressed the importance of teenagers gaining experience in using the internet, since they will almost certainly have to know something about it in order to succeed in the business world. She really validated my own reasons for introducing the blog, and that has made me more determined to find how I can best use it as a learning tool in my classroom.