Use of BLOG in education

Blogs can be used as powerful instructional tool and can be incorporated into curriculum. However teachers have to be enthusiastic about blogging and know how to integrate into teaching and learning activities to support different instructional and learning theories.

According to Richardson (2006), “Thousands of teachers and students have already incorporated Weblogs into their classroom and into their practice. Blogs, as they are known, are easily created, easily updateable Websites that allow an author (or authors) to publish instantly to the Internet from any Internet connection” (p. 8). Further, he reported that according to Fernette and Brock Eide’s research blogs can:- Promote critical and analytical thinking- Be a powerful promoter of creative, intuitive, and associational thinking- Promote analogical thinking- Be a powerful medium for increasing access and exposure to quality information- Combine the best of solitary reflection and social interaction (Eide Neurolearning Blog, 2005) (p.20)I think it is important to note blogs are not just communication or web publishing tool. High order use of blog for academic purpose can also support scaffolding and collaborative learning. Blogs can also be very useful tool for reflective journals, networking, share resources, share ideas, and content creation. Richardson (2006) stated that, “Blogging can teach critical reading and writing skills, and it can lead to greater information management skills” (p.38). In an online or blended learning environment I see that blogs can be use to support various activities such as networking, knowledge management, content creation, knowledge sharing, course announcements, reflective journals, e-portfolios, share resources and so on. Blog can be used to create constructivist conditions for learning such as social negotiation, collaborative learning, multiple perspectives and multiple modes of learning.


Reference

Richardson, W. (2006). Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful tools for classrooms. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.