Blog on Blogs - Ashley C.

At first I was skeptical of blogging, I thought it was only for people who wanted to randomly post thoughts and opinions online because they didn't have anyone else to tell. I was also against the idea of encouraging young children to access the dark waters of the internet in fear of accidental exposure of inappropriate material. Now that I know what it is about and the different ways it can be used, I am huge a fan of the blog. I see blogs as a great way to save time and accomplish more in the classroom. Having been a student who was always afraid to raise my hand, blogs can reach the painfully shy students who don't want to participate in person all the time. I would also like to infiltrate blogs into the classroom by posting driving directions for parents, permission slips, assignment instructions, etc. online in order to save time in the classroom. In my new opinion, blogs encourage student, parent, and teacher communication. Students can feel more comfortable discussing classroom subjects online without feeling put on the spot in the middle of class. There is also a vast amount of information teachers can give to students by combining blogs with lessons in class, with even more discussion and sharing taking place because of blogging . I feel behind the times in saying blogs are something new and weird to me, but I'm really looking forward to having a more time efficient and accessible tool that can enhance my effectiveness as a teacher.