Journal #4

Moderating and Ethics for the Classroom Instructional Blog

By: Patricia Deubel

This article discusses the pros and cons of using blogs in the classroom. Blogs are a new type of technology tool that are being used in some classrooms that benefit both the teacher and the student. They can be helpful in providing student journals and portfolios, communication with parents and more importantly enhancing classroom discussion. By implementing blogs in the classroom, it gives every student an opportunity to give their opinion about a class discussion. Some students are too shy or need time to come up with a well thought out idea, that by providing them with this new technology tool, they will have the opportunity to voice their opinion. Teachers also encourage students to view other student's responses and give a response about other student's blogs. However, one problem with blogs is determining how much free expression should be permitted by students. There are going to be instances in which students might write inappropriate comments to other student's responses; therefore, teachers should monitor and be aware of their student’s comments and responses.

1. What kind of problems could I encounter when using a blog when having a classroom discussion?

If I were teaching Spanish to English learners, I would like to hear their thoughts about the issue of immigration that we have in our country. However, one problem that I foresee is that I would be in a middle or high school setting; therefore, I would not know if students would be responsible enough to comment on certain controversial issues such as this one. But if I did decide to ask students for their honest responses to the issue of immigration, I would warn them ahead of time about giving appropriate responses and respecting other peer’s comments. Moreover, I would constantly be monitoring student's comments and responses.

2. What are the benefits of using a blog in the classroom?

There are many benefits of implementing blogs in classroom assignments such as students learning the skill of typing and becoming more familiar with computers. It also gives all the students in the classroom the opportunity to voice their opinion about classroom discussions.