Safety Tips for Blogging

Now that I have done some research on blogs and have thought about incorporating blogs into my classroom, I realize I need to start with the most important step, which is blogging safety. When using blogs, it is extremely important that we are eliminating risks and keeping our students safe. After researching safety tips for blogs, I came across a terrific article by Microsoft called, Safety Tips on Blogging. This article is very informative and suggests ways we can protect our kids online. 

SafeKids, is another site that can be used to discuss the importance of safe blogging. This site was created essentially for teens and provides ways to safely search the web. 

Not only do students needs tips about blogging safely, parents need to understand the importance of internet safety as well. As parents, it is essential that you are proactive about teaching your children about the proper uses of the internet. I know many parents struggle with the thought of allowing their child/children use the internet. Think Before You Click, is an article that provides parents with extremely important tips that will ensure the safety of your child while using the internet. 

After researching and reviewing a variety of resources I truly believe that incorporating a blog into the classroom would be extremely effective. I am excited to have a better understanding and a good idea of the first steps I would take to implement one in the classroom. 

Still Not a Blog Believer? 

Here is a video about the benefits of educational blogging created by second grade teachers and students. 

Blogging in the Elementary School Classroom

Becoming a Blogger:
I have to admit, this is the first time that I have ever blogged before! Please bare with me as I work out all my kinks and figure this out!

Professional Use of Blogs:
After doing much research on blogs, I came to the conclusion that there are a variety of ways that blogs can be incorporated into the educational setting. Since I am a kindergarten teacher, I would most likely use a blog as a journal to reflect on my daily teaching and lessons. Reflection is an essential part of teaching that many teachers often side step because of our hectic, busy schedules. Using a blog to reflect will help teachers to continue to improve to be the best they can be!

Educational Use of Blogs in the Elementary Classroom:
For the older elementary students, I think there are some really great advantages to incorporating a classroom blog. Blogging for Learning allows students to actively engage and collaborate with peers from around the world. With all the new advancements in technology, I think blogging will become an everyday routine in the educational world.

Helpful Tips:
After searching the web for a while, I wanted to share an article I found that would be beneficial for teachers who were planning on implementing blogs into their classroom. Just like any technology, there needs to be purpose behind the use of these technologies. 14 Steps to Meaningful Student Blogging, guides teachers through a step by step process of setting up meaningful blogs. These steps will help ensure that the blogs are being used purposefully in the classroom. I think this is a great read for anyone interested in incorporating blogs into their classroom!