Why use blogs as part of a course?

There are many reasons why you may want to use blogs with your students. It helps students and teachers to stay connected also outside the classroom and provides an opportunity for different and engaging language activities. Blogs increase the sense of community and may help bringing students together.

In this activity you will see how blogging can be incorporated in your curriculum and how it can be used to enhance learning.

 

What is a blog?

What is a Blog (YouTube)

Technology required:    

• Computer/PC/laptop, Internet Connection

 

Description/Learning Outcomes

You will be able to learn how to use blogs for language teaching

 

Procedure

There are different platforms you can use to create a blog for free (such as Blogger or WordPress).

• Choose a platform
• Register in order to open the blog
• Explore the basic functions of the blog and see what tools it offers to complement your teaching
• Have a look at other educational blogs (what works and what does not?)
• Give a name to your blog
• Choose a layout/theme that is related to the contents of your course
• Decide how to incorporate the blog in your syllabus (think about the pedagogical reasons and decide consequently)
• Create the activities/tasks
• Invite your students to use the blog – remember to plan a session to explain how to use the blog and set possible rules

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Blogs are useful for teaching because they provide a space for discussion and collaboration and they help motivating students to engage in learning activities. Some ideas for tasks to use in blogs:

• Sharing ideas on a specific topic
• Publish assignments and additional resources.
• Publish exercises for practice

• Students can use the blog independently at home in connection to activities developed in class or also during class for both individual and group tasks.

• The blog can be used also as a place to meet and exchange ideas about homework or study materials.

• The blog can be used as a space to use and practice the target language with peers

• Evaluation can be based on blog activities and participation

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Remember to start planning your blog before the term begins: creating and integrating blogging in the curriculum requires time and organization.

Remember to instruct students on how to use the blog; create some RULES of conduct.

Be aware of the specific characteristics of writing for the web:

• use plain language
• make a visual impression
• make a clear structure for you contents
• keep content short
• use hypertext features (Hypertext Literacy, what is it?)

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CPD reference material

• Strategies for teaching with blogs:Teaching with blogs
• Readings on writing for the web: Dalhousie University and NYU 
• Advantages of teaching English with blogs: Blogging for ELT
• Tips for teaching with Blogs (video):

 

 

Source/attribution: DigiLanguages Author: Valentina Rizzo, Laura McLoughlin