Classroom Blogs Teach Sharper Writing Skills

Blogging helps students become better writers. Students Blog Their Way into Becoming Better Writers Blogging is a clever way to help students improve their writing and collaboration skills. With technology playing a pivotal role in today’s classroom environment, it’s important to maximize its potential across your curriculum. Motivate your students with blogging. It’s a imaginative way to teaching writing, reading and collaboration skills while mastering writing standards. 1. Inspire your authors You don’t have to be a William Faulkner to be mighty with the pen. Authors are everywhere, and blogging is a innovative way to turn emerging student writers into budding authors who are passionate, creative and most of all, inspired to write. Start with a classroom blog and let students collaborate on the topic. Consider pop culture, music, sports, or any topic that interests them. Write the first entry, and have students comment at home. Promote the blog by discussing their comments. Try polls, ask questions, and be receptive to their ideas. Transition to student blogs where individuals or teams can blog on a specific topic and educate other students. Always encourage feedback and collaboration. Students who engage with each other in this type of format are motivated to write, read, and work together. 2. Encourage a star performance When students write for an audience, it allows them to write under a more critical lens. It also gives them a voice. So encourage your students to be a star! Students save their best work for their peers, relatives, friends and teachers, so set goals for clear and effective writing skills. Connect to their world by providing real-life writing scenarios, and offer class time for opinion and response. How could they re-write the ending of the book? Which character would they like to have coffee with at Starbuck’s? What Tweet could best describe the theme of their latest book? When students see that their posts are being read and discussed, they are motivated to write deeper, more complex essays and the result is improved thinking and literacy skills.

3. Integrate the standards Classroom blogs are an effective way to help students master writing standards. When students blog, they write for a purpose, with clear and focused essays. They edit, revise, clarify and rearrange. They read, graph, chart and develop marketing skills. They also learn research and technology skills. And they’re excited about it, which translates more blogging and writing practice. Since blogging can be done on a phone, a laptop, at a coffee shop, or at home on the weekends, the opportunities to write are endless. Here are some of the most popular websites that facilitate free blogging: Kidblog: www.kidblog.org Edublogs: https://edublogs.org Wordpress: http://wordpress.org Google: www.blogger.com Weebly: www.weebly.com Transform your classroom culture by introducing blogs in your classroom and watch their writing skills flourish!