Why Should We Blog in Education

September 2, 2008 at 10:18 pm | Posted in blogs, Web 2.0, Web2.0 | 2 Comments
Tags: blogging, blogs, Web2.0

Why Should We Blog in Education?

Publishing and sharing content regularly through blogging keeps readers in touch with current ideas, news, and information. It allows educators to discuss relevant professional issues and then share that conversation with those who are interested.

The primary value of blogging isn’t just the networking with peers, it is also a tool that helps students express their knowledge and insights. Another important benefit of blogging is communicating and interacting with members of the community who they may traditionally have had a tougher time reaching such as parents, voters, and anyone in the community who is concerned about education.

School administrators have an ever-increasing motivation to encourage communication with the community due to the pressure of developing and implementing policy, as well as defining the direction and purpose of their school. In order to lead an educational institution effectively it is essential administrators know what their constituents think. If their leadership and ideas are to be productive, school administrators need educators to help disseminate information and evidence freely.

Blogging has numerous advantages for administrators, teachers, and students alike. Blog content can be timelier, easier to create, more interesting to the audience, and more available than traditional communication tools. Unlike unidirectional print or online newsletters or web pages, blogs are archived automatically. Blogs are searchable, and encourage feedback through their ability to handle comments.

Administrators are discovering that blogs are extraordinary vehicles for school publicity, public relations, and community building. Teachers are using them for collaboration, professional development, and student instruction. Students are finding blogs an excellent tool for exploring their thoughts and expanding their ideas. Whatever level of education one is at; there are numerous advantages to blogging and the tools to do so are readily available. It only takes a few minutes to develop a blog and the benefits are unending.