Blogs can be more than either a semi-public/semi-private diary or rich source material for academic study. The ability to publish and share text on the web quickly, simply, and with a minimum of computer knowledge opens up a number of new possibilities for the classroom as well. Here are some strategies you might consider for using blogs in your classroom.

Students don't tend to write unless they have to. Blogs are one way to change that. Asking students to keep a blog gets them in the habit of writing regularly; what's more, it gets them in the habit of writing regularly in the kind of electronic environments they'll be asked to work in outside the academy. From experience, I can say the only way to develop the habit of blogging is to conscientiously blog for a few weeks. After that, the blog becomes a familiar resource, one which students may turn to even when the class is over, creating a regular habit of communicating through writing.

If you've ever used journalling in your classes, a blog is a great way to move this pedagogical practice online. Students can complete the same sort of journal assignments you might ordinarily give, but placing their responses online gives you ready access to these journals. It also allows other students to see what their classmates have written in response to the assignments. This solidifies classroom community and implicitly creates collaborative learning. Blogs with a commenting feature allow you and other students to respond to journal postings, which only enhances the kinds of collaboration possible.

Many blog services allow mutliple authors to contribute to a blog. Several students can work together on a blog centered on a single topic or assignment. Using a blog extends the collaborative space outside the classroom, allowing students to work together across time and space. At the same time, the blog records the process of collaboration, allowing teachers to observe, comment, and intervene as needed while allowing students to reflect on the process at the end of the assignment.

Some academics have already started using a blog to keep notes of their research. Blogs would be a useful addition to any research writing course, particular as students turn increasingly to the web to perform their research. Students can use the blog to record their reflects on various sources, sketch out their emerging arguments, or point to links that relate to their topic. The visibility of blogs records this research process for evaluation, comment, and review.

Class Blogs

Instead of asking students to start blogs of their own, you might also consider creating a blog for the class, a strategy used by many academic bloggers already. A class blog is a quick and easy way to create a homepage for the class, one that will allow you to post important reminders and notices, reflections or summaries of class discussion, and links that reflect and inform the class readings.