In the vast world of
didactic resources, there is a particular tool that has always had an underrated
potentiality among educational circles. We are talking about the blog and its
countless advantages inside ESL classrooms. Throughout this medium several uses
and advantages will be conveyed, so that future teachers of English be aware of
the great tool they can have in their hands if they make a good use of it.
First of all, we have
to make clear that students do not only improve their writing skills, but also
they create a massive confidence of their writing skills. Since they will be in
charge of an own space for writing, students will be able to take ownership of
what they write and at the same time they might also become excellent observers
of others' writing. Blogs allow the students to experience risk-taking
techniques that will foster the students' desire for creativity and freedom of
speech.
In other words, it does not
consist only on writing about what they want or what they are interested in. It
takes much more than that, since the teacher has to provide a guide that can
help students to become analytic and self-aware of their own voice. Now, these are some possible
uses that teachers and students can have whether they decide to use blogs or
not.
Possible Uses for Instructors
You may use blogging for:
Communicating announcements and
assignments in a format that students may perceive to be more “friendly” than
CTools.
Sharing instructor-generated
exercises or prompts.
Community building.
Creating a public place where
student work can be “published”.
Possible Uses for Students
Students may use blogging for:
Maintaining a writer’s notebook or journal.
Posting personal, reflective, exploratory, or open entries (campus observations, “where I’m from,” pictures from home, or favorite book or piece of writing).
Sharing student-generated research or links to class-related articles.
Exploring visual rhetoric.
Practicing writing:
developing voice
working on titles, conciseness
considering tone
brainstorming, drafting,
facilitating peer review
Creating a showcase for final
projects
Crafting an on-line image or
presence
So as you can see, there are many ways a blog can be useful in the class. It is all a matter of finding the correct opportunities and the blog will do the rest.
So as you can see, there are many ways a blog can be useful in the class. It is all a matter of finding the correct opportunities and the blog will do the rest.
You should definitely try to share this blog with as many teachers as you can. You have provided a clear and meaningful fact of why a blog should be considered a powerful didactic resource. Sometimes it is not a matter of having or not access to technology, but how to implement it in learning environments.
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