Journal 4

"Moderating and Ethics for the Classroom Instructional Blog"
by Patricia Deubel

I found this article interesting because before this class, I had only heard of blogs, but had no idea what they were or how they could be of any value. I just thought it was another way for "technology geeks" to communicate with each other. The author points out real value in having a classroom blog. She offers that it gives kids a way to be creative and critical thinkers. It also gives the child, who may not raise their hand in class, an opportunity to have a voice. I like that she also points out the downside. Some people love to promote ideas and never give you the flip side. She does admit that it can be high maintenance and without structure could fail miserably. She also gives some insight on how to protect the kids work and opinions. These blogs are can create a safe environment to discuss material that maybe they did not understand in class, but want to get their peers feedback on. It is a great way to engage your kids in bouncing ideas off one another. This classroom blog can also serve as a message board for the teacher where he/she could post assignments, communicate with parents, or have the students direct any questions to them. Email might be a little much for younger grades, but they could easily access a class blog that was saved into their favorites.

How can I ensure ethics for creating a blog?

This article offers many ways to make sure you are creating ethically sound material. I would create an outline to highlight my expectations of blogging. I would make sure to monitor the blog to ensure that the comments were appropriate and specific the the material discussed. I think that it is important to also discuss in class with your students what they determine to be mindful behavior and discuss it with their peers. I would hope to express accountability for their actions.

Who can benefit from a blog?

I think that everyone involved can benefits if they expectation is given in a clear manner. I think that if you inform your parents and your students from day one of the purpose of the classroom blog then it will work. I would invite any comments or questions to be directed on the blog so they can get a feel for using it. I think the students would have fun reading their peers comments and the parents could offer any suggestions or ideas to me.