Today, many students feel
comfortable and confident using the Internet and other technological devices
and media. There are many ways that
technology can enhance the writing process for our 21st century
learners. Blogging and digital storytelling can help students navigate through the writing process through the
use of a computer. Students can use
photographs, short videos, documentaries, or voice-over narration to construct
a narrative, and publish it on the Internet.
The possibilities of writing are endless when using digital technology. As educators, we need to keep up with
advances in technology and incorporate these new techniques in our
classroom. For most teachers, adding new
technology into the classroom is a big, and possibly scary change, compared to
traditional classrooms methods in teaching.
A benefit of having students publish their
writing and reviews of books on the Internet is that other students, as well as
teachers or even parents, can read and respond to one another’s posts. Family members near and far may even be able
to view the writing and work that students have published. There may be issues with some students not wanting
to make their opinions public. Another
issue may be that some sites are unreliable, that is they have false
information.
There are four different ways to set up a
classroom blog. Teachers and students
can set up a classroom news blog, a mirror blog, a showcase blog, and/or a
literature response blog. A classroom
news blog is updated frequently by the teacher and can include homework
assignments, upcoming events, and anything else that would benefit the
home-school connection. On a mirror
blog, the teacher and students can reflect on thinking, whether it be about a
book or concepts learned in class. In a
showcase blog, the teacher can post student work, art, writing, or podcasts. In a literature response blog, the students
can respond to literature questions the teacher has posed for them on the blog. Blogging is a different kind of writing
medium that is becoming more popular with our 21st century
learners. It can be exciting for
students to post and publish comments with peers, and not in the traditional
paper-pencil sense.
