Educational Blogs are useful for many reasons. In ETEC486 we used blogging as a way to further our education as future teachers. We were able to pick from various topics where we could be creative while also gaining knowledge on many important theories, strategies, and ideas that could help us become better teachers. In General, Educational Blogs can be used for communication with students/parents, course content, course management, and students’ progress. I think overall Blogs can give students and parents a sense of community. Having said that, blogs don’t only have to be for teachers. Once students are old enough they could make their own blogs. Blogs written by students can promote autonomous learning, discussion among students, and motivation to become better readers and writers. This will give students a space to have their own journal to create, explore and expand their knowledge on many topics. On one hand, I think the biggest concern when it comes to blogging is that it may take up more time than we have. This can sometimes take away time from Educational study. On the other hand, I truly believe that the advantages of blogging outweigh the disadvantages. Blogs can also allow students to broaden their perspectives, invite feedback, and give students a voice on something they are passionate about. And on top of that, it could be fun and engaging!
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| A picture showing the different ways to use educational blogging. |
As mentioned, blogging and reading blogs is a great ways to learn new information. I’ve loved being able to read my fellow peer’s blogs. I love how all the blogs talk about many different things. For example, Teachers Shape Future Generations, Why Not Pay Them More? Amani goes into detail about the reality of how much teachers make. I never actually knew the logistics of it. She mentions “ A teacher with their masters' degree in Tennessee has an average salary of $53,000.. it costs approximately $87,600 to maintain a home, healthcare, and other essentials.” When it really comes down to it, teachers are getting burnt out, walked over, and underpaid. As said, most of us have dreamed of being teachers since we were young kids. Sadly, our country doesn’t see the importance of raising our pay as we are essential workers to society and the future generation of kids. In another blog, Riley Breen discusses the importance of mental health. I am glad that mental health is being taken more seriously than it ever was. She mentions that we spend more time with students than we probably think. It’s important to know when our students are showing signs of mental health issues. Sometimes all a student needs is someone that will listen and be there for them. As teachers, we should always be willing to take our students in with open arms. Students will not learn academically if they’re struggling with mental health. Lastly, I got to read Makayla Weaver’s blog on Cyberbullying. In a world that is so tech-savvy, bullying happens more online than in person. This makes complete sense, it’s easier to say something behind a screen than to someone’s face. Talking about mental health before, cyberbullying can actually be extremely negative to someone’s mental state. Makayla makes good points about how it’s important to inform our students about the impact of cyberbullying. And as educators, we should closely monitor what goes on while our students are using various online resources. Especially now more than ever.
Before this class, I had never actually made a blog or known the benefits of having one. This was my first time making and publishing a blogging site. Personally, I’ve always been into blogging/ short story writing. Right now, I keep a journal where I write about the places I travel to, the things I do, and random thoughts I have on mindset, kids, etc. One day I would love to have my own personal blog. I really do enjoy writing, especially when I have the freedom on what it’s about. I would love to incorporate blogging into my classroom for my students. I think it’s a great way for students to just write without there being too much pressure on them. I’m glad this class has allowed me to explore the benefits of educational blogging.
