Blogging as a classroom tool

Part of teaching is coming up with creative ways to engage students in the lessons that you are teaching, while at the same time upholding the learning standards. Technology is moving to the forefront of the educational experience, so it is important to keep up-to-date and utilize it in the classroom when available. I will focus on how blogging can meet the LOTE NYS standards, but these concepts can also be applied in an ESL classroom.

The power of having a voice in one's own learning is irreplaceable experience. This is why blogging is such a valuable tool. It is a creative outlet regardless of the content required, and allows for a certain amount of freedom. It can be used to create or reflect on certain lessons. In an L2 classroom, it can be used in a variety of ways to meet a variety of checkpoints under Standards 1 and 2 based on the NYSED:LOTE Standards. The standards of reading and writing and effective communication  are easily met if a blog lesson is correctly set up. 

One way that blogging can be utilized in the upper levels can be in regards to reflecting on readings that are done. This gives students the chance to articulate their thoughts, add graphics, and other information to back up their thoughts. This is also a great opportunity for those students who hold back on sharing their thoughts in class for whatever reason. It’s an alternate outlet for them to express said opinions, providing an area for their thoughts to be heard. This can be done for individual reading assignments, so students are continually producing language and finding their voice. It allows creativity in the fact that it is the students’ opinions on a certain topic. Expressing an opinion definitely falls under Standard 1:

·       READING & WRITING are used in languages other than English for the purposes of socializing, providing and acquiring information, expressing personal feelings and opinions, and getting others to adopt a course of action.

Another way that blogging can be utilized, is when learning about a specific cultural phenomenon, reflective blogging occurs. Even in an L2 classroom at the lower levels, students are constantly learning about various cultural elements of the language that they are learning. For example, the differences between schooling systems. Even in the beginning L2 levels, a reflective blog can be started. If your students don’t possess the language abilities to blog in the L2, they can still reflect in English. Without the understanding of the culture they are learning, the language becomes almost meaningless. This falls under Standard 2:

·         EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION involves meanings that go beyond words and require an understanding of perceptions, gestures, folklore, and family and community dynamics. All of these elements can affect whether and how well a message is received.