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Using blogs in the languages classroom
Organisational issues
Opportunities for creating pupil work for display on a blog are easily integrated into a scheme of work as most topics can lend themselves to the production of either written or spoken content. The skills involved in producing a blog post can be varied and may include individual input or group collaboration. Time allocated to blogging may not take place in traditional class time as teachers may prefer to run a lunchtime or afternoon club for blog enthusiasts.
To ensure pupil safety and adherence to acceptable behaviour, on the Web known as 'netiquette', teachers need to establish clear rules for a blog and view it as an extension of a normal classroom. These rules should cover issues such as when students write posts or leave comments. Students should not include their surnames or e-mail addresses. Likewise, no images, video or audio content should identify any individual student or be published on the blog without written permission from parents or guardians.
Setting up a blog
- Choose a blog hosting service or platform and sign up for an account
- Give your blog a name which is memorable and indicates clearly its content
- Choose which template layout you want
- Format the colour and text of the different elements of your template or apply one of the pre-designed themes
- Decide whether to display features such as recent posts, recent comments and archives which automatically update themselves
- Set categories for posts with a common theme for easier referencing
- Ensure all comments are moderated before going live
- In your sidebar include your own lists of links to other websites or blogs
- Write your first post and add any multimedia content required
Once teachers have decided to start a blog, they need to choose an appropriate hosting platform to suit their needs. Some host blogs for free, but may have limited or no space to upload files, whereas others require a small monthly fee, but give more choice over how the blog looks and make embedding multimedia content easier. It is well worth spending time researching what each platform offers, looking at real examples and thinking carefully about what you want from the blog, now and in the future as it develops.
Teachers may need training on how to get the most from their blog. There is a range of help online such as video tutorials and subject-specific forums where like-minded individuals can exchange ideas and advice. However, one of the best ways to get started is to have a whole school or departmental training day delivered by an outside professional with plenty of hands-on practice to allow everyone to familiarise themselves with the technology and how it can be used to enhance educational outcomes.
Some teachers may want to offer students the editing rights to author themselves on a class or departmental blog or let them set up individual blogs which the teacher can then moderate so that no post will appear online without approval.
For blogging, no specialist equipment is required apart from a computer and access to the Internet, preferably at broadband speed. For creating video or audio files, cameras or microphones will be needed, but these are not essential to get started. No specialist software is required apart from subscription to the blogging platform online.
Some school networks may filter out certain blogging platforms owing to the risk of students accessing inappropriate material. In this case, teachers should choose another platform or contact the LA and request the school blog be unblocked so it can be accessed during the day by teachers or students.
SignpostingThe CILT web pages devoted to support for Specialist Language Colleges include a case study about using blogs and podcasts, which includes some information to get started. |
