Previous generations would have most likely dismissed the idea of teaching students primarily through the use of technology. However, education reform is in effect more than ever in recent years. The idea of the, “Global Educator,” and “Global Learner,” are beginning to alter the way that new educators come into schools and their ways of planning and teaching lessons. Previous restrictions of classroom walls are now obsolete as any teacher or learner can collaborate with one another through the use of the internet. Additionally, student-centered learning is beginning to become recognized as a legitimate teaching style. This combination of the use of technology in the classroom and implementation of student-centered learning has led to an increase in the use of student blogging.

I did not get the opportunity to create an educational blog until college. In fact, this is my very first blog. When I first began writing this blog, I was not too sure of the educational and personal benefits that I would receive from my writing. However, after about eight weeks of blogging I have really learned what a student can gain from having a blog. The major benefit that I have found through blogging is the communication and collaboration that I am able to have with my fellow classmates. As well as this, there is no limitation to how much I can learn and what I can choose to learn.

For students, a sense of confidence can really be gained through blogging. In the past, students would be prompted to write an essay, revise it and hand it in to the teacher to be graded. After the teacher briefly read the essay and graded it, the essay would be handed back to the student, most likely never to be seen again. With the use of blogging, a student can write on either an assigned topic or a topic of their choice. After posting their work, not only is the work available to the teacher, but also to the outside world. Other students can comment on their work, giving positive feedback and constructive criticism. This makes a student feel like their work matters and they are not just writing it for a grade. It is this connection between the classroom and the outside world that yields a smooth transition from school to the real world. If students are already communicating with the outside world while they are in school, they will not feel much different when they become part of the outside world. In this video, two young students talk about the benefits of blogging and why they love blogging!

In an article posted by George Couros, he lists five reasons that students should use blogging. That article can be found here. These reasons include students could reflect on their own thoughts, develop literacy techniques, have a voice, archive their work and develop a positive digital footprint which is important for the future of the world. I found this article to be accurate after reacting with blog posts of middle school students from Oregon. These students were extremely excited to get comments on their posts from college students like me who lived across the country. Blogging can potentially transform the way that we teach and learn. Although this method seems atypical of the education that we have known in the past, blogging could be a great catalyst for the future in education reform.