Don’t Blog With Students

It’s a mistake to ask teachers to blog with their students. It causes anxiety and worry about too many things. Teachers may worry that their own writing will be judged. They worry about inappropriate comments and linking to undesirable places and people. They also figure they don’t have anything to say.

That’s why I say “forget blogging with your kids.” Blog for you, for your own learning. Read what everyone out there has to say about education, about students, about NCLB, about techie stuff, about learning. Worry about your own growth first. Look for ideas you can use in your classroom. Learn. When you learn and grow, your students benefit.

Then blog with your kids. But don’t do it just to blog. Do it when a question in the class inspires you. Do it on a topic that inspires your students. Blog with your kids when someone wants to dig deeper. Don’t take a simple, well done pen and paper assignment and turn it into a blog project.

Blog with your kids for the right reasons. Don’t do it poorly just to say you’re blogging as an instructional tool. That’ll just turn all of you off to blogging. Do it for yourself first. Get it right for you. Then you’ll get it right for kids.

5 Comments
  1. I think the key word is “inspired”! The igniting of an idea generates a contagiuos passion. This passion, if inspired and not contrived,is instructional modeling at it’s very best because it is purpose filled and person filled.

  2. Pingback: Kimberly Moritz on Don’t Blog With Students - pedersondesigns

  3. This “teaching vs. learning” thing has been on my mind late. Will brought it a bit closer to the surface last week for me. It’s pretty simple: Learn.

    Thanks for putting the words down here.

  4. This is exactly what I have been thinking and saying. My poor colleagues heard the same thing from me last week more than one time! I agree wholeheartedly. We need to do it ourselves before we teach to others. Thanks.

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