Every student should have a blog. It is a free way for students to "publish" their writing--an incredibly valuable part of learning to write (why write if nobody is going to read it? It's like practicing public speaking by talking to the mirror day in and day out but never getting up in front of a crowd!).
But what to write?
Here are some suggestions:
--Family news--write "news" articles about events in the student's world (family and friends, local community)
--School reports
--Journal
--Reviews of books, movies, and products they use (this is something I highly encourage because it helps kids unravel who they are, what they like, and how to express that. Being able to say, "I like it/don't like it BECAUSE......" is also one of the first steps in teaching children how to think independently).
--fiction and poetry
--"letters to the editor" responding to events around them (teaching children how to complain and praise appropriately is valuable)
--jokes and funny stories
--links to sites they like, including why they are posting the link
--photos they've taken
--comic strips
--movies they've made or edited or appeared in (dance recital? marching band? swim meet?)
--pictures of artwork (it can be a "family fridge" to keep your kitchen uncluttered!) with a caption
I suggest you explain to your students what a blog is and then let them decide what to post. Give the suggestions only if they are stuck or after they've started putting up blog posts. Encourage them to keep it up, posting regularly and inviting their friends and family to view their blog.
To make this really valuable, there are some rules for parents:
1. This must be YOUR STUDENT'S blog. Not yours. They get to post what THEY want. You can make suggestions, but respect their right to ignore or reject them. Write your own blog if you want to see your ideas in print. Don't force them to write. Don't set rules about how often they must (or can) post. Encourage them to write regularly, but don't force or fight about it, or you will unintentionally reinforce the idea that writing is hard, tedious, or awful. The blog is supposed to free students from those misconceptions--and it can't if you continue to make writing hard, boring, or a punishment in any way.
(I do absolutely encourage you to have your students post their assignments on their blog. Have them go through the "learning to write" process OFF the blog first--say, as a google doc or on a word processing program--and then, after it's been edited, reviewed, rewritten, graded, etc. (whatever you do in your educational approach)--THEN post the finished product on the blog as a unique "my latest assignment" blog post. Just make it clear that there is a distinction between blog posts and assignments--assignments may become blog posts, but I would hesitate to make blog posts assignments, although many teachers and some parents require journal writing, and you could use the blog for that.)
2. Do NOT edit. If the posts are incomprehensible to you, still don't edit. If they punctuate after every word, still don't edit. For a blog to be valuable, it has to be a writing playground, where kids can try things unfettered and (within reason) unsupervised, but with the knowledge that someone somewhere is going to read this--including you.
3. "If you can't say something nice, don't say nothing at all." The blog is a place where communication is paramount. Communication is stifled when the fear of criticism is present. Correct their grammar, spelling, and punctuation on their papers they turn in for assignments. Give them free reign and lots of honest praise (not tainted with criticisms) on their blog.
4. Explain that some things are illegal and that kids get in trouble for these things on a daily basis. The biggest problems that seem to crop up over and over are plagiarism, pirating, and pornography (kids get in trouble for this by posting inappropriate pictures of THEMSELVES--and it's a serious crime because they are then charged with distributing child pornography). Do not tolerate pirating (movies, books, or music). It is stealing someone else's livelihood. Teach them about plagiarism and make it clear that it will not be tolerated. It's okay to link to something you like. It's illegal to copy and paste it to your site. Attributed quotes are okay. Entire stories are not. Embedding video from YouTube is okay. Claiming it's yours and you made it, or capturing it and reposting it on YouTube or other sites under your own user name are not. Send your friends to sites you like instead of copying content to your site--it's legal that way, and it's good web etiquette to drive business to sites you like.
5. Read their blog and let them know that you do. Writing knowing someone will read it changes the rules (about what and how you write) and makes the learning more valuable. You can have it delivered to your email box every time they post.
Internet Safety is a valid concern for parents. It should not stop you from letting your children have a blog. There are ways to do it safely. If you are concerned about your child's safety online (and you should be), there are some easy steps you can take.
1. Don't use a blog that is connected to a social networking site (like MySpace or Facebook). Period. There are other free alternatives out there, including Blogger.com (where this site is hosted).
2. Make the blog private (invitation only) OR have your student write under a pseudonym with a blank profile and no pictures of themselves allowed anywhere on the site (use a cartoon image or avatar for their profile picture if they want one--but not one that actually looks like your child). The second is the option I use with my children to facilitate their grandparents being able to access their blog easily. I do let my children put on a little blurb about their age and what they like, but you can forbid this if it makes you uncomfortable. Many parents enforce a blank profile. Do NOT allow your children to put in their real name or location.
3. Don't link to your child's blog from your blog or your web site. Explain to them that this is not because you are embarrassed by their blog, but for their safety.
4. Allow comments, but make sure they are all moderated through YOUR email account, not theirs, so you are aware of what people are writing on their blog. Don't censor comments based on educational value or how much you agree with them, but do eliminate all spam, advertisements, personal attacks, and other inappropriate material (and tell your child you are).
5. Maintain administrator privileges on the blog. Don't use them unless there is a serious problem--encourage your child to use and supervise their blog responsibly--but do step in to prevent illegal activity (see above) or things that you realize are a potential problem. Explain to your child what you've done and why if you must step in.
6. Do NOT allow your children to let anyone else have administrator privileges. Not their friends, not other adults--not even temporarily.
7. Make sure your child knows and follows family rules. Explain to them that their own safety is so important that the blog will be suspended or deleted completely if you have any worries at all. Talk to them before you take this step if you find it necessary.
8. Check out and take advantage of the privacy settings on most blogs. Some can be made invitation only, blocked from appearing on the main site, or blocked from being visible to search engines (I recommend this--you don't want your child's blog coming up when someone googles your child's favorite band or movie!).
9. Sign up for a service like sitemeter that puts a counter on the blog and traces how many people are reading the blog and where they are reading from. This gives you a way to evaluate what is going on with your child's blog. If by some stroke of luck your child happens to be a genius at, say, reviewing movies or writing hilarious stories and thousands of people are reading his or her blog, you want to know that--and you want to explain that to your kids so they are more aware of what they are saying and who might be reading it.
10. Follow standard computer safety rules. Turn on parental supervision options on your computer. Block dangerous sites. Don't allow your children to use social networking sites or chat rooms. Don't allow children to give out personal information, including their age, real name, or where they live. Turn "safe search" on search engines on and put it on high (especially on image searches!). For more tips and suggestions, check out:
the FBI,
their parent's guide to safety
Kid's Health,
or any of the other thousands of sites you can find by searching "internet safety" on any search engine.
And 11. Most importantly, only allow your children to access the internet through a computer that in a public room. Children are less likely to get in trouble online if anyone can see what they are doing at any time. Do NOT put internet access in bedrooms or on cell phones, no matter how much your children insist on the need for privacy. Privacy is important, but less important than safety. Having the computer in public allows you to intervene if the child accidentally gets in trouble and inhibits their ability and desire to frequent sites or have conversations that are dangerous.
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