Thing #3

I can definitely see some applications for blogging in my classroom--especially considering that I intend to teach high school U.S. Government which is typically a 12th grade course. Most teenagers are certainly aware of blogging and probably have a few that they read daily, albeit more in the vein of dlisted or bestweekever. I could use a blog to introduce topics before we begin covering them in class to encourage discussion among students through commenting. I could also use the blog for online assignments by having students post links, pictures, etc. relating to the blog post I put up. I could also use the blog to keep parents informed and involved in what we're learning in the classroom. I could post homework assigments along with links to other resources students could use to help them complete their work. It would also serve as a place to keep standing links for things my students might need frequently like the MLA citations website, grammar/dictionary/thesaurus help, and applicable government sites. I would also love to have students keep a semester or year-long blog in addition to or instead of a journal. At the end of the unit/semester/school year they could revisit old posts and evaluate how they have changed as studetns and how their political opinions might have changed over time.