Blogger is to contemporary writers as the moleskin journal is to traditional novelists and artists. A classic moleskin journal is a place where an artist can sketch an idea or draw an unexpected, yet interesting scene. A novelist can quickly write down ideas for a plot whenever the muse strikes. A moleskin journal is often the central place for ideas, sketches, pictures, and anything else the artist wants to keep in one place.
Blogger is the same for the modern day writer. It's a central place for thoughts, ideas, sketches, images, and now multimedia. Bloggers have a near unlimited amount of widgets and opportunities to embed anything digital that they'd like.
This is the perfect recipe for students in the classroom. Students can use Blogger as their central space for writing assignments, turning in work, adding interesting thoughts and ideas, sharing experiences through embedded images and video, and combining the lessons learned in school with outside experiences in 'real life.'
Blogger allows learning and sharing to continue after the school day and year have stopped. Students can continue to write during the summer and share their ideas and experiences with others. Blogs can easily be linked so that students, teachers, and perhaps the author your class was able to contact can continue to read and respond to work students are writing.
Blogs can also serve as a preview for upcoming transitions. Students that want to get a jump start over the summer can visit an expected teachers' blog and get to know a little bit about them and see examples of topics and work from the past year.
If students know they'll be studying particular topics, doing a simple blog search can get them connected to others who are passionate and willing to share their knowledge on a particular topic.
Parents can stay 'in the loop' through a blog of their own that connects with teachers, their child, and other parents so the conversation started at school can continue at home. Parents who are knowledgable, or involved in a career that's being studied at school, can join the classroom conversation and share a new perspective.
Blogger is a personal hub for collecting, sharing, and connecting with content and people on the Internet. It's a springboard for learning, and a solid foundation for digital literacy. Join the conversation and start your own blog!
