Writing mechanic is another concern with blogging. In the study, E-mail as Genre: A Beginning Writer Learns Conventions, Rosa ignores punctuation in her email messages, but correctly adds it when writing. “Rosa largely ignored punctuation, using none at all in her first 26 messages and then using it in only 7 of the remaining 51 messages.” Rosa knows that punctuation is needed but tends to look at the keys while she types. “On the other hand, in Rosa’s handwritten messages composed during study period, she used punctuation more consistently.” Teachers should notes this when starting a blog for their classrooms.


Technology benefits the writing and reading process in several ways. Students who struggle with the actual act of writing would be less frustrated if they could type their papers. Technology also gives the writer an authentic audience. In HOT Blogging, Mary Kreul clarifies, “I think the biggest advantage to blogs is that they provide an authentic audience for student writing and work in general.” She also explains, “With a blog, student work can be read by classmates, parents, extended family members, school community members, project partners, classroom teachers, pre-service teachers, and anyone around the world who located the class blog.”

The number one benefit for students publishing their work on the Internet is an authentic audience. Blogging allows parents, friends and distance family members to view a child’s work. When my students know who their audience is they are more excited to write. In the case study, Rosa also seems to be motivated by her audience and even paid “deliberate attention to readers’ needs.”


One major concern with students publishing their work online is privacy and online predators. If classrooms are using blogs, it is extremely important for teachers to teach Internet safety. In the article HOT Blogging: A Framework for Blogging to Promote Higher Order Thinking, that some blogs have access codes that need to be given to see the “published” work. “She was somewhat apprehensive about doing so, but she set the blog’s permissions to require her approval before any comments appeared on the blog. She invited students to share the blog address with family and friends, so they could see their “published” pieces and receive comments.”


Blogging can benefit both students and teachers and even parents. Educause Learning Initiative, states that, “Blogs offer students, faculty, staff, and others high level of autonomy while creating a new opportunity for interaction with peers. Blogs provide a forum for discussion that goes beyond coursework to include culture, politics, and other areas of personal exploration.” For second graders, I can see a blog entitled “Activities for Recess”. This could provide an opportunity for students to get to know one another in a less invasive environment. Blogs could enhance the typical literature circle. “Students often learn as much from each other as from instructors or textbooks, and blogs offer another mechanism for peer-to-peer knowledge sharing and acquisition.” Parents and teachers can get an in depth look at student’s thinking. Teachers can develop higher order thinking questions which students can address on the blog. Parents can have a better understanding of their child’s daily school activities.

Blogging can be used in a variety of ways for both teachers and students. Teachers can use this format as a way for students to respond to literature before, during, and after they read. Educause Learning Initiative, states “Blogs are becoming an important component of the Internet landscape, providing authors and readers with an avenue for unedited expression, reaction, and connection, without censorship of mediated chat rooms or formal media outlets.” Teachers can use this as a format where students get credit for their responses. “Structured exercises and clear goals are further enhancing the values of blogs in education. “ Educause Learning Initiative explains the importance of teachers communicating these goals.

Publishing book reviews can foster a child's ability to look at literature in a new light. Students will look critically at work instead of answering the typical comprehension questions. This type of activity teaches children how to write persuasive pieces, a genre that is not characteristically focused on during the year. Students can feel a sense of pride if other classmates use these reviews when selecting material in the library. This would definitely be an example of an authentic audience.