blog-wiki-socnet

= Blogs, Wikis, & Social Networks =

Kidblog
With our new //SchoolFusion// website system, teachers can easily create blogs to share with students. It is a great classroom tool, but if you would like your students to create their own blog, then you may want to take a look at **Kidblog**. //Kidblog// is designed for elementary & middle school teachers who want to provide each student with their own unique blog. It allows students to publish posts, & participate in discussions within a secure, teacher controlled, classroom blogging community. No student email addresses are needed.

So what is a blog? It is a mix between an online journal & discussion board. The benefits of students creating & writing a blog are,
 * Extends learning & engages students beyond the walls of the classroom,
 * Enhances analytic & critical thinking skills,
 * The critical skill of writing is central to the act of blogging,
 * Enhances knowledge sharing between students,
 * A learning activity that is embedded in real world issues & events.

Besides using blogs as a platform for ongoing assessments, here are some other classroom ideas,
 * Math: problem of the day, vocabulary, examples of
 * Reading: book review, vocabulary, word of the day, author study, book talks
 * Writing: journaling, creative writing, autobiographies, biographies, daily oral language
 * Science: journaling, share research, collect data