Classroom+Blogging

http://teacherchallenge.edublogs.org/2013/08/13/step-1-set-up-your-class-blog/ Link tells how in detail.

Why educators use blogs
The main reasons why educators use blogs include: The benefits of class blogging include: Benefits from class blogging summarized from [|The State of Educational blogging in 2013].
 * Share information and class news with parents, family and caregivers.
 * Provide students with a way to access assignments, homework, resources and information about their class online.
 * For global collaboration and authentic audience.
 * To inspire and motivate students.
 * Blogging opens up the possibilities of audience in new ways. When students are writing or publishing for an audience other the teacher, it impacts how they view what they are doing and the intrinsic motivation they have.
 * Students love seeing their work on the Internet and adore getting comments from people. It motivates them to write as it gives them an audience that is real. The blog opens up a whole new world of people who can offer encouragement and feedback.
 * The blogging experience forces the students to do more reflection on their learning and allows them to showcase products they have produced with online tools.
 * Blogging provides an authentic educational experience, where what they write is not only seen and commented on by their teacher, but by their peers and the “public.” For most students, it’s a bit of extra motivation knowing their peers will see their work.
 * There is an authentic audience – a global audience – one that is willing to connect, share, challenge, discuss and communicate with classes. This audience can provide further information, opinions, suggest resources, seek answers to questions and so on which pushes blogging further.
 * Blogging develops a learning network. Exercise books etc need not be pushed and crumpled in school lockers only to be placed in the rubbish bins at the end of the school year, but student work is out there for their school lives.

**Setting Up a Class Blog**
Here are 9 steps to setting up your class blog. These are requirements in order to prepare for the twice-yearly [|Blogging Challenge]. [|Source Link.]
 * 1) [|Set up your class blog]
 * 2) __ [|Set Up Your Blogging Rules and Guidelines] __
 * 3) __ [|Teaching Commenting Skills and Etiquette] __– Guest post by__ [|Kathleen McGeady] __
 * 4) __ [|Help Parents Connect With Your Class Blog] __
 * 5) __ [|Add Students To Your Class Blog So They Can Write Posts] __
 * 6) __ [|Add A Visitor Tracking Widget To Your Blog Sidebar] __
 * 7) __ [|Setting Up Student blogs] __
 * 8) __ [|Add your student blogs to your blogroll] __
 * 9) __ [|Add Your Student Blogs To A Folder In Google Reader] __