Here are some tips that parents and educators can follow when blogging with teens or pre-teens.
1. Go over internet safety rules
Online safety can never be underestimated. Kids should be aware of the dangers that exist and become knowledgeable about general safety rules. Kids Health and the SafeKids.com share helpful information on the subject.
2. Set guidelines
Guidelines should be set for what your child/student can and cannot share. While there are a variety of subjects to blog about and share, blogs are usually accessible by a wide range of viewers, so they should be careful not to share content that is personally identifiable.
3. Choose a good platform
Review the websites that allow for blogging and determine which one best suits your needs. This will usually be according to the type of blog you want to have. Education blogs with lots of tips and resources usually find their home on platforms that are more conducive for that type of function. According to Edudemic, you should decide whether you want your blog to be
public, so you can share and interact with other classes, or private. "Tumblr for beginners and WordPress for more advanced users" (Gopin, 2012).
4. Emphasize content over form
Blogging is an informal form of writing. While the blog has to be
readable and make sense, it’s more important for students to feel
comfortable expressing themselves.
5. Encourage the use of Web 2.0 technologies
Blogs don't have to be limited to just text. Students should be encouraged to add streaming video, and integrating lots of pictures, video diaries, interviews, chat features and more.
6. Relax!
The internet and blogging can be intimidating. Help your child/student relax and not become nervous or anxious. Blogging can be a wonderful thing and is no different from writing in a journal or diary. The more they use technology, the more relaxed they'll feel.
Do you have more tips for blogging? Feel free to add them in the comments section :)
References:
Gopin, L. (2012). 8 Tips for Blogging with Students. Edudemic. Retrieved October 2, 2012 from http://edudemic.com/2012/02/blog-with-students/
Image 1: Blogging Tips http://www.aglimpseinsideblog.com/2011/03/blogging-tips.html
Image 2: Montrose and Olathe Schools http://montrosesd.schoolfusion.us/modules/cms/pages.phtml?pageid=225724
Kathy - these are all excellent reccomendations for keeping children safe online. I especially liked the Rules for Online Safety provided on SafeKids.com. The school I used to work in had a technology agreement students and parents had to sign at the beginning of the year before students could recieve log-ins and passwords to make clear what the expectations for internet use at school would be. When schools provide this, it can also lead to conversations parents can have at home. With the popularity of smartphones and tablets, children are more often then not going unsupervised on the internet. If we can teach them how to stay safe and provide parents with tools to monitor and enfore these safety issues, children will be more effective in their use of the web. Thanks again for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jessica, I like the suggestion to have kids & their parents sign technology agreements. It provides them with some guidelines and protects the school should they violate them. I think it's important to set that standard. Great suggestion to include with the other tips. Parents can create their own agreements with their kids as well.
DeleteKeeping tabs on your kids is a great source of concern for parents now. I am the father of a 2.5 year old little girl, and I can only imagine how deep the rabbit hole will go when it comes to privacy and issues with keeping kids safe online. Getting this info out to the parents of your class can be a great resource.
ReplyDeleteKathy,
ReplyDeleteI like that this stresses the importance of parents still being involved in their children's internet usage once they become teenagers. So often I think we feel like if we teach them the basics at a young age that by the time they are teenagers they will be self sufficient. In reality, the teen period is most likely the most crucial point in time for parent involvement.
I also liked the tip about including things beyond text. As an educator that's something that I'm not sure of how to do but am hoping to learn more about. I know how to upload photos but the use of videos would do even more for making the blog a more interactive experience!