Blogging to Develop Literacy Skills
Our colleagues over at School Library Journal are featuring an online interview with Diane Penrod, author of Using Blogs to Enhance Literacy: The Next Powerful Step in 21st Century Learning (Rowman & Littlefield, 2007).
Penrod has some great insights about how we can integrate blogs into student learning and especially how they appeal differently to students of different genders. (We are a school with far more boys than girls, so this kind of information is very interesting to me.)
Penrod says:
Boys really respond to blogging. It’s a writing [format] that they become excited about because it’s hands-on, and they can see something that has a definite “beyond school” value. Girls tend to like blogging when it’s more journal-based.
I find that both boys and girls do enjoy blogging in our school. Authentic audiences and being able to have families check in with their work seem to be the greatest appeal.