Best Practices in Educational Blogging

Student Norms

have students and parents sign a district and/or classroom created AUP
determine consequences for failing to adhere to the AUP
review Internet safety procedures
review of socially acceptable blog posts
review of types of information that is not acceptable or safe to share on the Internet

Safety Issues for Educators to Consider

teachers need to be aware of cyber bullying
teachers need to be explicit when telling students what information can and cannot be shared on the Internet
blog within a safe site, one where students blog among others their own age
keep blogs password protected
have a record of all student passwords
have a specific purpose for use
closely monitor student blogs and blog content

0 members like this

Comment by Alison Saylor on March 31, 2013 at 8:32pm: Great summation of of blogging safety and incorporation into the AUP.

Comment by Benjamin Stewart on April 1, 2013 at 5:48am: I would add that students include an introduction, body, and conclusion to their blogs, and when abbreviations, to spell out the term first: acceptable user policy (AUP). Students might also include alternative terms since writing for a global audience: Fair Use Policy (FUP). Students might also be instructed that it is not necessary to abbreviate unless they plan to use the term more than once in their blog post.

Other suggestions might include avoiding slang, colloquialisms, and idioms, state the purpose, problem, and situation early (in the introduction), and the importance of knowing one's audience and style (i.e., rhetorical devices, coherence, and cohesion).

Comment by Sara Finney on April 2, 2013 at 7:47pm: Those are all great ideas and suggestions. However, I think it depends on the purpose and audience of their blog and the type of writing they are doing.