Welcome to those of you stopping by via the Washington Post.  I’m honored to have been mentioned in one of their stories on educational blogging.  Blogging has transformed my practice as a teacher by demonstrating to me that the best way to learn something is to try to communicate it to someone else in an honest, thoughtful manner.  Our students, as writers, can use blogs to record their thinking, share resources, develop ideas and opinions, and link to, process, and sometimes challenge the ideas of others. 
    I tell my story via this blog as a way to help me understand my experiences.  Usually, those experiences are helpful to others.
     If you’re a teacher, and you’re interested in how blogging can be a tool for both professional reflection as well as a tool for improving student achievement through reading, writing, and thinking, then I think you’ve made the right first step by visiting a blog or two.  I heartily encourage you to begin reading blogs (Will Richardson provides a great resource for you to use to find many of the good ones, and I’ve got many of my favorites to the right of this post on my website.)
    Then start blogging yourself.   I’ve got a collection of resources for helping you to get started with your students over at my wiki.  Feel free to e-mail me if you need help or suggestions as you move online with your students.   You might be interested in this post if you need a rationale for why blogging with students can be transformative. 
    If you’re a parent concerned about the safety of putting student work online, thank you.  I’m glad you’re engaged and interested in the education of your child or children.  There are many great resources available for you to use to help navigate online worlds with your child, but let me suggest to you that the real trick to helping your student be safe in an increasingly online world is to remain involved in their activities.  Read their work, know who they talk to.  Be involved, if possible.
    And remind them that the Internet is a public place, and they should act accordingly.
    There is great potential in helping students to create meaningful work, writing and multimedia that can be read and shared with the entire world.  I am constantly amazed by the quality of work that my students create when they are held to high standards and have the opportunity to share what they do with a real audience of readers.  I know you will be, too.
    If I can be of service to you as you navigate the power and potential of classroom blogging, please let me know by leaving a comment to this post or by sending me an e-mail.  And, if you start a blog yourself, be sure to share and let us know where to find you. #