Using Blogs in the Classroom

Karen Work Richardson says that "Civil discourse forms the foundation of a Democratic society." If she's right, America has got some work to do, judging by the tone of the political debate we've seen in recent months.

Nonetheless, it is interesting to consider the learning opportunity that online discussion provides for today's students. It seems to me that the blog allows for a kind of fast-moving, highly concentrated exchange of ideas that may not have existed for students in past generations. In that charged environment, people will certainly make mistakes, allowing emotions to substitute for considered opinion and attacking the messenger instead of the message.

But that, theoretically, is where the teachable moments reside. I firmly believe that, as a society, we have faltered in our ability to both think critically and disagree respectfully. Perhaps online discussions in schools give us a chance to reclaim those skills.

The example of the classroom blog that we examined indicated the wide range of possibilities the tool offers for both teachers and students. I was a bit puzzled to see an ad for a dating service on one portion of the blog.