Thing #3: Classroom Blogging

"What was today's homework?"

"Where can I find that video shown in class?"

"How am I going to come up with a science fair project?"

These commonly asked questions among chemistry students can be answered through a classroom blog.  Students can use this tool to keep track of their assignments, explore links to interesting articles, revisit lecture resources, and post their own comments and questions.  Discussion forums for homework assistance and tutoring can be created, allowing students to work collaboratively to better understand the material.  Furthermore, students may be required to set up their own blogs to post weekly responses to discussion topics.

As a parent, access to this resource can prove a wonderful tool for viewing what their child is learning and for monitoring their participation and progress.  A blog allows for one more avenue that connects a teacher with a parent, or a teacher with a student, providing a forum for communication and a distribution of resources or materials.  A blog can serve as a virtual classroom, keeping absent or sick students up to date on their studies.

With all these points in mind, I want my future classroom blog to at a minimum have each of these components:

• Introductory message to students and parents with an overview of the course and classroom blog
• A calendar outlining each of the assignments and due dates throughout the course
• Extra practice problems with explanations for those needing further examples
• Links to all lecture resources
• Posts on current hot topics in chemistry for students to view and respond to in their own blogs as a weekly assignment

On a side note: this blog offers a wealth of resources including chemistry presentations, worksheets, and quizzes.  Here, this science teacher uses his blog to freely distribute his classroom materials and "give back" to the general commons of information that he utilizes.