Blogger ---- Blogging for ELT

In this post, I will introduce an extremely useful tool for ELT! Actually I am using right now: blogging!

The structure of this post is:

1. What is a blog

2. How to use it

3. Activities you can do with blogging in ELT

4. What are the advantages of applying it in ELT

5. What are the pitfalls of using it in ELT
6. Conclusion
7. References

1. What is a blog

     "A blog is a frequently updated website that often resembles an online journal."1 For people who can get access to the internet, I guess blogs are quite familiar places for them to go to. In a blog, the owner of the blog can write posts, upload different media, such as pictures, photos, audios and videos, provide links to other websites and receive comments from visitors. Because the owner has the right to set the right of accessibility of viewing the content on the blog, a blog can be a private space for expressing ideas and emotion  and it can also become a public place for discussions and debates.

2. How to use it

Step 1  Go to blogger.com and sign up

Step 2 Create a Google account

Step 3 Create a blog

      The following YouTube video is short but very useful. The tutorial gives a clear demonstration for creating a blog. 

Click and learn

Step 4 (optional) Advance setting for your blog

    If you want a super super professional & beautiful blog especially for business reason, this YouTube video can help a lot! It introduces some software you can use to enhance the outlook of your blog! However, you have to pay for the software, plus the video is kinda long :),so skip it, if you don't need it!

3. Activities you can do with blogging in ELT

Aaron Campbell (2003) has outlined three types of blogs for use with language classes2, and different activities can be done through these blogs:

• The Tutor Blog It is usually managed by a teacher only. In this type of blog,teacher publishes materials related to ELT, such as, pre-reading materials for class, curriculum, syllabus, assignments etc. The teacher may also keeps reflective journals and share information for ELT. Visitors to the blog are normally restricted to writing comments or send private letters to the blog owner. As like this blog :)

• The Class Blog It is run by teachers and students together. It is like an extending classroom where teachers and students can share information, post online resources, do brainstorming, update discussion, and keep reflective journals for study.

• The Learner Blog In these blogs, students are in charge. They can do similar activities as teachers do in a tutor's blog, but tend to focus more on their own learning process. It is a private online space for students to continue language learning through writing posts. They can also start a discussion, write down concerns about the course or assignments, keep  reflective learning journals and so on. In this type of blogs, visitors, such as teachers, and other students, can also gain resources and information for ELT, and know more about the student's learning experience as well. It is equally important as the two other blogs. 

3. The advantages of applying it in ELT

• Facilitate classroom learning. As materials, such as pre-reading materials, notices are posted online. In the actual classroom, teachers can save a lot of time and conduct other activities. Also, when teachers start some discussions with students or ask them to conduct small-scale research, students can become more prepared for the coming lessons. In the meanwhile, blogging can push students to further their study after the class as well, because teachers can provide extra reading materials in the blogs.
• Boost efficiency in learning. The internet is like a vast ocean of knowledge. By blogging, both teachers and students can recommend and share useful websites and tools for learning. Traditional reading methods can never compete with visual and audio effect in these websites for learning in many ways. Students may find it more interesting to do self-study by using these resources and thus make the learning result more satisfying.
• Extend teachers' professional knowledge and refine their teaching practice. A teacher can communicate with other teachers from all around the world, sharing ideas and concepts about teaching. The reflective journals of their teaching experiences may become an inspiration for other teachers.    Moreover, they surely come across different difficulties in teaching, their solutions to these problems can be shared as well.
• Serve as a public online bulletin. When information about the class, such as the syllabus and assignments are posted online, students no longer need to worry about forgetting these notices, because they can read the information again through teacher blog. Also students can gain more information about the course online through the provided links as well.
• Follow up the students' learning process. Teachers can gain more inside into students learning experience and learning process by reading their blogs. Many students, especially shy students, it is hard for them to communicate with teachers face-to-face, so it is hard to know the problems they encounter in the classroom. Blogging can solve this problem, as students write their blogs in private time, they feel more relaxed to express their thoughts. Therefore by visiting students' blogs, teachers can follow up students more closely.
• Help students to build up confidence in learning. When students read about other students' reflections, they can gain more understanding about their own study habits. They can find that they are not alone, when facing some learning difficulties. They can interact with students internationally, and consult them by commenting on the blogs. Therefore, the possibility of overcoming their aversion is higher. What they can form is not only a better pattern of studying, but confidence in learning as well.
• Increase a sense of belonging to a class. Especially by using a class blog, teachers can help students to foster a sense of community in a class, which is significantly helpful for creating a nice learning atmosphere in the learning process and lowering down the negative impact of competition. The constant sharing ideas and even emotion changes towards learning can help students build up a stronger bond between each other and foster trust and team spirit. It is beneficial for managing a class, and add much more enjoyment in learning.

4. Pitfalls of using it in ELT

• Access to computer and internet. It is not only for blogging, but for every tool that we use through a computer and the internet, the accessibility of these technologies poses the biggest challenge for applying them in teaching. Even through the internet is spreading across different continents,many places, especially in developing countries, it is not affordable for many to enjoy the merits of high-tech. 
• Control of comments. If the blog owner set comments as "need approval before publishing", it will cost too much work. However, if we set "pbulish immediately", some unwanted comments may appear and generate negative influence.
• Pose legal issues. Some links to websites may cost violation or infringement of intellectual property rights.It is hard to inspect all the contents and links may bring up legal issues.
• Cost violation of privacy. If blogs set to be "open to the public", even though it can attract more teachers and students to join discussions or share experience, at the same time, the privacy of the blogger can become an issue, and potential harm might be posted by unwanted visitors.

Conclusion

Overall, blogging itself is a helpful tool for teaching and learning English. As long as it is well organized and constantly being updated, it can make learning more interesting and effective. 

Reference

1.http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/articles/blogging-elt

2.http://iteslj.org/Techniques/Campbell-Weblogs.html

Well~~ 
My fabulous guest :)

How do you feel about blogging? 

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Please:)