Thing #3 ways I can use my blog

I can think of several ways to use a blog in my future classroom.  One way I could use a blog is to make weekly posts and have my students make a reply to the post and one reply to a another student's comments on the post.  I would more than likely make a post on Sunday evenings and give my students until midnight Saturday night to complete their replies.  This way I could evoke my students' thoughts and opinions on a lot of different issues and topics.  Another option would be to assign each student to research a topic, publish a post, and have the other students reply to the post in a week's time.  I could assign the topic to the student on Monday, allow him/her two days for research, require a post by 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, and require the other students to comment by midnight Sunday.

Similar to the second option would be to assign groups of three or four, have the groups research a topic, and have the groups publish a post.  In all of the scenarios I envision giving the students guidelines for research and some hints as to what I expect to be answered in the post.  I also envision giving the students the grading rubric by which I would be grading them.  All of these options previously mentioned could be homework assignments were a small percentage of the total grade.  Or I could use the blog strictly for extra credit opportunities.  I could use the blog as a message board where students could communicate with each other and help each other out with homework, projects, tests, study materials, etc.  I'm sure some students will be more enthusiastic towards the blog than others.  For some posting on the blog will be fun and interesting while others will view it as just another assignment.  A blog is a very useful tool for interaction and communication between students in and out of the classroom.