Blogs are everywhere. You probably read them to stay up-to-date on news and world happenings, to discover new trends, and even for household tips and tricks. Blogs in a general sense are great because there are so many to choose from and they provide readers with unique resources and information in a brief, easily digestible format.

What about the world of education?

Blogs are also beneficial here too, and they can be an excellent tool educators can use. Below are some of the key benefits of blogging in the classroom. 

Thinking Outside the Box

In the classroom and the world of education, so often it’s all about structure and following a carefully defined set of rules, especially since the number of standardized tests students take each year is on the rise. 

Blogging offers a reprieve from that and gives students the opportunity to share their voice and do so in a way that’s uniquely their own. Rather than following the traditional rules of grammar and writing, students are free to express themselves in a unique, flexible format which can promote everything from critical thinking to problem-solving skills.

With blogging, students also tend to take the information they’re learning at a surface-level in the classroom and apply it in new ways that will help them better comprehend and retain the information. 

Literacy 

While blogs may not necessarily have to follow the traditional rules of writing, having students write on a regular basis is a good way to help them improve their literacy skills. Often, it can be difficult to teach literacy to students because the engagement levels tend to be low.

With blogging, since students are more in control of what they’re writing and how they’re doing it, engagement tends to go up, which inherently helps with the process to learn stronger literacy skills. 

Constructive Criticism and Dialogue

Blogging gives students the opportunity to share their thoughts and ideas with a broader audience, which often paves the way for them to have a greater sense of pride and ownership in their work since they know their classmates and a larger audience are likely to read their posts.

This also opens up channels for dialogue and having students share their thoughts and opinions with one another on a deeper level. This aspect of blogging isn’t just beneficial in the classroom. It’s also important as professionals learn how to make money from a blog, and students will be able to carry on the skills of opening dialogue and giving and receiving constructive criticism throughout their lives. 

They may even find that this kind of conversational flow interests them so much that they create a blog outside the classroom. 

Online Responsibility

In today’s world, it’s important for young people and students to understand how to act responsibly online, particularly in the face of everything from cyberbullying to communicating with people who could be a potential threat.

Blogging helps students understand the impact of sharing information online, and they can, in the process, learn how to do it responsibly.

Encouraging students to blog can be an excellent education resource that teaches both hard and soft skills and prepares them not only for later levels of education, but also the professional - and wider - world.