Edublogs: Virtual classrooms and online faculty rooms

By Candice Montenegro INQUIRER.net WE'RE always told that the world is our classroom. Now, blogging gives a whole new meaning to that cliché and proves there really is a virtual classroom in t he world (wide web). Edublogs are blogs primarily used for educational purposes. These include blogs written by teachers (for a class or co-teachers) and those maintained by stude nts for a particular school subject or class. The blog is becoming a popular outlet for education-related discussions because it provides a fast and convenient way to share insights, resources and even ho mework. It is easy to update regularly, and feedback can come in the form of co mments. Edublogs are a great way for teachers to find information related to their disc ipline or interests. Edublogs.org , for instance, categorizes other edublogs, offering an organized list of l inks related to the subject you need. It can also be used to communicate with t eachers from other schools and even other parts of the world. Teachers also use edublogs to provide additional input for a class. Examples an d homework can be posted on a blog. Teachers can post tips or even website link s and activities to help students understand a particular lesson. The edublogs then become a convenient extension of the class discussion. Other teachers also use edublogs to communicate with the class. Announcements a nd schedules can be posted on a blog that both student and parent can access. I t removes the need to print and distribute letters with reply slips that are of ten not returned on time anyway. Edublogs are also very beneficial for students. Just as teachers post tips and extra input, the students can post questions and clarifications through comment s. And the good thing is other students can join in the discussion and learn fr om others' questions as well. It becomes an online class recitation, where ever ybody replies almost instantaneously to the comments. It can also be used as a collaborative tool for the class, especially when stud ents post their insights on a particular topic or subject. Some edublogs even c ater to students from different schools that are taking up the same class. Work ing in a group becomes much easier, and the easy archiving enables students to just click on a link and go back to a discussion that he or she missed. The advantage of an edublog is its accessibility. Often, there is not enough ti me to discuss everything inside the classroom. Not all students are given the c hance to speak up, while some consciously choose not to recite at all. Edublogs give both teachers and students an almost unlimited ability to communicate, so that everyone has an equal chance to participate in the discussion. On the other hand, edublogs will only serve their purpose if all students have access to the Internet. In the Philippines, only 15 percent of our population h ad Internet access in 2007, and some students do not even have their own books, let alone their own computers. While it may work for private schools and unive rsities, it will take time before they can become truly beneficial for all our students and teachers. Nevertheless, the edublog is just one of the many innovations that will push ed ucation forward, so that it can continuously adapt to the changing times. It pr ovides a different approach to teacher-student communication and even faculty r elations, and proves that learning can indeed go beyond the four walls of the c lassroom.