Should Students Create a Blog?

Our niece sent a copy of an essay that her daughter, S, a sophomore in high school, had written for an assignment at school. I was so impressed; I think it is wonderfully-written, so descriptive and filled with imagery.  I asked if I could share this essay in a blog, and they agreed, so here it is: "The Paint of the Past". 

I had questions for S which she answered willingly. She shared that the topic of her essay was to describe a time when she misunderstood a situation and understood its significance when she got older. She said that there was an opportunity for classmates and the teacher to give her feedback, but no one did. And she said she had not published anything on a public site, had never thought about starting a blog, but was open to the idea. 

When I first began blogging in 2012, it was because I had read "Blogging is the New Persuasive Essay"  I felt that students should be writing and sharing their ideas with their classmates, and  I saw that blogging could be a way for students to do real writing, to get feedback not just from their teacher or their classmates but from others on the internet. And I loved the idea that students would strive to do quality work if they knew their writing could be viewed publicly. 

Blogging with students did not take off the way I hoped. I had envisioned students writing and sharing their blogs and people from all over the world reading and responding. I had hoped that students could realize that their work matters. It would help our young people to recognize the power of writing to make connections with others, to be open to receiving critical feedback that can take their work to a higher level, and to share their opinions or ideas with others.  

Starting and maintaining a blog can be challenging for high school students with all the other academic requirements, extracurricular activities, and home or work responsibilities. Yet, I believe that today's students have the skills to create a way to showcase meaningful work, to share their accomplishments, and to reflect on their learnings. These authentic evidences can set them apart from others when it comes time to apply to colleges or seek employment. S is a writer, but her blog or virtual portfolio can include  work samples from other courses she takes and from  activities she participates in, both in and out of school. It could include photos and links to her various accomplishments as well as reflections about what she learned.

I remember when our elementary students learned how to create their own websites. They were so excited to personalize their site and to include links or photos of work that they were proud of. Many of them continued to add to their web page at home because they were so motivated. If we can get students to start a blog, a web page, or a virtual portfolio when they are in elementary school, they will be ahead-of-the-game when they start to think about their post-high school plans. Let's get them started!