I follow three different blogs on a daily basis, one of which I became aware of after watching a segment on Oprah, checked it out and got sucked in and the other was one that was linked to on the first blog. I don't know either person in "real life" but I follow each of their blogs almost like a really good book, only the best part about the blog is that you get to read a new chapter almost everyday and so far there isn't an ending. The third blog that I read regularly is a caringbridge journal that was created by a family member of mine to keep everyone else in the know about her childs illness, this has been the easiest way for her to keep everyone informed without having to worry about returning individual phone calls and e-mails, repeating the same information over and over again, which can be draining when you have a sick child. She is able to control who is able to access the information by inviting only those who she wants to see the blog. For their family, a blog has been a very useful way for them to be able to keep close friends and family informed in a very efficient manner.
I have never considered creating my own personal blog although I think that when I have children it would be a great way to keep friends and family updated with photos and current happenings and developments. After viewing some of the edu blogs out there, and all of the various ways blogs can be used in a classroom, I would most definitly consider using one in my own classroom.
One very simple way I would use a blog is as a daily update for parents to check in and read about what their child did at school that day...along the same idea of schoolnotes.com. Parents would be able to visit the blog to see what was covered in class that day, what that nights homework is and what upcoming tests and quizzes there are. The blog could serve as a great springboard for communication between the parents and children in my classroom. It is no secret that many times when a parent asks a child what they did at school today the response is often "nothing". If a parent was able to check a daily update on the blog they would already be aware of what their child did at school that day and be able to use that knowledge to have a more constructive conversation with their child.
