What is blogging? Why should I blog? How I can I use blogging in education?

Blogging is an online diary where anyone can post their opinions or ideas about something. Postings are often short and frequently updated. They appear in reverse chronological order and can include archived entries.

I have always been reluctant about setting up an account because of privacy issues and because I have always been suspicious that the wrong people might look at my profile.
The reason that I am doing it right now is because my professor has asked me to sign up because it is a requirement for this class. Should I say I am doing this under duress, perhaps! Time will tell.

How can I integrate Blogging into my curriculum? I believe this is an excellent tool for communicating with students as long as there are some guidelines and acceptable use policies in place. One way that I would use blogging is as a “Classroom management tool”. I can inform students of the class requirements for my class. I would post handouts, quizzes, homework assignments, etc. This will eliminate the stress factor of making long lines at the copy machine or wasting precious learning time writing all this information on the board. At the same time, parents can also be informed at back to school night to access this information.

On the other hand, with blogging there are some risks to consider. Since blogs may be viewed publicly, students must be trained regarding access, privacy, security and not provide a lot of personal information that might get in the hands of unscrupulous people. Also, schools should take the necessary steps to secure parental permission before students use the blog.