Chapter Three Review

Chapter three had a lot of helpful information for teachers including step by step instructions to follow when setting up a teacher blog and helping students create their own. However the part I found most important and useful was the section on blog safety which discussed the teachers role in the classroom blog as a monitor and facilitator. Blogging is an extension of the classroom therefore the same expectations and regulations behind the 4 walls should be extended to the cyberspace classroom.
The teacher's role is not only as a monitor to ensure safety and acceptable use but also a facilitator. According to Richardson the teacher should be commenting and connecting students to students. We have learned that the teacher must model the correct response for the students before they can expect them to do it on their own. Blogging is no different. By teachers commenting on posts and pointing out exceptional posts they are providing a model for other students to follow. Students can learn from these models and in return be confident in creating their own blog.