ESL Blogging

This week I gained additional knowledge about the benefits of blogging with ESL students in the classroom.  There were benefits, of course, but challenges were resolved as well.  Read the full article here:  Using Blogs to Engage English-Language Learners by Jon Schwartz. https://www.edutopia.org/blog/ell-digital-divide-jon-schwartz

Jon Schwartz teaches fourth grade in Oceanside, CA and bridges the digital divide with blogging with his blogging program at Kids Like Blogs.  He uses blogging with his combination grade 4/5 class where students use the technology to “find their creative muse and learn about the technological world they are inheriting.”

They used optional blogs as an in-class activity which improved student engagement and gave them the important technical exposure and skills in digital citizenship. Additionally, he was able to find resolutions to many challenges such as parental engagement, internet safety, keeping students engaged, instilling 21st Century Skills, building confidence.

To his amazement and delight, some of the students who displayed the greatest interest and drive in blogging were students who came from the least wealthy, least-educated households where no English was spoken. Blogs helped foster a sense of community and bridge cultural and technological gaps with English-language learners and their families. He made tremendous strides in instilling self-confidence and expanding their skill base.