Blog or Web Blog or WeB log

According to Webopedia

A blog is a Web page that serves as a publicly accessible personal journal for an individual. Typically updated daily, blogs often reflect the personality of the author.

Teachers

• demonstrate continual growth in technology knowledge and skills to stay abreast of current and emerging technologies.
• design developmentally appropriate learning opportunities that apply technology-enhanced instructional strategies to support the diverse needs of learners.
• apply current research on teaching and learning with technology when planning learning environments and experiences.
• plan for the management of technology resources within the context of learning activities.
• plan strategies to manage student learning in a technology-enhanced environment.
• facilitate technology-enhanced experiences that address content standards and student technology standards.
• apply technology to develop students' higher order skills and creativity.
• manage student learning activities in a technology-enhanced environment.
• apply technology in assessing student learning of subject matter using a variety of assessment techniques.
• use technology resources to collect and analyze data, interpret results, and communicate findings to improve instructional practice and maximize student learning.
• apply multiple methods of evaluation to determine students' appropriate use of technology resources for learning, communication, and productivity.

• Students understand the ethical, cultural, and societal issues related to technology.
• Students develop positive attitudes toward technology uses that support lifelong learning, collaboration, personal pursuits, and productivity.
• Students use technology tools to enhance learning, increase productivity, and promote creativity.
• Students use productivity tools to collaborate in constructing technology-enhanced models, prepare publications, and produce other creative works.
• Students use telecommunications to collaborate, publish, and interact with peers, experts, and other audiences.
• Students use a variety of media and formats to communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences.
• Students use technology to locate, evaluate, and collect information from a variety of sources.
• Students evaluate and select new information resources and technological innovations based on the appropriateness for specific tasks.

GOAL 1

• Standard 1: Students will use English to participate in social interaction.
• Standard 2: Students will interact in, through, and with spoken and written English for personal expression and enjoyment.
• Standard 3: Students will use learning strategies to extend their communicative competence.

GOAL 2

• Standard 2: Students will use English to obtain, process, construct, and provide subject matter information in spoken and written form.
• Standard 3: Students will use appropriate learning strategies to construct and apply academic knowledge.

• Standard 1.2:  Students understand and interpret written and spoken language on a variety of topics
• Standard 1.3:  Students present information, concepts, and ideas to an audience of listeners or readers on a variety of topics
• Standard 3.1:  Students reinforce and further their knowledge of other disciplines through the foreign language
• Standard 3.2:  Students acquire information and recognize the distinctive viewpoints that are only available through the foreign language and its cultures
• Standard 5.1:  Students use the language both within and beyond the school setting
• Standard 5.2:  Students show evidence of becoming life-long learners by using the language for personal enjoyment and enrichment.

Blogs are tremendously popular among students. Social Blogs, such as MySpace.com are almost a must for any teenager nowadays. Teachers can take advantage of this popularity effect and incorporate blogging into their classroom.

Blogs can be used (in addition to text only):

• Photoblog (Photos)
• Podcasting (Audio)
• Videocasting (Video)

A classroom blog can change dramatically how students can and will express themselves in your classroom.

• Being published is an incentive and motivation for many students.
• Shy students might feel empowered by being able to express their thoughts better in an online written discussion than in front of the class.

Blogs support:

• writing
• reading
• listening
• speaking

• Students can subscribe to a Target Language Blog of their interest, follow and comment on it.
• Create a Classblog to encourage students to enter reflections on posted questions (by teacher) in the Target Language.
• Students publish essays, reflections, questions, etc in Target Language on Classroom Blog.
• Have students from different countries and schools colaborate in a joint Blog.