Sharing Thoughts and Ideas on Blogs,Social Networking The role of blogging in building a personal learning network
Websites and Discussion Forums Blogging plays a significant role in building a personal learning network (PLN).
Here are a few reasons why:
Blogs
1. Sharing expertise: Through blogging, individuals can share their
Blogging is an online activity where individuals share their thoughts, ideas, and knowledge and experiences with a wider audience, allowing them to connect
experiences through written content on a website. It's important for online learning
with like-minded individuals and expand their PLN.
and education because it allows students to engage in reflective practices, develop
critical thinking skills, and enhance their communication abilities. Through blogging, 2. Collaboration opportunities: Blogging opens doors for collaboration and
students can express their understanding of the subject matter, interact with peers, networking with professionals in similar fields. By connecting with others
and receive feedback from teachers. through blog comments, guest posts, or social media, bloggers can build
a strong support system within their PLN.
Furthermore, it encourages students to research, analyze information, and articulate 3. Continuous learning: Blogging encourages continuous learning as bloggers
their findings effectively. research and stay up to date on their chosen topics. By engaging in
discussions and conversations with readers and other bloggers, they can
The benefits of blogging for students and teachers expand their knowledge and discover new perspectives.
4. Personal growth and reflection: Blogging provides a platform for self-
Blogging offers several benefits for students and teachers.
reflection and personal growth.
Firstly, it enhances writing skills by providing continuous writing practice.
The use of blogs as an assessment tool in education
Students can receive valuable feedback from peers or teachers, improving their
overall writing abilities. Blogs are widely used as an assessment tool in education, offering a practical
means of evaluating students' understanding and skills. Here are some reasons why
Secondly, it encourages critical thinking and reflection as students engage in
blogs are an effective assessment tool:
discussions and share their thoughts on various topics. For teachers, blogging can
serve as a platform to share educational resources and ideas, facilitating 1. Reflection and expression: Blogs allow students to reflect on their learning
collaboration and knowledge-sharing among educators. Lastly, blogging fosters experiences and express their thoughts and insights in a structured and
creativity and self-expression, allowing students and teachers to explore innovative accessible format.
ways of presenting their ideas through multimedia content such as images, videos, 2. Individualized feedback: Teachers can provide personalized feedback on
and infographics. students' blog posts, fostering a deeper understanding of the subject matter
and promoting growth.
How blogging promotes active learning and engagement
3. Collaboration and engagement: Blogs encourage peer-to-peer
collaboration and discussion, enabling students to engage in meaningful
Blogging encourages active learning and engagement by providing a platform for
conversations and expand their perspectives.
individuals to actively share their knowledge and insights. Through the process of
4. Showcasing progress: Blogs enable students to showcase their progress and
writing and researching for their blog posts, bloggers are encouraged to dive
development over time, allowing both teachers and students themselves to
deeper into their chosen topics, expanding their own understanding and expertise.
track their growth.
Furthermore, by engaging with their readers through comments and discussions, 5. Real-world application: By using blogs, students gain experience with a
bloggers can foster an interactive learning environment that encourages dialogue digital platform commonly used in professional settings, enhancing their
and the exchange of ideas. This active participation promotes a deeper level of digital literacy skills.
engagement and learning for both the blogger and their audience.
Social Networking Websites :
Social networks are websites and apps that allow users and organizations to connect,
communicate, share information and form relationships. People can connect with
others in the same area, families, friends, and those with the same interests. Social Develop a positive image
networks are one of the most important uses of the internet today. Increase the engagement of learning
Educational Benefits of Social Networking Sites Discussion Forums :
Today, technology provides a lot of opportunities for education that can be
Online discussion forum is an electronic platform for online learning, discussion,
accessed by everyone around the globe.
knowledge sharing, and information dissemination. Online discussion forum is a web-
The educational field has completely transformed ever since the Internet and
based application that brings people together with shared interest and mind-set, and
technology are included in the equation.
members have the privilege to post messages to the discussion threads, interact and receive
The University of Minnesota had a research on social networking sites like
feedback from other students and instructors, and hence create a deeper understanding of
MySpace and Facebook and found that the social networking sites have a
the subject matter being discussed. Online Discussion Forum is a form of learning through
great impact for educational growth for students in high school.
networking which provide opportunities for students to seek, obtain, and share
information, and it has beneficial impact on the teaching and learning process.
Social Networking Websites That Have Effective Educational Benefits
Benefits :
EDMODO : Edmodo is the largest social networking website used mainly
for education purposes. As per the survey, more than 13 million people are Improves work quality: When students are aware that the course creators and their peers
will read their postings, they will put in efforts. Asynchronous discussion allows students
using this website effectively.
to closely watch their postings before making them live. Idea exchange helps to improve
ENGLISH BABY: Teaching conversational English is the main objective of
the English Baby website. The analysis showed that nearly 1.5 million work quality as compared to if students were left on their own.
people across the globe are using this website and famous among chinese
Helps prepare better: When the discussion happens before issues or concepts are
people.
LIVEMOCHA Livemocha is a social networking website used to teach discussed in class, it helps students to prepare better for the class. They are more engaged,
various languages to the website users.The website consists of a knows about the related questions and comments that were posted.
collection of course material available in more than 38 different languages.
Allows to master discussion skills: Online discussions come in handy for students to
become facilitators of their own learning. They understand how to pose relevant questions
Social Networking Websites That Have Effective Educational Benefits and share a response that will help their peers improve their understanding. The online
format works best for the shy students who are not comfortable with face-to-face
ACADMIA.EDU Acadmia.edu is a science-related website built especially discussions.
for scientists and the respective college students. It is a platform mainly for
academic researchers and aficionados to share research materials and Refine writing skills: While most of the online discussions need to follow an informal
research papers to other website users. approach, it allows students to improve their writing skills. Group responses usually
COURSE CRACKER Course Cracker is a network that enables students, demand more formal writing, which is a great way to better your writing. The interactive
teachers and parents to connect with each other resulting in the refinement nature of the discussion, where ideas get refined as the discussion advances, also helps
of the learning process.This website allows the users to post their course students to make their writing more professional.
material, quizzes, assignments and other sources related to education and
also give them permission to access the posted content. Identify the subject experts: Discussion forums are the best place for identifying the
subject matter experts. This is a great way to recognize the in-house experts and making
By Using Social Networking Sites, Students Get The Following Benefits them visible among peers.
Improvement of communication skills
Improvement of technology skills
Increase in the exposure of diverse views
