Blogging in the Classroom

Man typing on a computer at his desk

Educational blogging is used in the classroom to keep students engaged, informed, and connected. Teachers can use a blogging platform to post announcements, prompts, resources, and assignments. Teachers can also use it to promote student engagement and have them write their own posts. Some benefits of blogging in the classroom are that it motivates students to be active in learning, they always have access to materials, it provides additional resources if students are struggling with a topic, and it's a fun way to practice writing skills. One activity teachers can do with older students is to have them practice their writing skills through journaling. Not only do students practice writing, but journaling can also help boost self-confidence, mental health, creativity, critical thinking, and communication skills. Teachers can also communicate with students digitally, and give instant feedback on blogging platforms. 

After reading my peers' blogs, I have learned so much about different topics in education. The first post I read was about cyberbullying, and it highlights how it has been an ongoing issue with little to no resolution, occurring all over the world. This blog brings up an important issue, no matter how much teachers try to limit devices in the classroom, they cannot control what happens outside the classroom. The second post I read was about the negative effects of virtual schooling. This blog emphasizes that virtual schooling caused isolation and poor mental health for all ages, especially for Kindergarten students who missed critical developmental milestones. My placement has been in third grade this year and I have seen the effects that Covid has had on those children who missed out on traditional first and second grade. My children in this class struggle behaviorally in a classroom setting because they are not used to sitting at a desk and learning all day. They are also struggling academically because children did not have their teacher right there to help them. Children in my class are still struggling with subtraction when they should be learning multiplication and division. It is crazy to see firsthand how virtual schooling has impacted young children. The third post I read was about class size, and it was interesting to read that class size has a big impact on low-income and minority families. The blog points out how there are higher rates of college attendance in smaller classes. As a college student, I am more likely to attend classes that are smaller in size. Not only do I get to form better relationships with the instructor, but it makes learning for me more enjoyable by knowing familiar faces. 

Overall, from my experience, I have enjoyed the short amount of time I have been blogging and I think it is an effective way to share information in the classroom. I think teachers can use blogging as a tool to enhance instruction. I have liked researching topics that interest me and I think if teachers give their students the same freedom of choice, then it can be a positive addition to the classroom. Even though it has been enjoyable, I do not think I will use it as a tool for my students because I plan to work with first or second-graders. I think blogging is something that is more beneficial for older students. 

Does Class Size Matter?

Class size is known as the number of students per classroom and there have been recent concerns about whether the number affects students' educational outcomes. Smaller classes allow students to get more individual attention which results in better achievement, higher test scores, and fewer disciplinary issues.  "In 1985, Tennessee launched an experiment which assigned 7,000 kindergarten students in 79 schools to classes of varying sizes. After four years, the students who had been placed in small classes were between two and fives months ahead of their peers in larger classes". Although there are many benefits to smaller classes, there also bring up many challenges such as hiring quality teachers to fill those roles. Since the pandemic, there has been a teacher shortage and many schools are struggling to hire teachers. This is a challenge when reducing class size because this would mean hiring more teachers. There are, however, alternatives such as hiring teaching assistants to give students the extra attention they would receive in a smaller class. The topic of class size is important in the education field because it has been shown to positively affect students' outcomes and performance. Knowing this, teachers should prioritize more small-group work and meet with children individually to give them more one-on-one attention.

Teacher sitting next to girl
and pointing at book

I believe that class size can be extremely beneficial for elementary grades in particular because smaller classes play an important role in young children's growth and development. I also believe that even without a smaller class, teachers can achieve similar outcomes if they give children the individual help they need. The reason why smaller classes boosted students' academic achievement is that teachers were able to give more one-on-one attention to all children. I believe there are ways around this where teachers can utilize small groups to give children individual attention. As a student myself, I know how easy it is to get distracted in class when there are so many people in it. My middle school had a big class size with almost 25-30 kids per class. Although this may seem like a normal size class, it was hard to stay focused when there was only one teacher at the front of the room. I remember my teachers would often get frustrated because it is hard being responsible for 25 middle school-aged students on your own. I understand why there are both benefits and challenges of smaller classes, however, from experience and the statistics, I believe that reducing class sizes is helpful for both students and teachers. 

Virtual Schooling as a Result of COVID-19

Student in front of a computer
with her hands over her face.

The world of virtual learning and online schooling has reshaped education and this abrupt change has caused many new problems for students and teachers. Students who are learning online are now falling behind since the pandemic. Virtual schooling has caused students to feel alone and not being able to see their classmates has resulted in decreased motivation to learn. Children have a hard time staying focusing on a screen all day, and on top of that, their home environments can cause additional distractions that would not be present in the classroom. This is all affecting children's academics and social and emotional development. It has also exacerbated the divide in the digital equity gap, where children from low-income families are being impacted worse. Low-income families may not have the same advanced technology as higher-income families. "In high-poverty schools, 1 in 3 teachers report their students are significantly less prepared for grade-level work this year compared with last year, according to a report by the RAND Corporation". This is extremely important in the education field because this divide has been making these problems worse and it shows the need to improve online learning. Teachers should be more focused on building off of children's interests and fostering peer connections through screens. 

I believe that the topic of virtual schooling has become increasingly important since the coronavirus pandemic hit. I experienced virtual schooling firsthand when I was sent home two years ago and thrown into online learning. COVID has brought so much uncertainty to students and teachers and both are still navigating how to effectively teach and learn through a screen. Even after two years, although I have some in-person classes, I still have some all-online classes. I still feel like my online classes are not only more challenging to pay attention to, but have placed extra stress on me. Especially for my classes that do not make us turn on our cameras, I find myself even more distracted and less inclined to listen. When I was in high school, those were my favorite years because I got to see my friends every day, so I could understand the feelings of loneliness and stress that students are facing with virtual learning.

Prevalence of Cyberbullying in Schools

Cyberbullying is bullying or harassing an individual through the use of technology including computers, cell phones, or tablets. It generally occurs through platforms such as text, social media, and email. "A Pew

Girl crying at words "ugly"
and "loser" on laptop and cell phone

Research Center survey in 2018 found that 59% of U.S. teens had experienced some form of online harassment, including receiving physical threats and being the victim of false rumors". Cyberbullying can happen at any time of the day and when things are spread online, they are there forever. Warning signs that may suggest a child's a victim of cyberbullying include changes at school, loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities, and feelings of sadness after being online. Overall, parents and teachers should look for these warning signs and create open communication with children. Additionally, cyberbullying is an extremely important topic in the education field because it affects so many students and often goes unnoticed. It is a newer form of bullying which has resulted in the increase in technology use in schools. Teachers are often able to notice changes in their students' behaviors and play a huge role in addressing this problem. 

I believe that cyberbullying is not talked about enough for how prevalent it is. It is evident that cyberbullying has negative impacts on children and can cause harm to their mental health. Although it usually occurs outside of school, it still affects learning in the school environment and can make students feel unsafe and unwelcome. Children who come to school in these mindsets don't have the same equal learning opportunities as their peers. It is shocking that more than half of teens reported some form of online harassment and I think the use of technology, in general, has increased cyberbullying in schools. I remember when I was in middle school there was a website called Ask.fm which was a way to ask and answer questions anonymously. I remember that people would put it on their Instagram profiles so that other people could ask them questions. It started out as a way to interact with others however, it turned into a way for people to bully and harass others anonymously. People would get all types of hurtful comments and even though you couldn't put a face to these words, they were just as impactful.