Many schools have created a parent / student authorisation form that covers online publication in school newsletters or a school web page. Often these are considered at enrollment and cover the entire period the student is enrolled at the school.

Schools considering the use of a class blog should review these consents and consider their application to the use of a school blog.

Just as any school expenditure or Education Outside The Classroom (EOTC) must be justified in terms of its educational benefit, the use of a blog should be considered in the same light

It is also important to establish how a school will evaluate the school blog’s contribution to educational out comes for students.

The regular flow of information and student discussion about learning can strengthen the school partnership with families and whanau.

Some schools may consider or actively encourage parents and caregivers  to make contributions to school blogs as a means to enhance communication with the community.

This potential to increase student and parent engagement in learning through the use of blogs has created a wave of  teacher enthusiasm to set up classroom blogs.

This enthusiasm has, in some cases, overshadowed the fundamental considerations educators should address to ensure the use of school blogs remains focused within an educational context and that students and their work is safe online.

There are potential benefits to students writing blogs as well as reading the ideas and comments of their peers. The effective use of a teacher-supported  learning blog can:

• Create opportunities for students to reflect on and discuss what they are learning
• Practice the written expression of ideas and opinions with an authentic audience
• Help students explore classroom learning through what others have written
• Receive support and feedback on their own ideas through teacher / peer comments
• Learn about and practice collaboration, respect and relating to others online
• Promote the overall teaching and learning goals of the classroom.

Educators who establish or make contributions to professional blogs where their employer is clearly identified are encouraged to discuss this online activity with school management.

Clear social media guidelines for staff can pave the way for educators to be involved in national and global conversations that enhance their professional reputation and that of their school.

Teachers may need to help students understand this difference and provide ongoing guidance to help students separate out personal issues that are not related to school topics.

It is also important to help children understand the long term impact of the digital foot print they create through blog posts and online activity.

By contrast, a blog is an ongoing chronicle of information created by individuals or groups to share events and experiences. They can be created using software that allows people with little or no technical background to  easily become regular bloggers.

Bloggers typically update their blogs often, make use of links to articles or other web sites and blogs, and invite their readers to comment on the blog posts.

Blogs are generally public and posts can be read by anyone on the Internet. Even if an administrator deletes a post or comment, it may have already been archived elsewhere on the web.

Ensuring that staff, students and the community have a shared understanding of the purpose and expectations of an educational blog is a fundamental step.  A school blog is in essence an extension of the classroom and can be a learning tool that promotes conversations and thinking outside of regular class time.

Giving students administrator rights to a class blog needs to be made with very careful consideration of student maturity,  established school blogging culture and potential benefits and challenges to bloggers.

Last year’s class blog may be a useful induction tool for new staff and students and contributors should be made aware of this potential and ongoing use.

Schools might consider a blog “life cycle” and what happens at the end of the school year or when staff or students leave the school.

Monitoring and managing a blog with enthusiastic contributors can be time consuming.

It is vital for those schools to communicate to students and parents:

• What information is collected
• The purpose for which it is collected
• Intended recipients

The principles require that schools hold personal information for no longer than is required for the purposes for which the information was collected.

Schools considering the use of blogs or online environments available to the public will need to be explicit about their policy for identifying student names, images, photos, artwork and all student produced material.

Owing to the nature of the Internet, there are an unlimited number of people worldwide who could view information that identifies both staff and students.

Educators need to be aware that there is no way the school can stop a third party website from creating a direct hypertext link from its site to a school’s public website or blog.

• How will  class blogs contribute to our overall strategic plan or vision for use of ICT?
• How and when will we evaluate the blog’s contribution to educational outcomes for students?
• Do we have sufficient input and appropriate consent from students,  parents or caregivers to publish student work, images  and  videos?
• Do staff and students know what is effective and acceptable use of  learner centered blogs?
• Who will address inappropriate  use? What are the consequences?
• Will parents and caregivers  be invited to view or contribute to classroom blogs? Will the wider community have access to our blog?
• Does our current Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) need to be revised to reflect the use of Web 2.0 tools and blogs?
• How will we manage and monitor blog posts? Who will have administrator passwords?
• What is in place to ensure student and teacher safety online?
• Do students, teachers and parents know what to do if something on a school blog upsets or worries them?
• Who will choose the blog platform(s) or tools and on what criteria?
• Will we allow blog contributors to link to personal blogs, flickr accounts, other blogs?

Reading the platform’s terms and conditions is the first step. Be aware that free blogging environments can and do sometimes change their terms and conditions and if this happens the continued use of an existing blog may need to be reconsidered.

What platform:

• best suits our education requirements,
• is easy for teachers and students to use.
• provides effective methods for staff or administrators to monitor or mange blog posts.