Blogging in Education: Is the Worm Turning?

Edward Abbey continues a conversation that has been percolating in the world of education blogs recently at his CogDog Blog in a post titled The Dissonance of “Blogs in Education”.

It's good to see some thoughtful consideration of what blogging in an educational environment really means, and to see someone note not only the practical limitations, but the legal and technical as well.

In our school district we've been discussing blogs and the potential they hold for teachers and students for some time. I'm firmly entrenched on my spot on the fence--straddling between the idea that almost anything that harnesses the power of student self-expression as being terrifically good, and the very real concern that students will reveal personal information about themselves and/or use their blogs in a destructive manner.

It's a very scary world out there, and ultimately public schools have a legal and moral obligation to provide an environment that is safe and secure for our students and that provides adequate guidance for our students. Can every blog environment do that? Probably not. Can teachers find value for the education of their students by allowing them a place where they can control their own writing, share ideas with others, respond to criticism, and express themselves? I'd like to think so, but there are significant technical hurdles to overcome and a massive amount of resistance by those who would over-control.