Blogging and Teaching?

How can blogging and teaching be combined into one?
So many times we think of them as separate things.  You blog when you're relaxing, and you teach when you're working. 
However! Blogging can help you teach! With the changing times, technology is more and more a part of our students lives.  Having a running blog for your class will give your students a chance to interact with you, or other students when not in the classroom.  They can ask questions, post concerns, or even expand ideas and thoughts from earlier in class right on their own computer! Many times, having the comfort of being able to communicate with a teacher in their own home is something that students need in order to be able to express themselves.  This is also a great way to get the shy students involved in class discussions.  In a foreign language classroom, the benefits that blog present have to do with their language development.  It gives them a chance to use the language in written form, and the teacher the ability to assess their writing without having to worry about handing back papers or losing them in a massive collection of student assignments. 


I think that having a blog for a class is something that teachers should take advantage of.  They can be great, useful tools for any content area, level, and class!