Blogging is one of the most popular Web 2.0 tools around and used by educators everywhere. Basically, it is "online journaling" and a great way for students and teachers to create online content. However, the key to a blog is its collaborative nature and the ability to generate communication among others. Below are my favorites blogging solution for educators.
1. Edmodo - A terrific solution for blogging in the classroom and it's free. It allows teachers to create student accounts and monitor all their activity.
2. Kidblog - A great free way for students to blog with no email account necessary; teachers have total control of student content.
3. Gaggle - A semi-free (paid version removes ads) way for students to blog in a filtered environment. Gaggle will also filter Google Apps, provide forums, and filter YouTube as well.
4. Blogger - Google's free blogging service that is very easy to use and has a beautiful user interface with lots of: themes, gadgets, and options to choose from.
5. Word Press - One of the most popular free blogging platforms on the web. It requires an install and setup which means it has a bit of a higher learning curve then some other options.
6. Edublog Campus - A paid blogging solution for schools that is built around the Word Press Platform.
7. Penzu - A nice new (beta) site for blogging that allows users to choose if they want their posts to be public or private.
8. Live Journal - A combination of a blogging platform and social network that is very popular, with a focus on social media.
9. 21 Classes - A wonderful blogging solution for students and teachers. Teachers can create student accounts and monitor all blog entries before they are posted.
10. TypePad - Create excellent-looking blogs with this very easy-to-use paid service.
David Kapuler is an educational consultant with more than 10 years of experience working in the K-12 environment. For more information about his work, contact him at dkapuler@gmail.com and read his blog at cyber-kap.blogspot.com
