Will Richardson and Weblogs

At first just the word BLOG would force my heart to race. After reading the first few chapters in Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and other powerful Web Tools for classrooms by Will Richardson I am beginning to get the hang of it. I especially enjoyed his advice to start small. Chapter 3 in the above mentioned book mentions this piece of advice. Remember. . . The expert in everything was once a beginner. I guess we all need to be reminded of this sometimes. The practice on blogging will enable us to create a positive experience for our students. However, before I begin such a project, I do need to research a little bit more about student safety. Will Richardson does offer some advice on this topic. He suggests using only first names or assigning the child a different name, offering professional development to teachers, and informing students of some safety strategies. I appreciate his advice and will continue to research this matter. These days you can never be too careful.