Blogging as a pedagogy to scaffold independent learners

Check out this amazing Langwitches blog post about why blogging should be central to classroom learning.
http://langwitches.org/blog/2014/06/03/blogging-as-pedagogy-facilitate-learning/

A pedagogy incorporates all the strategies, approaches and techniques a teacher uses to facilitate learning.  Blogging meets the needs of learners through the four areas of reading, writing, sharing and reflecting.

Reading:
1. Scaffolded access to information using multi-media reading opportunities.
2. Information can be re-wound for repeated access anytime, from anywhere.
3. Blogs allow for collation, labelling and the sorting of information.
4. Reading becomes collaborative and connected when reading the posts of peers.

Writing:
1. There is an audience and purpose for writing.
2. It gives opportunity to publish in range of media not just writing.  
3. Communication takes place via commenting.
4. Student progress is tracked along with constructive comments from peers, teachers & audience.
5. An opportunity to practise 'cyber-safety' in a scaffolded environment.
6. Allows for the linking of written, visual and audio to increase the clarity of the message.

Sharing:
1. Learning is shared with a global audience giving a sense of accountability for excellence in publishing.  
2. Constructive comments are given and received which inform next steps.
3. AKO is achieved as students share learning and support the learning of others.

Reflection:
1. With the purpose of improvement as a responsibility to the audience and personal learning.
2. An opportunity to make thinking visible - students create their own reflection on a post.
3. Student reflection with feed into planning for future learning.

Blogs give a sense of ownership and agency for what a student selects to write, when and where they post.  They scaffold reading and give direct support through constructive comments in the next steps for learning in writing. 

I feel that blogging is an important tool in growing and developing 'Independent Learners' who have an understanding of their global audience, cyber citizenship, their responsibility to share knowledge and the need to publish work of the 'highest' level.