Not long time ago I wrote an article about blogging for my fellows. Maybe this can help.

A blog is short for weblog. Dudeney and Hockly (2007) include blogs together with wikis and podcasts, social software which enable people to connect, to communicate and to collaborate online. In other words, a weblog represents an ICT tool for publishing user�s comments and postings by providing an easy-operated space on the Internet. Dudeney and Hockly (2007) focus on the common features of blogs when applied to the classroom. As they explain, both teachers and learners are able to set their individual blogs, to generate and create their ideas and content either individually or collaboratively. They add that since blogs enable learners to connect to other communities of learners, they can be utilised for international communication. Dudeney and Hockly (2007) foreground that as an interactive medium, the blog allow readers to publish comments on author�s posts. The important point is that this tool supports a sense of social responsibility as the learners work together on content. Moreover, because students are aware of a real audience, the accuracy and appropriacy become more important for them. It should not be forgotten that there is no need for any specialist technical knowledge.

In the vast majority of cases a blog is kept by one person, who regularly posts comments, thoughts, analyses, experiences of daily life, interesting links, jokes or other possible contributions, to a web page. These written assignments may be accompanied with pictures, photos or users can even display and share audio and video.

According to Dudeney and Hockly (2007), the blogs used in education are known as the edublogs. For the teaching purposes, they outline three basic types of blogs:

�         The tutor blog

�         The class blog

�         The student blog

The tutor blog is set up by a teacher for learners. There are several teaching purposes the tutor blog accomplishes. One of them is that they provide learners with appropriate reading practice according to learners� interest and therefore avoiding boring texts. In the same way it makes opportunities for vocabulary reviewing and reinforcing. Is in undoubtedly true that the most effective utilisation of tutor blog is the use of comments buttons. As mentioned above, all entries can be commented by the readers. The tutor blog may also serve to remind students about their duties for next lesson, to review the class work or provide online links to specific topics and study tips which promote self-studying. Equally a blog maintained by a teacher can be used additionally to a class blog or student blog. (Campbell 2003)

In a class blog learners contribute to the same blog. Again, this type of blog can serve as an �afterclass meeting point� where learners post messages, images and links related to classroom topics. Another utilisation is for international language exchange projects. It is also advisable to use a class blog in case there are no computer facilities for every learner in the class. (Campbell 2003)

The last type of blog, student blog, requires more time and effort from both the teacher and learner. Learners are encouraged to set up their own individual blog where they are asked to post their thoughts, their reactions to things that interested them or other class related affairs. As the blogs are Internet-based, it may initiate further exploring of other tools, such as online dictionaries. (Dudeney, Hockly 2007)

Thomas (2009) discusses some advantages of blogging over traditional pen and paper techniques. First of all, blogging is an excellent occasion for pupils to present and share their work which they enjoy and knowing that they have real audience motivates reluctant students, too. In the second place, because each entry is automatically dated and time stamped, it provides an instant record of student�s progression, that is to say, it is possible to see how the computer literacy and skills have developed over time. Finally, the easy accessibility of blogs via Internet enables parents to involve more in their children learning and therefore raises their awareness of the work they are doing.