Because it helps develop their literacy skills. They are writing and reading in a real-workd context, about things in which they are active and interested. How else could they share their writing with the whole world?
Is their writing worth sharing with the world, you ask...
Perhaps not if one is looking for the next classic novel of their generation. But if you believe that each human being is unique, and that their thoughts and creativity have value, then yes. Their "world" may be different from ours, but it is none the less valuable. Blogging gives them a voice, and a place to show their achievements and abilities to people outside their class.
The British National Curriculum for English summarizes these areas of development
- Speaking and listening (Speaking, listening, group discussion and interaction, drama, standard English and language variation)
- Reading (Reading strategies, reading for information, literature and language structure and variation)
- Writing (Composition, planning and drafting, punctuation, spelling, handwriting and presentation, standard English and language structure)
and for ICT
- Finding things out
- Developing ideas and making things happen
- Exchanging and sharing information
- Reviewing, modifying and evaluating work as it progresses
In more detail, the PYP Scope and Sequence Overview for Language describes the desired skills in the Visual, Written and Oral strands of language:
"(Students) will learn to understand that effective use of language is a valuable life skill."
Oral Language
Children 3 - 5
- use oral language for social interaction and to obtain understanding
- communicate needs, feelings and ideas
-participate appropriately in conversations
-tell stories and events in sequence
-give and follow instructions
-have daily opportunities to listen and speak in a variety of authentic contexts.
Children 5 - 7
- use a variety of oral language appropriately with increasing confidence
-talk about their thoughts, feelings and opinions
-work in groups and discuss ideas
-appreciate that listening is important in both small and large groups
-listen with increasing concentration and consideration
-pick out main events and relevant points
-increase their ability to anticipate and predict.
Written Language
Children 3 - 5
Reading
-be eager to read
-enjoy playing and experimenting with reading behaviours
-show an interest in books, stories, charts and songs
-“read” familiar text using visual, contextual and memory cues
-focus on meaning of text rather than word accuracy
-“read” daily in a variety of situations and have opportunities to discuss what has been read.
Writing
-be curious about print
-enjoy playing and experimenting with writing
-move from scribble to writing letters and words
-assign meaning to messages regardless of their stage of written development
-gradually produce recognizable spellings of a range of words
-be encouraged to write daily with or without support.
Children 5 - 7
Reading
-read simple texts with confidence and pleasure
-use a range of strategies to decode text
-discuss stories heard and read, demonstrating an increasing awareness of character and plot
-understand and respond to ideas and feelings expressed
-begin to use reference books and dictionaries independently
-participate in daily reading for independent and instructional purposes.
Writing
-write confidently with developing legibility and fluency
-write for a variety of purposes
-write simple, sequenced stories with a beginning, middle and end
-begin to plan, edit and review their own writing
-begin to spell high-frequency words accurately
-use simple spelling patterns or spell phonetically
-write legibly in a consistent style
-write daily for a variety of purposes.
Visual Language
Children 3 -5
-play, experiment, talk about and relate to different media materials
-use media to make sense of their world
-respond to media verbally and non-verbally
-show curiosity in many forms of visual media
-make connections between the real and the imaginary
-view and react to simple messages or factual information and describe what they see.
Children 5 - 7
-understand that communication involves verbal, visual and kinaesthetic features
-understand that signs and symbols carry meaning
-begin to read a range of signs in the environment
-read and use texts with different types of layout
-understand information presented in a range of visual forms including television, theatre and computer
-search for, record and present information using a variety of media
-begin to make choices about what is relevant and useful to them.
Blogging provides an environment and a platform for student growth in all these areas.
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