Step 4: Teaching Quality Commenting Skills

  The aim of this step is to:
1. Explain how comments are used on class blogs.
2. Provide tips for teaching students quality commenting skills.
Why comments are important?
 Kathleen Morris has shared some thoughts  on why comments count in a blog post:

• Comments turn your blog from a static space into an interactive space.
• They allow for back and forth conversation which can lead to a huge amount of learning.
• The fact that comments are not instantaneous ( like online chat ) can fuel deeper reflections, responses, and research.
• Comments allow for feedback, constructive criticism, and the adding of ideas and opinions to the original post. The content can grow and evolve.
• It can be encouraging for students to know they have an authentic audience who can connect with them.
• Commenting can be an ideal way for parents to get involved in the classroom,( virtual parents helpers!)
• A single comment can be the start of a fantastic working relationship or friendship. You never know where that can take you and/or your students.

 The blogging cycle
   Important parts of the blogging process include encouraging students to:

1. Read other students’ posts.
2. Comment on other students’ posts.
3. Write posts in response to other students’ posts.The blogging cycle