Blogs and Wikis

I like the idea of using blogs and wikis in the classroom but have some reservations about it. Blogs can be helpful when doing class assignments and recording data in group projects. It teaches kids about using the computer and internet. My reservations are safety. No matter how much you monitor kids on the internet, accidents can happen. The safety of my students is most important therefore I would hesitate before allowing them to use a class blog. Also, using a class blog could inspire students to create their own blog and there are many predators out there. Blogs can have their educational uses but student's safety must be taken into account. I go back and forth as to whether or not I would allow a class blog to be used in my classroom. A class blog without student access could be good. For example, a class blog could be used to update parents about class progress. Blogs have their benefits but I do not think I would use it is my class for student use but perhaps to communicate with parents about lesson plans and homework.