Where is it going?
Blogs are proliferating at an exponential rate. Estimates suggest
as many as 50 million people are now blogging. Because blogs
are easy to create and modify, they occupy a unique niche in
cyberspace—that of highly personalized discussion forums that
foster communities of interest. Blogs are public and long-lived,
and they weave themselves into close relationships with other
blogs. As such, they may serve as an educational tool for reflec-
tion, knowledge building, and sharing.
Blogs continue to benefit from several years of experimentation
and evolution, both within and outside of education. By carefully
evaluating their strengths and weaknesses, educators are learn-
ing to set guidelines and expectations to maximize the benefits of
blogs. Structured exercises and clear goals are further enhanc-
ing the value of blogs in education.