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In the past decade, there has been a monumental shift in the level of communication that parents expect from teachers and school administrators

A classroom blog can be a great compromise between teachers and millennial parents

Think of a classroom blog as a weekly newsletter for your students and their parents. It satisfies parents’ desire to know what’s going on at school, keeps the lines of communication open with parents, and becomes an archive of the school year.

Despite the overwhelming evidence that collaborative cultures in schools improve student learning, and the presence of tools that allow these cultures to be developed in new and expansive ways, there continues to be reluctance to embrace the potential of online environments and social media.

there continues to be reluctance to embrace the potential of online environments and social media

Not only does it mean that the role of teachers must change, it also means that for schools to be considered professional learning communities, they must orient themselves within the wider world beyond the classroom walls.

Students came to understand that grammar, punctuation, word choice, style, and syntax were not just a "teacher thing" but rather the means for effective communication. Students were motivated to write well on their blogs so that their posts could attract comments; learning about grammar and language usage had a "purpose and a point" (Peterson, 1998, p. 75).

n this post, Anni argued persuasively for water fountains on school playgrounds.1  She gave detailed reasons supporting her case, and her post sparked many responses. Donna, a teacher in Australia, explained that water fountains are called "bubblers" in Australia and that each school has rows of bubblers outside for student use. She also provided another reason to support Anni's reasoning: "Adequate water consumption is required for optimal brain function!"

student reporters update their Facebook page on something interesting that has occurred in the classroom and the teacher often comments on these updates with suggestions of things families can talk with students about at home.

Online journal writing. Reflective learning journals. Publish students' writing for feedback. Share and gather information on topics being studied. Post summaries or responses to literature.