How I might use a blog in my classroom

I have never used blogs in my classroom, but reflecting on the recent information I have received I feel that this means of communication is very efficient and interesting for students, if used wisely. I may start a blog for the class and ask students to study and post information on different topics. The students would have to interact, commenting each other’s work, all via the blog on specific days of the week. This interaction might develop their interest in reading and writing.
I might start with a discussion topic on global warming and ask the students to participate and read as well as comment on other participations' posts. The students would not only depend on their research material and opinions among themselves, they would also receive opinions from around the world. This is something that could be very motivating for the students seeing that they would be able to feel the importance given to this subject all over the world. I think that a lesson taught in this way would be greatly enhanced, giving the students more liberty to write what they feel and the ability to create a forum for collaboration with other students. I would use this with my eleventh grade students.
Maria Dolores Jardim