I know I’m a little late in posting this, as it was published on April 30, but I think the findings are promising.

Blogging helps encourage teen writing from eSchool News:

“Bradley A. Hammer, who teaches in Duke University’s writing program, says the kind of writing students do on blogs and other digital formats actually can be better than the writing style they learn in school, because it is better suited to true intellectual pursuit than is SAT-style writing.

‘In real ways, blogging and other forms of virtual debate actually foster the very types of intellectual exchange, analysis, and argumentative writing that universities value,’ he wrote in an op-ed piece last August.”

In my personal experience with students, they tend to be very excited about their blog posts. Kids who don’t ordinarily “shine” in the classroom are proud of their personal writing and want to share it with others. The opportunity to revise and update as they blog and then receive feedback… it’s all about those authentic experiences that make writing powerful for kids.