Over the last few weeks I’ve had a couple of occasions to speak with educators about blogging and wikis. One of the benefits of having a class blog that I stress to other teachers is the ability of blogging to share information related to your class with students and parents 24/7.

The conversation about blogging is usually followed by people asking which blog program to use. Here are the four blogging programs I like the best. If you would like to hear a good discussion about using blogs in the classroom listen to episode 11 of Wicked Decent Learning.
1. Blogger
2. EduBlogs
3. WordPress
4. Weebly

No matter what blogging program you use, a class blog has many valuable resources for your students and their parents. Here are the top ten uses for a class blog.

1. Posting assignments and reminders.
2. Posting enrichment activities.
3. Continuing discussions beyond the classroom walls.
4. Creating a central location for links to student resources.
5. Posting videos to supplement and complement class content.
6. Posting audio to supplement and complement class content.
7. Keeping parents informed of what their child is studying.
8. Providing a place for students to turn in assignments. (Embed the Drop.io widget)
9. Giving students a wider audience for their work.
10. Insert your idea here…

What blogging programs do you prefer for academic use? How are you using blogs with your students?