Will your Web log add to the world of knowledge? In 12 days of blogs, our expert demonstrates the myriad benefits this new form of communication holds for teachers, students, and parents alike.

WHAT ARE WE BLOGGING ABOUT? The headline from an August 25, 2005, article in the San Francisco Chronicle says it all: “Thanks to new media, we have all become messengers— but what are we saying?”

Technology is allowing anyone with a computer, the ability to type, and an Internet connection to become a published author—of sorts. Web logs, or “blogs,” are the latest way that students, businesses, and many others are publishing their musings.

The term was coined in 1999, and today Webster’s dictionary defines a blog as a “diary; a personal chronological log of thoughts published on a Web page.” More importantly, it says that blogs are “typically updated daily” and that “blogs often reflect the personality of the author.”

Yet, it is the content of blogs that matters, not the tool. The tools (see“Tools for Blogging,” page 26) allow a broad, non-technical audience to publish news, information, and opinions widely. The content can range from dyed-in-the-wool journalism to stream-of-consciousness revelations. What you really need to consider before blogging, is: Why are you going to do it? To reach individuals with critical information, to express opinions, to teach students writing skills, or simply as an outlet for personal frustrations?

As California teacher (and blogger) Joel Arquillos says, “Ask yourself, ‘So what?’ before you start blogging. Will your blog add to the world of knowledge and learning, or is it just for fun?”