For many bloggers, blogging isn’t something that you teach or take a class in, it’s just something that you jump right in and do.

But nowadays many schools and teachers around the world are incorporating blogging into the classroom, either as something to study on its own, or to support other projects.

So how can you support kids who are learning about blogging?

• First of all, check out our section on blogging tips, which now has lots of useful information in it. Let us know if there’s something in particular you’d like to see included there
• Encourage kids to work in small teams on their blog so they can learn to work together. This is a chance for kids who prefer technology to sports to learn more about team work
• Decide as a group before hand how you’re going to protect your privacy on the blog – will the whole thing be password controlled? If so, who will know the password? Will you be using fake names?
• Encourage your kid bloggers to create or find their own images. This is a great time to talk about copyright and why you can’t just take any image you find off the internet.
• How can you take a picture of someone but still disguise their identity? Be creative about this one. And remember – no school logos in photos either.
• Talk to parents about your blogging project. Many parents are nervous about their children being let loose online, so keep them in the loop with detailed updates about what you’re doing. Be prepared for a lot of questions and take time to answer them so the parents don’t think you’re selling their children on eBay.
• Reach out to children around the world. Look for another school overseas who are also involved in blogging to see how the kid bloggers can communicate and learn from each other.

What do you think kids need to know when they’re learning about blogging? Leave a comment below

photo credit: US Department of Education