Evaluation of Communication Tool:  Google’s Blogger

CRITERION	SCORE (1-3)	NOTES
Learning Effectiveness	2	- Provides real world experiences - When combined with teaching, the application extends the student’s learning
Reliability & Support	3	- Student is able to access the program with minimal support - Efficiency in speed and design - Easy to correct errors
Ease of Use	3	- Program automatically saves work - Students at all levels are able to learn the tool with some ease - Student can use several applications within one tool (video, communication, presentation, audio)
Safety	3	- Ad free - Able to embed academic links - Individual login - Secure environment - Interact with other users
Technology Requirements	3	- Unlimited free student & staff  accounts - Simultaneous collaboration on projects, documents - Web-based - Use on multiple platforms:  laptops iPads, iPods, Kindles
Curriculum	1	Non-applicable

Google’s Blogger has an interface that makes it easier to use and create a colorful as well as attractive blog that I know my students would all be proud of.  Students could post a story or research and include pictures or videos to enhance their written work.  Graphics will help to capture the attention of other readers and also provide the writer with a way to share their voice not just with words.  Posting written work for the world to see somehow makes the significance and importance of the writing piece much more important.

A benefit of the blog is for students to comment and leave feedback for each other.  Following each other’s blogs would be fun, but the ability to follow a professional’s blog deepens the learning experience.  The greatest drawback is the privacy and making sure students’ are safe.  A teacher could have students participate in a blog that is secure by paying a fee for that feature.  The one blog I researched had an annual fee of $40, which I found to be reasonable.