Teaching Ideas That’s Blog Worthy: Ten Ways to Integrate Blogging into the Health Education Classroom - Vol 39 - Article 6

Oct 15, 2026

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Blogs are widely used, innovative online learning platforms that support synthesis of health education content and sustain student engagement. The activity enables students to define and execute a blog, then publish and respond to peers’ health-related posts. Designed for high school health courses, it strengthens writing and critical reflection while leveraging online interaction to increase connectedness, networking, autonomy, and student voice in a less threatening environment.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages3

Reading Time8 min

AccessFree to download

INTRODUCTION

Teaching Idea Objectives

Materials and Resources

Target Audience

PROCEDURE

Ten Ways to Integrate Blogs in Health Education

Teaching Ideas That’s Blog Worthy: Ten Ways to Integrate Blogging into the Health Education Classroom Sloane Burke and Jody Oomen-Early ABSTRACT Blogs are popular, innovative, online platforms for learning. Blogging allows for synthesis of content and helps sustain student engagement in the health education classroom setting. Objectives: Students will define a blog, execute a blog to apply learned health content, and post and respond to other students’ health-related blogs. Target Audience: Students in high school health courses. INTRODUCTION A web log (i.e., blog) is very similar to a website in that both allow for self-expression, and they may contain narrative comments, video, audio, photographs, sketchblogs (images or drawings chronicling events), gaming, political editorials, and links to other blogs or sites.1 Unlike a website, though, a blog is more fluid and changing as the online community or individual posts new information to share.2 Blogs can be “closed”(private), open only to certain people and ina certain platform, or “open,”which permits access by anyone on the Internet.3 Compared to the typical “discussion board,” blogs are not as structured, usually not edited, and they frequently include a variety of tools for self-expression.4,5 Results from previous research has been used to demonstrate that blogging increases the blogger’s sense of social connectedness online and the ability to network.1 Participation in blogs also can enhance an individual’s writing skills and encourage readers and writers to synthesize current ideas or research. Blogs provide bloggersan opportunity to voice their opinions and share their personal stories. Blogs can build interest, raise awareness, generate support for an issue or cause, and may propel individuals to take social and political action outside of the virtual environment. 1,3 In 2007, almost 112 million American adults were reading or hosting blogs.4 Blogs are simple to create, implement, and use. They provide a platform for quick online collaboration through the rapid sharing of resources, knowledge, links to information, as well as offering the opportunity for critical reflection and debate of ideas.6,7 Teachers can respond to students at a faster rate than through discussion boards or other asynchronous online methods.8 Consistent with online learning, blogs provide both students and instructors a high level of autonomy, while offering a new opportunity for peer dialogue and interaction. Through blogging, students who normally do not feel comfortable speaking in a traditional in-class setting may voice their opinions and thoughts in a less threatening online environment.3,9 In today’s high-tech, fast-paced environment, it seems critical to motivate and engage the “Web 2.0 generation”by integrating technology into the classroom. Blogging requires students to analyze, apply, synthesize, and evaluate, reaching the highest levels of Sloane Burke is an assistant professor in the Department of Health Education and Promotion, East Carolina University, Christenbury 110A, Greenville, NC 27858; [E-mail: burkes@ecu.edu](E-mail: burkes@ecu.edu). Jody Oomen-Early is an assistant professor in the Department of Health Studies, Texas Woman’s University, Denton, TX 76204; E-mail: Joomen@ [mail.twu.edu](mail.twu.edu). 362 American Journal of Health Education—November/December 2008, Volume 39, No. 6 Sloane Burke and Jody Oomen-Early Bloom’s Taxonomy.10 Creative classroom techniques incorporating technology foster amore vibrant learning environment where students can develop their interpersonal and health communication skills. OBJECTIVES At the end of this teaching idea, students will be able to define a blog, execute a blog to apply learned health content, and post and respond to other students’ healthrelated blogs. MATERIALS AND RESOURCES To complete this activity, access to the Internet is required. In addition, students will need access to a blog

FAQs

What learning goals does the blogging teaching idea focus on?

Students define a blog, execute it to apply learned health content, and post/respond to other students’ health-related blogs.

Who is the target audience for this activity?

Students in high school health courses.

What is required to complete the activity?

Access to the Internet and a blog site where students can create their blog.

Oct 15, 2026

Upload by Grenda