Definition: Blog
 Rowse (2005) stated," A weblog is a hierarchy of text, images, media objects and data, arranged chronologically, that can be viewed in an HTML browser. From "web log", a blog is basically a journal that is available on the web. A weblog is kind of a continual tour, with a human guide who you get to know. There are many guides to choose from, each develops an audience, and there's also comraderie and politics between the people who run weblogs, they point to each other, in all kinds of structures, graphs, loops, etc."

In simple terms, a blog is a web site, where you write stuff on an ongoing basis. New stuff shows up at the top, so your visitors can read what's new. Then, they comment on it or link to it or e-mail (electronic mail) you. Or, not. 

Your blog is whatever you want it to be. There are millions of them in all shapes and sizes, and there are no real rules.  Blogs allows people the opportunity to analyze, synthesize, compose, and evaluate various topics. The following provides vignettes on how a blog can contextually be viewed or used by people in our society.

A blog is a personal diary

• A daily pulpit.
• A collaborative space.
• A political soapbox.
• A breaking-news outlet.
• A collection of links.
• Your own private thoughts/memos to the world, or in this case the teacher and peers.

Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPCK)

Blogs allow teachers to have a platform to provide students with a reflection point during the entrance into a new lesson that can be given through questions.  These questions from the teacher will provide them with a gauge as to  what prior knowledge that the students are bringing with them into the content. Then, teachers can use similar questioning methods for their students on blogs to provide a comparative scale as to what knowledge was gained through the instructional processes in the form of an exit reflection ticket during the same class period. Through the blogs integration into the content, it will allow the students to look at the content critically to derive a deeper perspective on the topic being taught by a teacher's instruction. Teachers also will be able to break/chunk aspects of the content into intellectual parts to allow students to clearly define what they know on a given  topic that is being introduced in the course curriculum.Therefore, through the learning strategies students as well as the teacher can assess the overall instruction experience as a "whole" to conclude whether the student  has met the learning goals of the curriculum content.

The learning theory that comes to mind is constructivism approach.  Many educators use the "I do", We do", and "You do" to satisfy this approach is their classroom.  Ultimately, the teacher will provide the student-friendly expectations/objectives of the lesson.  Then, the teacher will provide a demonstration of the these expectations of how students should approach the objectives to meet the learning goals.  After the teacher provides clear demonstration and instruction of the lesson where they integrate technology to provide a "hook" for students attention and engagement into the lesson.  The teacher begins to relinquish their control through whole class discussion and through their students beginning to play a more participatory role. For example, in a math class, the teacher would call a student up to the whiteboard to do an example math problem and answer it.  Then, the teacher would turn to the other classroom students to ask how many agree/disagree with how the problem was solved. If someone disagrees, the teacher can have that student to work the same problem based on their understanding of the prior instruction taught howbeit in  a different way so that students can have the opportunity to see different thought processes that can be formulated when it comes to the content.

Integration into Learning Environment Strategies

As stated above, the teacher can format an entrance and exit ticket that students have to continuously comment on regarding defined lesson topics to gauge whether the students are internalizing the content being taught so that they can achieve the learning goals. In addition to this integration of blogs, the teacher still has to set the framework for her expectations regarding the use of the integration of blogs into her classwork for her students.  So the teacher sets these clear parameters/limitations surrounding the use of the blogs to ensure that it will be beneficial and effective to the instructional process. Additional instructional strategies that can integrate blogs would be to  answer various questions surrounding content in a lesson/story, then other class members learn from their peers regarding a student viewpoint/perspective of the lesson.  This relates to TPCK in relation to Teachers are designers of the Total Package #3. The lesson variations to provide students an open platform using technology for defined curriculum is a solution to engage learners. However, in a classroom situation the judicious use of blogs can be of real educational benefit.

Obstacles
As stated previously, blogs have no boundaries unless the teacher establish them prior to students using this platform. Although blogs can provide a platform for students to interact and exchange thought-provoking intellectual discussions.  These same technological tool can be use to the detriment of the learning process by misuse to defame, belittle, and demean people when student parameters/
limitations are not given by the classroom teacher.

In a controlled, educationally focused environment students can blog with invited guests who have been chosen by the teacher for their knowledge on classroom assignments/projects. Students can plan what they want to ask/comment upon on the topic, because blogs are more immediate than email, they can practice the skill of commenting/asking follow-up questions in this live online environment. Used in this way, blogs can improve students thinking skills and literacy skills, and help develop critical thinking.

Reference
Rowse, D. (2005, February 5). What is a blog?. Retrieved from: http://www.problogger.net/what-is-a-blog/.