Mr. Higgins’ Blog » Blog Archive » ClustrMaps as Student Motivation
A great description from a teacher of how his students are motivated by the ClustrMap on his class website, including how it inspires them to look up places on Google Earth
20 reasons why students should blog « On an e-journey with generation Y
A nice summary of reasons for students to blog. Even if you don't agree with everything (for example, the digital natives bit in #16), this is a good place to start answering the question.
Steve Stander :: Blog :: Blogging & Motivation: Psychology of Language Learning
Looking at blogging as a way to motivate students to write through the lens of Determination Theory (Autonomy, Competence, Relatedness), examining how to generate and maintain motivation. Also discusses an inquiry-based learning approach with blogging.
Blogs Give Students an Audience | Edutopia
Interview with an 8th grade teacher about how having an audience for their blog has motivated her students
One thing that was surprising to the students and to me was the comments thanking the students. I think that was new for them, having someone appreciate that they did this work.
Learning through Blogging: Graduate Student Experiences
eLearn Magazine on one instructor's experiences using blogs with graduate students. He found that blogs were very motivating for students and helped them learn and reflect. His experience with blogs was very positive.
In reality, most students write many more entries than the minimum required. They also read each other's entries, and comment on them, as do I as the instructor. While the blog writing is motivated as a class assignment, student enthusiasm for the activity is contagious: Once a critical mass of active student bloggers is established (and of course, there are some who steadfastly refuse to have anything to do with it, incentives and penalties notwithstanding), off they go!