QUESTION: great blogs for teenagers to read

[camille napier bernstein]

I want to teach kids how to write blogs, and as part of that project, I want them to read blogs.  I have a few I follow, but the topics run from "middle-aged woman writes on parenting and marriage" to "middle-aged woman writes on parenting and marriage" to "early childhood education" or "fun for toddlers" -- not topics they'd be keen about!!

Can anyone suggest some neat blogs to read?  I want to provide a wide selection.

 

Thanks.

Camille

[Syd (EduNut)]

Hi Camille.  What grade do you teach?  I'm actually looking for a few teachers to network with who'd be interested in having students exchange ideas and writing using blogs.  Let me know if you're interested.  

 

In the meantime, this is the beginnings of a blogroll I started on my class' blog site (World Studies, grade 10). I plan on going through them a bit more before school starts next week, but have at 'em:

 

GLOBAL YOUTH

Mideast Youth 

Upfront Africa

POLITICS

Yasmin Shiraz

ENVIRONMENT

It's Getting Hot In Here

BOOKS

So What Are You Reading? 

LIFESTYLE

Youth Radio Eats  

Youth Well Wasted

[camille napier bernstein]

Syd,

I love the idea of exchanging ideas among our students.  My students are 11th grade English students, honors level, and the blog I am planning is an exploration of the American Dream, which is one of the foci of our literature study.

Thanks for the ideas!

Camille

[Syd (EduNut)]

Omigosh, ACTUALLY my colleague's teaching US History/English 11and she's exploring the exact same theme this year!

I'm going to PM you and see if we can connect the two of you, if you're into it.  :o)

[camille napier bernstein]

I feel dumb asking, but what is PMing me?  :)

 

[Syd (EduNut)]

Oh...hehe..."private message" :o)

[Kimberly Trevisani]

I guess I have to ask, what is a blogroll and what sites do you use to set up blogs among your students?

Thanks,

Kim (blog newbie)

 

[Syd (EduNut)]

So sorry- a blogroll is a list of favored blogs read by the blogger.  If you find a blogger that you like, it's a good chance the blogs he or she recommends in the blogroll will strike your fancy!  

 

[Laura Bradley]

You can kill two birds with one stone with this blog: http://www.zoesbookreviews.com/

Zoe is a high school student who started blogging about books when she was 14.  Her blog is so successful that publishers send her books for free in hopes she will read them and post reviews on her blog.

[Syd (EduNut)]

Good one!  Adding it to our blogroll.  :o)

[Susan Stephenson, the Book Chook]

Here's two Australian sisters who review books in the Paper Dolls blog. A recent post was a writing prompt.

[Syd (EduNut)]

Wow, they have a great blogroll there, too!

[Kelly Farrow]

If you're willing to let them use humor in their writing, an excellent example (and a blog I now look forward to every day) is Cakewrecks (http://www.cakewrecks.com)! It's funny, and even more importantly--it's well written to serve as an example for the teens. If you're uncomfortable w/ the idea of a blog that exists solely to lampoon other people's work (however anonymously), then this wouldn't be a good choice, but I think for caption writing, irony, and other writing skills, this one would be a big hit.