Focus Time

When pressed for a focus for this blog space I come back to the central question, why do I want to use blogs? This question is good for both the classroom and my own personal life. I will pose this question to the reader. What benefit does blogging give to my students? What activities are better carried out in the blogging sphere than in any other medium? What objectives will my students achieve while blogging that they can't achieve conducting any other activity? Tell me your experiences, both good and bad. I am looking for tried and true methods that enhance student's learning and not simply add the element of technology.