Blogging demands a more careful approach to writing. Blogging is publishing. Blogging is risky. The likelihood of being misunderstood and/or judged may limit a person's desire to be vulnerable enough to share a frank thought. Coaxing some students to share, teaching them to shape their thoughts, and evaluating the contributions challenge the classroom teacher seeking to integrate blogging. Getting people to think before they speak is an age-old issue, but the consequences of hitting "send" or "post" at an unwise time may be even greater. If teachers and students can initially establish good posting parameters, practice netiquette, and present clear thoughts, then they can benefit greatly from blogging. Ralph Waldo Emerson's famous lines from his essay Self-Reliance may inspire shy or reluctant students to speak boldly:
"Speak what you think now in hard words and speak tomorrow what
tomorrow thinks in hard words again, though it contradict everything
you said today. -- 'Ah, so you shall be sure to be misunderstood.' -- Is it so bad then to be misunderstood? To be great is to be misunderstood."
I can encourage productive blogging by presenting discussable topics, providing a clear purpose, establishing clear guidelines for posting, allowing a lot of room for students input, and considering the time requirements and accessibility. Since students are generally sociable, many may enjoy the sharing component of blogging and actually produce a higher quality and quantity of work than when journaling in isolation. Since students do not get better at writing unless they write, any incentive is welcome that encourages thinking, expressing thoughts, shaping thoughts, and effectively responding to others. Although the teacher monitors a student blog, he should let students assume ownership and show initiative. To play off of the title of a current best-seller, teachers must make sure they establish The Purpose-Driven Blog to achieve optimal results.
Concrete examples:
dialoguing with a group who is reading the same book
dialoguing with a group conducting the same experiments
dialoguing with a group who can convey details of a very different lifestyle
using RSS feeds to get the latest on certain topics
accessing others' excellent blogs for information, enrichment, ideas for posting
open possibility for exploration of personal interest; foster lifelong learning
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
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1 comment:
Jane,
You made some good points about using blogs. I think students will feel better about using blogs over traditional journals or project logs. It gives them a sense of ownership as well as sharpening their technology skills.
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