Blog, the word is still relatively new in our lexicon, and yet it has permeated our world. Any internet search will likely list a blog in the first page of options, and any Tom, Dick, or Harry can make one in 5 minutes. Estimates for the total number reach as high as 1 billion! Blogs can be used as a communication tool, a place for topical commentary, a medium for venting, and much more. When applied to education, all these uses are viable options that can enhance or even guide the classroom environment.
In my first blog experiences as a high school English teacher, I created a blog to use as a forum with my students. I posted discussion questions and students were required to answer the question and respond to others (I think I used Edublogs for this). Partly because I implemented it poorly, the process did not go well, and most students just posted very basic responses. At the same time, my colleague had each of his students create a blog in his science classes, and they were required to post notes and responses to class materials. It was bascially their lab book/ class notebook. He reported that students liked it but that the overall results were unsatisfactory.
I am now starting to use this blog as a way to post and discuss interesting professional material that I come across. I intend to use it as part of my professional development and professional learning community. Hopefully it will attract followers that will respond and share their own insight and links with me.
Most of the classroom uses for blogs (discussion, posting of material, individual commentary) can be achieved through other means, so I am not sure I would recommend teachers instructing students to set up blogs as a centerpiece of a class. If one does, it would require time for students to establish accounts, learn the features, and understand the etiquette of proper posting of content. Perhaps the best use of student blogs is as an option for representation of learning (i.e. a project or a portfolio collection). I think teachers can also effectively use them as a posting tool to which students can respond and discuss. As with anything, it is up to the teacher to make sure the process is smooth and worthwhile.
What do you think?
I entered blog 1 grades a while ago and then forgot to come back and add my comments. I'll be better about this on the remaining blog entries. Some of this topic was covered just this past week re: digital footprints. I do appreciate the thought you put into this blog entry and I did read it completely if that's any consolation. My father passed away just before I was set to reply to blogs and I lost a few days of work and focus.
ReplyDeleteNice fish, by the way. ;~)