Hello out there! We're on the air, it's blogging night tonight. Tension grows, the mouse clicks and the fingers go down on the keys....
I enjoyed the article Abdullah's blogging. I like the fact that the author stresses the importance of the writing of the blog rather than the reading part. It seems that texts about blogging usually stress the amazing fact that students gain an audience by blogging. This point always makes me pause and think... Realistically, how many people actually read student blogs? Maybe I'm wrong, but the point of a possible audience for blogs just seems kind of mute.
However, I do believe that blogs can be a good middle ground between oral and written production. Especially when a course focuses on writing in more formal registers. I can also envision blogs as a simple way for a class to communicate in written form, without the old 'pass the paper to your left'. However, it seems that most technology (including blogging) has more of a place in the education of older students (high school, college and beyond). I believe my middle schoolers would spend more time looking for the keys than producing an actual text.
Thinking back on last week's discussion of myspace, I could also see a blog as a way for the teacher to keep parents/students/the wider community informed about what's happening in the classroom. I guess that would be a more traditional way of using a blog, but I could see its benefits.
I have to admit, though, that I'm also slowly getting blogged-out. It seems that any project that considers itself up-to-speed in the field of technology, is incorporating blogs somewhere.
That's why I say: ... it's the good old blogging game!
Lyrics adapted from song by Stompin' Tom Connors (speaking of plagiarism! :)
No comments:
Post a Comment