Blogging: An overview
A.--Professional Use
Holy cow, is this opening up a new world for me as a school media specialist! I am really drawn to the use of blogging in the media center as a student-led tool for book reviews (as mentioned in the American Libraries article). The use of blogging as a communication tool for upcoming library activities and connections is also something I am highly interested in implementing.
The classroom setting is an area that I can be teacher support for the use of blogging. I liked the idea of blogging as a format for state reports in the elementary school (Reading Teacher article), as well as the format for literature circle discussion (Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy article). Additionally, the Reading Teacher article made me think of blogging as the upgraded use of class pen-pals: the communication and inherent learning opportunities occur in a more focused and immediate manner.
2.--Personal Opinion
Ya know, this is interesting. I can surely see the merit of blogging after having read these articles. I also see the value in the professional discussion this opens up within my own blog (and its constructed audience). In the library, it is a fabulous way to review books and use another publishing medium that actually reaches more students. (Um, not everyone will be chosen as the one student per state that gets their poem printed in a book that year, but everyone can publish their poem on their class blog!)
I was struck immensely by the American Libraries article that described book reviews as moving from"about the book" to "about the conversation." Profound. Applicable. Overdue (no pun intended).
I was also resonating with the Gifted Child Today's comment about how the email mailbox remains uncluttered when blogging. Now that has value, to all of us.
I am also enough of a digital immigrant to be hesitant of blogging. For example, I have seen a person withdrawing from personal interaction with actual people in the room in order to blog on their personal site, for hours at a time. What was thought of as communication was actually withdrawing! I realize this is the realm of using the tool wisely and not a fault of the tool, but it is a factor (much like untaught cell-phone etiquette!).
A professional thought is that yes, we clearly need the technology integrated into every subject: technological use is in and of itself not the subject so much as it is the medium. A great way to do this is 1:1 computers and students. Which leads to...
...resource issues! An elementary student at a private school in St. Paul is the recipient of 1:1 laptop use--the computer is assigned to the student for the school year, and it "lives" with the student. An elementary student at the public school in rural MN is lucky to get the computer lab reserved for their class once every two or three weeks. There is a vast difference of what an educator can do with the tools, given the parameters to work with.
Overall:
Love the reachable publishing venue
Communication = a very good deal
High use of reflection = learning is personal and relevant
Finally, doesn't anything that reaches our students count as something worth pursuing?!? This is truly their, and our, world. Why would we ignore that?
10 comments:
Thanks for being the first to comment on my blog - let me return the favor.
I think you sum this whole idea up very well - blogging is great, but...
You had asked on my blog about the disappearance/archiving of older posts. From what I know in my LIMITED experience, I am pretty sure that old posts "go away" after either a certain amount of time (monthly)or when there are too many posts to put on one page. This is good and bad. The bad thing is that I worry that some of my initial posts on my library site (which I will use to give information about the site and such) will be gone before SOME students actually visit for the first time). In the end, I guess nothing is perfect.
Good luck this semester.
I see students' work being visible by a wider audience as not only an attraction for students, but also as a motivator for teachers.
Potentially through this type of assignment creation, posting and publishing work electronically, teachers can encourage students to do work that will stand up to public, literally, scrutiny and that will stand the test of time.
I think it can be a complete different paradigm for completing an assignment. You are writing not only for a single person, but also for your class and whoever may happen upon your work.
One quick request Gina, could you please repost your comment to my Blog.
I am still learning my moderation settings and seem to have lost it.
I have listed the original text of your post below.
gina has left a new comment on your post "Blog Readings":
I agree with the morality issue--it must be taught and not assumed. It also must be taught in a cross-curricular manner, not as a separate entity.
I am learning more and more about blogging! Our students also have no school email, and so would post anonymously--welcome to the potential can of worms that you alluded to! As blog page masters, do we have admin settings that allow preview, edit, and choice of allowing the submitted posts?
I agree with much of what you have said here on your blog, especially about how useful blogs can be in the classrooms, lit. circle etc. and yes, an upgrade and expansion to the pen pal idea.
I also really like the idea that you touched on about blogs being about conversations (and not just books). I think this can be one of the best and most important aspects about blogs for teacher to teacher, teacher to student, student to student, etc. However, I agree with your point that this should not replace actual face-face conversations but be used as a starting point!
I loved your comment about blogging being the students' world. If My Space's users were all in one country, they would be the 3rd largest country in the world, behind only China and India as stated in Ewan McIntosh's recent presentation at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland( his presentation can be found at http://www.abdn.ac.uk/web/iwmw/thursday2.shtml). Our students are there. Even our youngest learners in elemenatry school are out there, social networks like WebKinz and Club Penquin.
As education always declares, we are preparing our students for their future. Leaving out blogging/social networking from our curriculum seems a gross oversite. We have a wonderful opportunity to model and teach appropriate and safe online practices through blogging.
Thanks for the post, Gina!
Gina,
Hope all is well up in Bagley. I am a graduate of BSU and grew up in Grand Rapids. I live in Blaine now, but get up north as much as possible.
Blogging is new to me, but I am seeing it more and more in media. I think having a solid understanding of this form of communication is important to keep up with our students.
Good luck this semester!
BP
Gina,
How is Bagley? I grew up in Grand Rapids and went to BSU. Try to get up north from the cities as much as possible.
Blogging is new to me. I did a straw poll with my 6th graders I teach and roughly 1/3 of the students blog. I feel I need to learn this form of communication to stay current with the kids.
Hope your semester goes well.
bp
Regarding some questions about how long posts stay up and if they can be looked at before they are posted.
In the "settings" tab, select "archiving" and you can choose how often you would like this to be done or not done. Each post receives its own website address, so this would mean that that address would allow people to continue to see that post.
Also under "settings" select "comments." Here you can choose to have comment moderation where on your dashboard (at the top of the screen) you will have a link appear when there is a comment that has been made that you can decide to have posted or not.
These tools can help make the blogs safer and more effective.
I enjoyed your mention of how, when using tools like the internet, and blogging in particular, we need to be careful not to let the technology take the place of human interaction. Students working together to learn is still a very important part of the education experience. We need to be sure that there is a balance between technology and traditional educational techniques.
Hi Gina,
A couple things struck me as I read your blog.
First, I continue to think as a classroom teacher most of the time and I need to move into the media specialist role when I respond. So on that note, I liked your idea about the collaborative relationship that the media specialist could have with the teacher by supporting them and their students in the blogging environment. Another way that we can open the doors to the library and work as a team. I already have found myself doing this since I started my own blog...I have shared my excitement with at least three different colleagues already.
The second item was your personal comment on how "withdrawing" this activity can sometimes be and I must agree. I always warn friends and family that reaching me via the email is not the best way as I have so many other things always going on that making time for checking home email just isn't what I do. I much prefer face to face or phone communication... usually these means are much more efficient for me. I feel so guilty when I hit the computer and virtually spend hours ignoring my husband. I am much more into activity and spending hours on the computer just isn't relaxation for me.
Post a Comment