Here we go.
In high school (several years ago now) I had a Livejournal account that I used as a personal diary; since then I haven't used or cared for blogs, and it had never occurred to me until last week that blogging could be used as a classroom tool.
Going into this Communications Technology class I was excited to try and catch up to all the new technology being used in schools, partly because there's some really cool technology that's gained popularity in schools since I graduated (such as the Smart Board), and partly because I want my students to see me as savvy and competent, not dated and SO five years ago. :)
After reading through the articles posted for the class I feel much more aware of and intrigued by the potential of blogging for classroom use. I like the idea of blogs being used as a tool for students to share questions and thoughts with instructors, a forum for discussion with peers, and a tool for reflection. I like the idea of blogs being used just to encourage the students to write more and express themselves whether the content is school-related or not; I think the options of usernames and privacy settings will stimulate student's freedom and willingness to write. I also think that since students are growing up in the digital world, the internet and technology will continue to be such a big part of their lives; since the primary purpose of education is to prepare students for their futures it makes sense that education should embrace the reality of technology today and in the future and embrace it by incorporating technology in schools.
My biggest concerns with using blogging in the classroom would be students divulging personal/identifying information online, and using blogs as a tool for bullying their peers. I appreciated the article that recommended discussing internet safety and rules for blogging with students; it will also be interesting to see if student's being able to read and respond to each other's blogs will build a tighter-knit classroom community and have a positive impact on the problem of bullying rather than facilitating it.
More to follow, thanks for reading :)
In high school (several years ago now) I had a Livejournal account that I used as a personal diary; since then I haven't used or cared for blogs, and it had never occurred to me until last week that blogging could be used as a classroom tool.
Going into this Communications Technology class I was excited to try and catch up to all the new technology being used in schools, partly because there's some really cool technology that's gained popularity in schools since I graduated (such as the Smart Board), and partly because I want my students to see me as savvy and competent, not dated and SO five years ago. :)
After reading through the articles posted for the class I feel much more aware of and intrigued by the potential of blogging for classroom use. I like the idea of blogs being used as a tool for students to share questions and thoughts with instructors, a forum for discussion with peers, and a tool for reflection. I like the idea of blogs being used just to encourage the students to write more and express themselves whether the content is school-related or not; I think the options of usernames and privacy settings will stimulate student's freedom and willingness to write. I also think that since students are growing up in the digital world, the internet and technology will continue to be such a big part of their lives; since the primary purpose of education is to prepare students for their futures it makes sense that education should embrace the reality of technology today and in the future and embrace it by incorporating technology in schools.
My biggest concerns with using blogging in the classroom would be students divulging personal/identifying information online, and using blogs as a tool for bullying their peers. I appreciated the article that recommended discussing internet safety and rules for blogging with students; it will also be interesting to see if student's being able to read and respond to each other's blogs will build a tighter-knit classroom community and have a positive impact on the problem of bullying rather than facilitating it.
More to follow, thanks for reading :)
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