Blog TetradBlogging is a tool that I use frequently in my philosophy/controversial issues class because I believe it allows students the freedom to vent their feelings and experiences. Putting their emotions in to spoken words can sometimes be met harshly in a classroom of students unaware of others life experiences. By blogging students hid behind anonymity making for excellent typed discussions. This demonstrates one of the enhancement features of blogging. What this can make obsolete is the need for face-to-face discussions. I frequently use blogs for my online students as well. Because of the factors I discuss previously, I feel students development a strong bond, one that is not built on looks or spoken communication. In relation to the retrieval factor, it facilitates followers and written historical documentation. It also facilitates asynchronous communication. The reversal will continue to occur with the development of "real-time" documentation of experiences (i.e. Twitter). Please view the following article that discusses the evolution of blogging. This is a good tool to help predict the future of this cloud communication. Another example of a microblogging tool in reference to a group member's example of a formed chain is socialtext. This is geared more toward the workplace, so taking it one step further from one's social life. This is in the same cluster as it allows instant posting to mass amounts of people.
Erin,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your blog. You are right, blogs give learners a place to have more open discussions, and it also eliminates the need to “click” with the “cool kids.” Thank for the links which have really interesting information.
Happy New Year!
Orit
I have also set up blog activities like journal entries for my kids, requiring them to make entries everyday, and they actually respond positively with that.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your use of blogs in your classroom; I agree that it is a perfect medium for students' self-expression! My goal is to utilize blogging with my students as well. However, blogs and wikis have been blocked by the server for student use, as a social media. I'm working on it, as we speak.
ReplyDeleteWhile you predict that facebook and twitter, and video microblogging will reverse blogs, I wonder that something we don't know about yet, will replace blogs? It seems that for now the technology is becoming more and more integrated, such that when a user posts with one, it can appear on the other medium, if the user chooses.
The neat thing about cloud computing is it can provide greater opportunities for students to explore learning experiences outside of the classroom. Because of the power of cloud computing, I wonder if there would ever become a day when a traditional class setting would become obsolete?
ReplyDeleteGreat tetrad on blogging. I have used blogs in my mathematics classrooms to help students put their work into words. Educationally, I believe that the blog is a great way to foster literacy and encourage writing outside of English classes.
ReplyDeleteYou do mention micro blogging. Do you believe that the micro blog will replace traditional blogs?
I don't think micro-blogging will replace traditional blogging because of the limits on text. But I do think something like mirco-blogging with video will make it more popular and blogs will lose their luster.
ReplyDeleteI think blogging is an excellent way for adult students to collaborate with each other. It is an great activity that encourage shy students to connect to their classmate. I do think micro-blogging with video is an great media because students have visual and audio to focus on.
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