Blogging as a teaching tool
According to Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog, Blogging is a website or part of a website. Blogs are usually maintained by individuals with regular entries, commentaries, descriptions of events, and other materials such as graphics and videos. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse- chronological order. Most blogs are interactive, allowing visitors to leave comments and and even message each other via widgets incorporated on the blogs and it is this kind of interactivity that distinguishes them from other static websites. In the classroom, blogging can be a very effective tool to engage and empower learners. Situated in the context of student empowerment, open knowledge and democratic freedom, blogs provide the individual learner a worldwide forum for publishing or contributing their thoughts, writing, and expanding knowledge base Dawley, L. (2007). The author of the blog can post reflective writing, report of findings of a laboratory experiment, integrate hyperlinks to music, videos, podcasts, etc. The author is in control and is responsible for all the contents of the blogs, he/ she dictates the direction the blog takes which makes this approach student- centered in the classroom. Dawley, (2007) referenced Olson, (1994) stating that the nature of blog content provides the perfect forum for student expression of learning, thinking, and meaning making. In addition to the benefits of students publishing their own writing, students have the opportunity for additional cognitive scaffolding when receiving feedback or revisiting their own work. Dawley, (2007), also referenced Blood (2002), who describe a three- step process in the blogging process: scouring, filtering, and posting. This means that students locate the information, sieve through it and pick out what makes sense, then post it.
After posting the blog, the content becomes public, therefore anyone can view it and make comment where necessary. Often time the information can be objective rather than subjective because of the lack of authentic source provided to support the information posted. However, links in some blogs give the authors’ statements some form of credibility.
According to Dawley, (2007), the main strength of a blog is the ability to self- express in a public forum. Blogs are being used by instructors to support the writing process, reflection in the learning, provide student empowerment, and to promote the idea of students as experts in their own learning process. Blog promotes social and peer interaction and collaboration, increase positive student/ teacher relationships, and improves flexibility in teaching and learning. She further states that working with blogs gives students an authentic learning experience.
On the other hand, the weaknesses of blogs according to Dawley, (2007), are evident, especially when one considers an online teacher using an LMS, learning another tool outside the LMS costs time. Time is also impacted when the teacher and students have to learn to use the blogging tool. Extensive typing might be overwhelming for younger students and their privacy can be compromised. Negative comments or feedback to blogs can also have devastating effects on a student, therefore, steps should be taken to safegaurd what the students published. Once published, blogs have little potential to edit, hence, keen attention must be paid to information before posting.
Some common blogs sites are:Blogger is a Google site where free blog sites can be set up.
According to Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog, Blogging is a website or part of a website. Blogs are usually maintained by individuals with regular entries, commentaries, descriptions of events, and other materials such as graphics and videos. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse- chronological order. Most blogs are interactive, allowing visitors to leave comments and and even message each other via widgets incorporated on the blogs and it is this kind of interactivity that distinguishes them from other static websites. In the classroom, blogging can be a very effective tool to engage and empower learners. Situated in the context of student empowerment, open knowledge and democratic freedom, blogs provide the individual learner a worldwide forum for publishing or contributing their thoughts, writing, and expanding knowledge base Dawley, L. (2007). The author of the blog can post reflective writing, report of findings of a laboratory experiment, integrate hyperlinks to music, videos, podcasts, etc. The author is in control and is responsible for all the contents of the blogs, he/ she dictates the direction the blog takes which makes this approach student- centered in the classroom. Dawley, (2007) referenced Olson, (1994) stating that the nature of blog content provides the perfect forum for student expression of learning, thinking, and meaning making. In addition to the benefits of students publishing their own writing, students have the opportunity for additional cognitive scaffolding when receiving feedback or revisiting their own work. Dawley, (2007), also referenced Blood (2002), who describe a three- step process in the blogging process: scouring, filtering, and posting. This means that students locate the information, sieve through it and pick out what makes sense, then post it.
After posting the blog, the content becomes public, therefore anyone can view it and make comment where necessary. Often time the information can be objective rather than subjective because of the lack of authentic source provided to support the information posted. However, links in some blogs give the authors’ statements some form of credibility.
According to Dawley, (2007), the main strength of a blog is the ability to self- express in a public forum. Blogs are being used by instructors to support the writing process, reflection in the learning, provide student empowerment, and to promote the idea of students as experts in their own learning process. Blog promotes social and peer interaction and collaboration, increase positive student/ teacher relationships, and improves flexibility in teaching and learning. She further states that working with blogs gives students an authentic learning experience.
On the other hand, the weaknesses of blogs according to Dawley, (2007), are evident, especially when one considers an online teacher using an LMS, learning another tool outside the LMS costs time. Time is also impacted when the teacher and students have to learn to use the blogging tool. Extensive typing might be overwhelming for younger students and their privacy can be compromised. Negative comments or feedback to blogs can also have devastating effects on a student, therefore, steps should be taken to safegaurd what the students published. Once published, blogs have little potential to edit, hence, keen attention must be paid to information before posting.
Some common blogs sites are:Blogger is a Google site where free blog sites can be set up.
WordPress is a free blogging site run by the makers of WordPress blogging software
References:
Dawley, L. (2007), The tools for successful online teaching.
Information Science Publishing, Hershey PA 17033
Blog. Retrieved: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog
Linging Dot: Teaching tools. Retrieved: http://www.linkingdots.com/?content=tools
- LiveJournal Another site where free blogs can be set up. In addition to blogs or journals, LiveJournal is a community with some social networking features.
References:
Dawley, L. (2007), The tools for successful online teaching.
Information Science Publishing, Hershey PA 17033
Blog. Retrieved: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog
Linging Dot: Teaching tools. Retrieved: http://www.linkingdots.com/?content=tools
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