I've only ever really considered blogs to be something similar to an online journal. I guess that was because I was not as educated about them as I believed myself to be. When I picture a blogger, I think of some person sitting in their parents basement trying to tell the world about some conspiracy theory that they've been working on. I know, extremely biased. Know that I've grasped the concept more, I have learned that it is something much larger than that. It can be an extremely helpful tool to opening up the classroom to your students in a new medium.
I enjoyed reading about how a blog can be a tool for working cooperatively. It is a way for students to contribute and provide feedback to their peers. While reading Blogging in Language Learning, by Rita Zeinstejer I felt a connection with what was being discussed. Getting students to work together in a productive and exciting manner isn't always the easiest. However, by using blogs students are able to comment and express opinions and ideas that they may not have been willing to speak up in classroom discussions. Students will be able to engage in real conversations using the English language compared to the often scripted conversations they are often subjected too.
Working online can also be a benefit to students as well as teachers. If allows teachers to constantly be able to update information and provide it to students. It also gives students more time to think or process what they are going to write or say. I know that I was always that students that couldn't work under the pressure of writing at school during a timed session. Allowing students to feel more personalized and giving them time to be creative allows for better material and in turn a chance the students is actually learning.
STANDARDS:
Standard 1: Students will listen, speak, read, and write in English for information and understanding
Performance Indicators-
7: Present information clearly in a variety of oral and written forms for different audiences and purposes related to all academic content areas.
8: Select a focus, organization, and point of view for oral and written presentations, and justify this selection.
English as a Second Language NYS Standards
I'm glad that you have broadened your mental picture of bloggers and seen how blogging can be useful in your teaching. That said, I must tell you that your first comment made me think of a great book about blogging that covers both the good and not so good possibilities for blogging. It's called From Blogs to Bombs: the Future of Digital Technologies in Education. http://e-language.wikispaces.com/mr2
ReplyDeleteI agree with your idea that blogging can provide some of students a chance to perform better with more flexible time and choices. Besides, I think online assignment is also environmentally-friendly because so much paperwork can be saved by using blog!
ReplyDeleteLaura- I love the title of your blog- very creative! I think you have a lot of creative ideas for integrating blogs into the ESOL classroom. I also think it is important to use blogs as a means to engage students in creative and authentic dialogue- especially for the ELL who may not initially feel comfortable using the L2 in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteLaura,
ReplyDeleteFirst off, I love your introduction to yourself.... it's very positive and you show your enthusiam for what you're doing.
I originally viewed blogging as something similar. I saw it as an online journal, where people could poke their noses into other people's business. Originally, I wasn't a fan of the concept until I read the articles that were provided for this class. I really like that you explained your skepticism and your new found apprecaition of blogging in the educational field. I completely agree that blogging is a great way to open up our students!! Engagement is the first step in education, and blogging seems to be an interesting way to brnig that about
I love how you expressed your previous opinions of blogging, I feel like that's the same way everybody feels! I picture moms and sci-fi fans as the only bloggers in the world, so I'm glad we share that feeling.
ReplyDeleteI like what you said about the potential as blogs being an untimed, more relaxed setting. I think it's hard to motivate students to do a lot of work out of school but I've seen blogs where students were all forced to log onto a computer at the same time and post a reaction and the effort seemed overly contrived / unappreciated. I think that if a blog topic is super phenomenal / the importance of a grade is stressed, blogging from home would allow students to relate more to the material and contribute a lot more.
Also, your blog name is fabulous.