The question was posted for our first blog experience: “Is
blogging the same as discussion board activity?” The answer is mixed. Yes and no.
From the reading this week there is lots of positive issues related to
blogging. One of the handouts discussed
how the teacher couldn’t get a child to engage in the classroom. But when talking to parents they were amazed
at what the teacher was saying because their daughter was doing beautiful
poetry on a blogging website outside of the classroom. Our textbook gives the example of using
blogging as a “medium as a portal for organizing class content in lieu of a
LMS” (King and Cox pg 91). Some pros and
cons for blogging in the classroom include:
Pro
·
“Blogging exposed students to more diverse
viewpoints” (Ellison and Wu, 2008).
·
With the blogging concept, students have the
ability to “develop a robust, coherent, and conceptual understanding” (Xie and
Sharma, 2011).
·
Blogging encourages instructors who “wish to
engage their students in reflective learning” (Xie and Sharma, 2011).
·
To explore more blogging concepts one could use
a mind mapping technique to incorporate more of a complete thought process.
Con
·
Students spend much time in front of computer
screens “upwards towards 8.5 hours a day of different media” (Ellison and Wu,
2008)
·
Blogging can start problems socially and
professionally
·
From a media standpoint, “Blogging and bloggers
are killing journalist” (Petersen, 2004).
·
Adult learners do not understand current
technology, and blogging is just one more fear for the adult learner to
overcome.
Blogging is not a new overnight
sensation. It has been around for many
years. More course instructors are starting to incorporate blogs or blogging activities into their normal daily
teaching plans.
Ellison, N. B., & Wu, Y. (2008).
Blogging in the classroom: A preliminary exploration of student attitudes and
impact on comprehension. Journal of Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia,
17(1), 99-122. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com.er.lib.k-state.edu/docview/205847595?accountid=11789
Xie, Y., & Sharma, P. (2011).
Exploring evidence of reflective thinking in student artifacts of
blogging-mapping tool: A design-based research approach. Instructional
Science, 39(5), 695-719. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11251-010-9149-y
Petersen, S. (2004). Another blog on the
fire; blogging is red-hot, but just how constructive is it? EWeek, 21(22),
34. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com.er.lib.k-state.edu/docview/198489515?accountid=11789
King, K., & Cox, T., (2011). The Professor’s Guide to Taming Technology Leveraging digital media, Web 2.0, and
more for learning. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Pub.
Hi John.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that one of the cons with utilizing blogging (or any technology) in the classroom is the likely skills gap for adult learners. In my own post, I site Carter (2011) who explains that, even if students are comfortable with technology use in personal or work related contexts, they may lack to necessary skills to use digital media applications (p. 95). I thought is was also interesting in Witte's (2007) article that she needed to revamp their blogging process with sample questions and a culminating activity, because the initial dialog was not as hoped (p. 94). Clearly the technology skills gap is an issue that any educator seeking to realize the benefits of blogging in their curriculum must address first.
I thought Dr. Kang effectively addressed this issue for me with the links he provided to the "how to" videos and text docs about creating a blog. I also found his links to sample blogs useful for generating my own ideas. Did these aids help you too?
Holly
Carter, T. J. (2011). Blogging as Reflective Practice in the Graduate Classroom. In K.P. King & T. D.
Witte, S. (2007). "That's online writing, not boring school writing": Writing with blogs and the Talkback Project. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy. 51(2), 92-96.
John,
ReplyDeleteI really like your list of pros and cons, especially since they touch on crucial issues for both blogging and education.
One of your cons in particular caught my eye; "Blogging can start problems socially and professionally". This statement can be more true than we think sometimes and can help us remember to exercise caution when we post anything that is going to be widely available on the internet. Witte (2007) experienced this with her project when administrators felt students were being placed at risk by referencing a particular neighborhood. While this may seem like something that would only happen in a setting with younger students, it is entirely likely that it could happen with adult learners as well, most particularly with ones who are not as comfortable or familiar with technology.
Besides the obvious risks of divulging too much information to"strange individuals who mean other harm that stalk the internet", many people post things in their blogs and other social media venues that place them in a precarious position both socially and professionally. It is widely known that many companies conduct internet searches on prospective employees. Higher education is not exempt from these types or searches and it is definitely not exempt from incidences in which professors use their social media outlets in an inappropriate manner. Hara (2011) comments that "if we have an online presence, we must be responsible in what we say or write." (para. 10); I wholeheartedly agree with this since many times our students can see what we or others who follow us write.
Hara, B. (2011, February 23). Think Before You Tweet (or Blog or Update a Status). The Chronicle of Higher Education [Washington, D.C.]. Retrieved from http://chronicle.com/blogs/profhacker/think-before-you-tweet-or-blog-or-update-a-status/30949
Witte, S. (2007). "That's online writing, not boring school writing": Writing with blogs and the Talkback Project. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 51(2), 92-96
John,
ReplyDeleteVery clever post! I really like the content of your blog and the bulleted pros and cons, but I found the overall design hard to read with the red text and the flame background. I did get the tie-in from your reference to Petersen, S. (2004). Another blog on the fire; blogging is red-hot, but just how constructive is it? EWeek, 21(22), 34. I marked this and another of your references as articles I would like to read, thank you for those. That is one of those synergies that come from this type of exchange! One of your cons – Adults do not understand current technology, and blogging is just one more fear, turned around this is also a good learning opportunity for adults, or at least in my case I hope it is a good learning opportunity!
Happy Blogging
Lynn
Hi John,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your comments regarding blogging vs. discussion boards as well as the pros and cons of blogging within curriculum. One of your cons which caught my attention was “Blogging can start problems socially and professionally.” This statement made me curious as to what social and professional problems could be connected to blogging, in particular, blogging within education. One issue that came to mind is the informality of blogging. While a blog’s more relaxed setting can be helpful in engaging learners’ participation, I fear the professionalism connected to traditional academic writing is somewhat lost in blogging.
One of Dr. Kang’s required readings this week by Witte, mentioned the need for instructors, utilizing blogging within their curriculum, to establish clear instructions and expectations regarding blogging practices. I believe setting clear blogging expectations can overcome some of the social and professional problems you might be alluding to within your post. By personally experiencing blogging, I can see many benefits to its use within curriculum; however, I still feel there is a need for some of the more traditional curriculum components. I am beginning to believe the most beneficial and effective learning environments are the ones which incorporate a meaningful balance of both technology and tradition.
Great post John!
Shandi
References
Witte, S. (2007). That's onlinewriting, not boring school writing: Writing with blogs and the
Talkback Project. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 51(2), 92-96.