Tablet paper.
My students use tablet paper for quite a few different purposes: love notes, no-longer-in-love notes, bookmarks, fans (on hot days), paper footballs (on indoor recess days), and once in awhile even homework.
Paper is a tool the value of which is determined by the need or the purpose.
Similarly, blogging is a tool. In itself, it is neither good nor bad. This is the theme that I try to preach when I talk to fellow teachers about using blogs or any of the other web 2.0 tools. Just using them does not make good teaching. Using them well is what makes good teaching.
Discussions about how critical to be about a student's mechanics or about whether to have a private audience versus a world-wide audience, I believe, should to be part of the planning for each specific assignment. However, it is important to consider that there are times when different criteria and audiences are appropriate to facilitate particular learning.
I have seen technology actually stand in the way of learning. In fact, I have been guilty of inflicting students with it myself. So in ending, I look forward, desperately, to learning to leverage blogging to have positive value for students.
I love how you compared blogging to writing on tablet paper. That was a great image! And so true, students will chose to make or break any tool afforded to them, but I hope as educators we are willing to go out on a limb and give out students all the tools in the world so that they can chose the one that will make them!
ReplyDeleteAlan, I thought you made a very interesting point about having a specific criteria for the assignment or audience and how either may vary the mechanics of the project or the outcome of the project.
ReplyDeleteI also think that the district's policy for posting is important.
Is "Kid Writing" acceptable as a post? or does it need to be correct spelling and punctuation for posting? Is teacher editing taking over the students "blogg" if it is edited before being posted??? HMM??????
Discussions about how critical to be about a student's mechanics or about whether to have a private audience versus a world-wide audience, I believe, should to be part of the planning for each specific assignment. However, it is important to consider that there are times when different criteria and audiences are appropriate to facilitate particular learning.
Reen