Watch this video. Did that convince you to let your students blog? Why or why not?
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I loved this two-minute video. I actually learned more reasons to why any student should blog. I strongly belief that by students having a voice in a blog to discuss important topics they will gain confidence that they can apply anywhere else. Their voice gives them power as stated in the clip but this power evolves into open-mindedness, because they have the opportunity to feed of each others ideas and take everyone else’s perspective into consideration. In other words, blogging will be a key concept in their overall development and personal strength. Danyi T.
The video points out all the reasons why students should blog. I would definitely use blog to teach my students how to communicate and express their ideas. It would be a great way to get a child motivated and to participate in projects.
The video on blogging in the classroom highlighted many reasons as to why it is important to allow students to blog. Creating a classroom blog would be an excellent way of incorporatng technology into lessons and assignments. Blogs provide an open forum for the sharing of ideas and encourage discussion. Blogs can be exciting for students because it allows them to see their ideas work on the web. In the future I could easily see myself creating blog spots for my students. Bridget S.
The video was inspirational with the music and the images with the words and such. I do see the point in letting students express themselves and allowing them to do so through blogs, but I think it is important to remember to be cautious with children when dealing with the internet. I think a classroom could benefit greatly from having a blog, as long as it is well monitored and used in the proper ways. Students expressing thier ideas and feedback could also be extremely beneficial when trying to gage the effectivness of a recent lesson or even just seeing if the students are all on the same page.
This video completely convinced me to let my students blog. Blogging can definitely give students a voice they may not get in the physical classroom, and therefore an individual sense of empowerment. I think blogging is a more equal opportunity method of classroom discussion, especially for students who are on the shyer side or have processing difficulties. The most important thing I took from the video was when it said "to give [students] skills useful for their digital futures." I think it is extremely important for students to be in touch with the digital world more now than in the past because the world is rapidly changing as technology advances. Blogging is a simple way in which students can connect the digital world to the classroom. -Jen S
I think this clip gave a lot of solid reasons to let students blog. Besides being engaging and exciting for students, I like how the clip mentioned going outside the walls of a classroom. There are a lot of great sites made by teachers in other towns, states or even countries that form partnerships with a class to exchange their ideas. Imagine how exciting it would be for a class here to be discussing the same topic with ideas of another class in London or somewhere else?!
I think blogging is a wonderful thing for children to do and experience. Blogging allows students and teachers to be connected 24/7, the learning never stops. Blogging can be a great tool for teachers to use to enhance any lesson in any subject, with most age groups. Colleen F
Christine, that's a great idea you had about being able to connect with students in different cities and countries! Blogging is a great way to collaborate with classrooms other than your own. -Jen S
Dani, I like how you mentioned open-mindness. Blogs can be a good way to teach children how to open their minds and respectfully agree or disagree with someone else.
I really enjoyed this video on blogging. I am now aware of several reasons on why we should let our students blog. I especially liked the clip that stated how blogging gives each child a voice. I completely agree with this and believe that blogging can help students voice their thoughts and opinions.
Also, Christine that sounds like a great idea having your students blog and connect with students in another country.
I really enjoyed this short video - it provided me with even more reasons then I originally thought of as to why students should blog. I agree with Bridget and many others who said that blogging is a great way to incorporate technology into a number of different lessons. It also provides students with a "voice" and outlet to share and discuss ideas. Blogging definitely extends the walls of the classroom and makes room for interaction with students in other classes, schools and even countries. The idea of ownership is important as well, I think it would be great for a child to be able to see their thoughts and opinions posted on the web. I also agree that teaching children about blogging and other Web 2.0 tools at an early age will provide them with skills that are necessary for their future. -Jessica W
Like others have said the 24/7 access is great for students. It also keeps are a written record that's always accessible for children to review of conversations (especially those who forget what was talked about in class or weren't there).
I thought that this video was very inspiring. The video showed why students should be blogging. I would definitely have my students blog as part of their learning experience because it allows for communication, creativity and motivation. It also teaches students how to learn and teach others what they have learned.I believe blogging is a great tool because it allows the students to feed off each others ideas and be able to have discussion.
I could not agree more. Blogging really does all of those things stated in that video. It is a way to engage students in learning and give them ownership and a voice over their own ideas. As an english teacher i beleive it is a way to make writing more fun and enjoyable. Also, it is pretty cool being able to converse with kids across the globe. I remember having a pen pal when i was in elementary school, you barely got to know them. With new technology and blogging you can really get to know someone and share your educational experience and life with them even if they thousands of miles away
Danyi T- "Their voice gives them power as stated in the clip but this power evolves into open-mindedness, because they have the opportunity to feed of each others ideas and take everyone else’s perspective into consideration."
Jeff K- "I think a classroom could benefit greatly from having a blog, as long as it is well monitored and used in the proper ways."
This video showed me many more benefits to using blogs in the classroom. I hadn't even thought of many of these confidence building characteristics blogs help to create. In this video blogs were portrayed as positive learning tools that helped students communicate their work.
My concern regarding many people's views is that the video is totally a one sided look at blogs. None of the negative aspects such as kids who are unfamiliar with technology, kids who don't have access to technology at home, fear of their ideas being accessed by the world, etc. were addressed.
In my opinion one of the greatest features of a blog is that it gives every student in your class a voice. I love to have open discussions in my class but due to time restraints during the day it is impossible to have every student contribute to a discussion. With a blog every student gets a change to give their opinion and state ideas. In addition to this students are able to respond to one another and exchange ideas. Students who might not interact in class could do so in a blog.
-Kathy M.-
Jeff K - i agree with you when you talked about how blogs should be carefully monitored and used properly. I could see how a blog might get a little out of hand. Its important for teachers to clearly state the guidelines when blogging and what the consequences are.
Patrick - I like how you brought up some of the negative aspects that were not brought up in the video - they didn't really cross my mind until i read your response. I think if teachers utilize a blog they need to start it in the classroom with the students so that they understand how to use the technology. In addition the teacher needs to make sure all students have access to the blog at home before they assign it.
This video showed more reasons why students should use blogs. It opened my eyes to more ways students should use blogs and how it benefits them. Its a great way for the students to show their interests and concerns in class. Blogging is also a great way for students to keep themselves updated with today's technology. -Deanna C.
This video presented about twenty different reasons why you should let your students blog. I think blogging is an incredible tool to incorportate into a classroom. It opens for the doors for students to communicate within in a class through the use of a different medium and can allow those who are uncomfortable to vocialize thier ideas a way to express themselves. In addition to allowing students to communicate within a classroom, it is also a great tool for students to communicate with others throughout thier community, state and even globally. I agree with Jen. S. and believe blogging is also important because it a tool that will aide students in thier digital futures. Kristina B.
Blogging is an activity that has a million uses both in and out of the classroom. This video did a great job in highlighting some of these. While I do anticipate using blogs in my classroom one day, I feel like it must not become the primary means of participation. Even though using a blog would have given a shy student an opportunity to participate (as i mentioned last week), I think there is a great need for increased face to face interactions between students and their peers/teachers. We are in an age where technology is everywhere, and it's amazing. However, it is becoming easier to rely on these technologies rather than supplement ourselves with them. As an educator, I would absolutely use a blog, and other similar technologies, but in a conscious effort to balance it with in class discussion, debate and conversation.
I think blogging is a great way to incorporate technology into the classroom. It gives students a different way of communicating with each other as well as people all over the world. I do believe that technology should be included in the everyday classroom but it is important to balance it with social interaction.
John-I completely agree with you..I think we sometimes rely on technology too much and aren't paying enough attention to other ways of communicating like a simple class discussion or debate. It's definetly important to have a good balance between the two.
This two-minute video certainly provided a positive outlook on blogging for our students. As I watched it, I felt it lacked a narrator to add comementary and make the video even more convincing. The video opened me up to all the opportunities students have at their fingertips with blogging. I feel blogging could be an excellent tool to implement in my classroom as long as it's used appropriately. In response to Jeff K., I do agree that there are precautions that have to be taken when allowing children access to the internet. It must be done in a safe and appropriate manner. I also agree with Jessica W. that blogging enables students to communicate with students in other classes, cities, countries, etc. This opens up students to viewpoints and opinions from other demographics that they could not experience in their own classroom.
I really enjoyed this video clip.I think that blogging is a great tool that I would implement in my classroom. It gives students a voice, espically those who may not always want to speak in class. Also, it uses technology, which is something that students in today's classrooms can relate to. -Christine Sommer
I particularly didn't like this video. I was never too familiar with Blogs or blogging; however I still would not be convinced to allow them to Blog. At one point in this video its states for literacy. I feel that they may not pick up the proper way to speak as it is not required, on a blog.
I agree with John G. when he says that there would need to be face to face communication for students. Their social skills may struggle if they do not have this face to face interaction.
I also agree with Patrick, when he says that blogging should be explained and taught properly before use. It should also be monitored.
I thought the video was nice. I think that blogging gives students another outlet to voice their opinion. Especially in the case of the child with special needs. Ive seen educational videos when they use a computer to help children like the boy in the video communicate and develop. It's always good to have another learning tool in your back pocket. You never know when it may come in handy and this is definitely one of those. -David B
I would allow my students to blog because this video highlights all of the positive rewards students can gain from blogging. As long as the blogging is monitored by a responsible adult, blogging wouldnt be harmful to students. It gives them the opportunity to express their thoughts and feelings with each other. Technology is the furture so why not let students indulge in its many possibilities. Melissa H.
I enjoyed this little video clip about students being able to blog. I didn't realize that there were so many positive things for the students that could come out of being able to blog.I agree with Bridget when she said that it would be a good idea to have a classroom blog for the students. It would be a good way for the children to use different learning techniques by using technology. It is also a great way for children to communicate with eachother.
I thought the video was great. For my group Powerpoint project I'm discussing Blogging in the classroom. Many of the points Rachel mentioned I also have for my presentation.
I think this video had a lot of great reasons as to why teachers should allow their students to blog. I believe that blogging will allow the students to be connected with their teacher and classroom all hours of the day. The students will not only be connected with their teacher, but with other classmates and other classrooms as well. By blogging, students can have conversations with their classmates in their own classroom or even in other classrooms around the world. I believe that this is one of the most important parts about blogging. That children now have the opportunity to connect with people outside of their state or even country. This will give them the chance to connect and voice their ideas to new people and in turn, students will be more excited and engaged with their learning environment.
This video was very informative and I feel that letting students blog within the class or about the class from their homes is really engaging them in other ways to respond. It also allows for parents to be involvd with what their children are doing in the class from their homes. Students can have the opportunity to express how they feel using their words and brainstorm with others as the blog keeps growing. I would use blogging in my class because it is a new and inventive way to communicate and develop communcaiton skills about various topics.
I agree with Jackie that blogging is a great way to connect our students together whether it is between classroom or countries. We are open the world of quick and easy communcation as well as giving our children the chance to use their voice and learn from what others their age have to say. Theresa K.
Although this video does not look like there is much to it, the different reasons that are posted are so important to all learners. If nothing else for a student but a reason to come to school in the morning, then blogging is a great tool to incorporate into the classroom. For a student to see that other students read their blog, maybe even posted a comment about it, or mentioned something about it in the hallway, gives students a sense of satisfaction or appreciation. I believe that blogging can spark new friendships because of things that students find they have in common. It can also build self-esteem in some of the more timid students.
I thought the video was short but very to the point. I never realized how blogging could be so beneficial to grade students. Blogging in school gives students opportunities to share with one another about school issues or topics which is a great way to learn. I like the quote from the video " give students a 'voice'" which I thought in itself was empowering. Blogging provides students with a way to reflect and to speak their opinions. It's also a great way to become technology savvy. I think blogging in school is a great idea especially after watching this video.
This video was very interesting and to the point. Blogging is a great way to connect our students when not together in the same classroom. I also agree with Jeanine that it is a great way to incorporate the new technology into the classroom. Although it would be beneficial for the students to stay connected while using technology there have to be limitations and rules in place as a precaution. The blogging must be done is a safe way for all. Overall though, I do believe that blogging would enable the students to utilize technology often both inside and outside of the classroom. - Bethany Hahl
Letting students blog is very beneficial in the classroom, especially in the world we are living in today. Children are so used to expressing themselves on the computer through the use of instant messaging and email, and social networks. Blogging is a new way to get students to particiapte in the classroom more and is comfortable for the students because it is what they are used to. I like that students can write blogs as an assignment because there are many students who do not like to talk in class, and blogging is a new chance for shy students to participate more often and express their ideas or questions.
I agree with Jen that blogging is way to connect the digital world and the classroom.
I really liked Christine's comment, that students can share ideas and commments with students around the world! That is very interesting for teachers and students!
I really liked the video. I never throught that blogging could have such a big ipact. I liked when the video said that by letting students blog they have a learning environment that is open 24/7. I also never thought that blogging could be so powerful for a student. Imagine if blogging did provided the students with 3 of the qualities mentioned. That would help the students in all aspects of their education as it continues. I think that the video has shown me that blogging would be an excellent tool to use in the classroom.
I viewed this video twice to get the full impact. I would say "yes" I would allow my students to blog, however, I would have some guide lines. Blogging is a great tool for communicating, sharing, having a large audience, your own voice, collaborative work etc. The bigger questions to me would be learing by writing vs. learning by blogging. I would still want my students to be creative in their writing and drawing, as well as, not loosing writing skills and good penmanship. I feel that a real balance is what is necessary. Like they say too much of anything is no good for you, even technology Lisa C.
I enjoyed watching this video clip. After watching the video, I believe that students should have the chance to blog for assignments and such. This video convinced me to allow my future students to blog. Blogging connects students to other students, as well as connecting the student(s) and teacher. I think blogging is very engaging for students, and it allows students to learn from eachother.
I felt this video was a great and simple way to explain how blogging could benefit a classroom and a student. Blogging increases communication and sharing of ideas throughout the students. It allows students to express themselves in other ways that are exciting to them. I agree with Lisa C on the importance of writing and penmanship. I believe both are primary in learning and seem to have been under-appreciated in recent years. I like the part in the video that said blogging, "extends the walls of the classroom". Finally, I believe blogging is an excellent way to prepare children for their ;digital futures' as the video describes.
I enjoyed this fun, quick video. If anything, the computer in the classroom should be embraced, not feared by teachers. A lot of people jump to the negative sides of posting on blogs and the dangers of the internet. This video establishes all the positives blogging can have in all aspects of the students education. Sharing your ideas with the world, getting feedback from someone outside of your everyday life. Getting points of view and feedback from other classes across the globe can lead into great discussions and lessons as to what part of the world a certain class is from and why one group of students react differently from another group in another country or state or town. Blogging can also be used to work on a students grammar, spelling and communication skills. Blogging and even appropriate social networking sites will be welcomed in my classroom along with any new, positive learning technology.
I am not sure that this video convinced me to let my students blog. While it did point out many of the positive aspects of blogging, it did not mention at all any of the negatives, and the positives, to some are outweighed by the negatives. I am not one of these people, and I definitely think there is a way to fit blogging into a math classroom, but this video did not lessen any of the concerns I have with it.
Letting students blog within the classroom is a good way to have students interact with each other, especially the students that tend to stay quiet for each lesson. It opens the doors so that students can see the entire world and possibly understand what else goes on in today’s world. Blogging can be fun for students when used in a positive way as the video shows. Although blogging can be beneficial to students, some students use blogging in a negative way, which the video does not show. I am not totally sure if I would use blogging in my classroom after hearing about some negative aspects about blogging. If I do decide to do a blog in my classroom, I would make sure that it is supervised all the time.
I agree with Kim. Blogging allows people or students to freely state their feelings with out feeling pressured. Blogging can be used as a useful source in a classroom, but as teachers we also have to be careful with the negatives that come with blogging. I think blogging should be used in classrooms, but it should be filtered so the students to experiment with it and use it in a negative way.
I can’t say that the video necessarily convinced me that students should be allowed to blog, because I agreed that it’s a good idea before I saw the video. I think that students blogging, in a restricted way, amongst their school mates and other children their age and in a censored forum can be a great way to enhance learning. I say that it should be restricted because there should be some sort of access code needed in order to log in and only an adult facilitator, such as a teacher, should be able to provide that code. I think this is necessary because if it isn’t regulated it will just become another form of myspace or facebook for these kids to figure out ways to anonymously taunt each other or worse. I also think that it should be censored, meaning that it doesn’t allow foul language and other stuff like that to be posted so that when a child is logged on and blogging the teacher doesn’t need to look over his/her shoulder the entire time. Or their could be a way in which the teacher has to view what’s going to be posted first to approve it. I liked in the video the way the letter showed that one particular school blogs collectively based on their rooms. I think that’s a great idea, and gives the students a feeling of both accomplishment and pride in the camaraderie they hold with their classmates that they blog with. I would definitely allow students to blog in a class of my own and the idea of doing it collectively based on our room number or class section is a great idea to bring everyone together.
The idea of blogging by children can allow them to be extremely creative in looking at ways to gather and process new information from a myriad of sources. This presentation is simple in its approach, but very accurately conveys what interconnectivity can do for students. Digital Futures is probably a misnomer as we are in the digital age and children growing up will utilize technology to advance and better their lives. The world is shrinking and these technologies are allowing students to reach out to anyone around the Planet Earth. This actually removes the walls of the traditional classroom and can create a 24 x 7 educational setting that truly has very few limits. Digital ethics, however, need to be taught to insure that these school technologies are used for what they are intended and are not abused by those who interact on the world wide web.
I also agree with Charles that the video did not really present any of the negatives, and as a result, did not offer any alternatives to the problems that may ensue when allowing kids to have their information presented via blog. I think the video was very inspiration, but certainly one-sided.
I have to agree with the comments of Charles and John. This video did not present the many challenges and issues that can come along with blogging in the classroom, including various safety issues that arise, plus the difficulty in monitoring a classroom full of students putting their thoughts on the internet and getting responses.
I don't think personal blogging will be something I will pursue in my classroom, because all of the reasons that this video presented as to why blogging is a good tool can be satisfied in other ways that are easier to monitor. For example, students can find creative expression in their own personal journals. Locked, invite only chat rooms and video chat can help students speak and share with other students around the world. The possibilities are endless.
I do think there is a place for blogging in the classroom, however. Classes can have entire class blogs, and the teacher can invite students to share thoughts or stories or schoolwork on the blog and would then be more in charge of the discussion to make sure nothing inappropriate was happening. If several teachers did this and incorporated the blog into the events of the day, this would be a safer way to accomplish those goals without allowing students unrestricted access, which can lead to trouble.
Blogging is something that I never really got into until college. This is truly something I wish I could have done growing up. Being one of the more quiet students in the class, blogging would of allowed me to have a voice. If I am able to I will def. try to include blogging in some of my classes. Even if it's just to discuss homework or talk about the days lesson. Like the others have mentioned the video did not really discuss the negative aspects of blogging, but I think it could be used in a very positive way if used correctly.
Blogs enable collaboration, communication, discussion and participation and the video highlighted these attributes succinctly. I love the idea of incoporating a blog into my classroom to get students writing --without the daunting task of staring a blank, white page. Reading and responding to others' interpretations, and as Christine and others pointed out, to hear from students in other parts of the world are big benefits to blogging. I do think there are some possible landmines in introducing this technology-- like making sure content is appropriate and protecting students-- but teacher supervision or keeping content to a closed circuit should help deal with those potential problems.
Natalie, I agree with you. It gives a voice to all students and it helps the shy students to state their mind freely. When I start teaching I will see if I can inforce blogging in my classroom. Its a wonderful why to hear what the students feel or have to say.
After watching this video I believe that blogging should be incorporated into the classroom. It extends the walls of the classroom connecting students with the endless possibilities of the Internet. It offers students with an alternative learning environment where they can be creative. It also provides shy students with an alternative way that they can express themselves. I agree with Charles, John and do not think the video discussed the negative issues associated with blogging and using the Internet. I believe that in order to incorporate blogging in the classroom, it is imperative to monitor student’s usage. If not, I believe that students may abuse the blog. Lauren T. Tu/Th
After watching the short video I think that it would be interesting to try blogging in the classroom. I think that it certainly allows students to interact and express themselves with others, both near and far. I agree with some of the other posts that the video did not address any negatives that pertain to blogging. That makes me wonder what some negatives might be and want to do further research to see what others say about blogging in the classroom. I also agree with Lauren T. that if used in the classroom it needs to be closley monitored or it might become abused by students. Nicole F. M/W
I think that this video offered a lot of diverse reasons for why blogging is important for students. I think that blogging offers a lot of room for students to communicate, have ownership and pride over their work, engage in participation, and so much more. I think that blogging is also a good way for students to earn points for their grade, through participation. This leads into why I think that blogging goes hand in hand with differentiation of instruction. For the more shy students, blogging can be a great way for them to earn points to class participation. Blogging can also be a creative outlets, gives a voice to students, allows them to reflect on their work, and even gives them an audience. I think that handled the right way, blogging can be a great outlet to meet the many academic needs of students.
I totally agree with Danyi T. I think that blogging can definitely encourage students to have more confidence. The wonderful thing about this is that by building up confidence, hopefully students can apply this in other areas of their life, and even in future jobs and careers. I think that blogging gives students the confidence to have more opinions and ideas. I also think that blogging helps prepare students for the more technological world ahead of them. By having the experiences and practices with the internet and blogging now, students will be more prepared for their futures.
Blogging has a ton of advantages for students. As Natalie said, it gives shy kids a voice. Many students also are tactile learners, and can't communicate verbally as well as they can on paper. Others, though, as the teacher must keep in mind, get frightened by the written word. Maybe writing will help their appreciation of texts, or maybe they'll freak out because they rather speak it than say it. That's where video messaging comes in, and I believe, to be fair to all students, there should be both written and verbal ways to blog/podcast. But I will consider using blogging in the classroom. - Amy E.
This short video provides many positive reasons why our students should blog? As a teacher candidate and up and rising 21st century teacher, blogging is another useful interactive tool to use in the classroom. I think it helps students enhance their writing and communication skills. In addition, it helps students communicate with others around the world about any academic topic or issues. I also think it motivates those students who tend to be the quietest. Like Natalie M. mentioned earlier, I also wish blogging was available when I was in school because I was one of the quietest students and found it very challenging to communicate my ideas and speak my mind with peers and teachers. I believe blogging is a voice for all diverse students. As the world becomes more digital and technologically advanced, teaching our students to use an additional tool like blogging, will only better prepare them for what the technology future holds for us.
This short video provides many positive reasons why our students should blog. As a teacher candidate and up and rising 21st century teacher, blogging is another useful interactive tool to use in the classroom. I think it helps students enhance their writing and communication skills. In addition, it helps students communicate with others around the world about any academic topic or issues. I also think it motivates those students who tend to be the quietest. Like Natalie M. mentioned earlier, I also wish blogging was available when I was in school because I was one of the quietest students and found it very challenging to communicate my ideas and speak my mind with peers and teachers. I believe blogging is a voice for all diverse students. As the world becomes more digital and technologically advanced, teaching our students to use an additional tool like blogging, will only better prepare them for what the technology future holds for us.
I agree with Charles, Ed, John and Marina this video shares with us the endless positive possibilities of incorporating blogging in the classroom but where are the negative attributes. Blogging does give the shy student a voice. It does promote an engaging and interactive atmosphere and give students a 24/7 extension to the classroom walls. Though there are some safety precautions educators must take and be aware of when incorporating blogging into a classroom or lesson. I would incorporate blogging in my classroom but I would have to set up strict protocol and procedures and have the support and understanding of both my students and especially the parents of the students. Danielle S.
I felt that this video and the comments that have already been posted bring up many excellent points which we have been discussing in class. There are many ways in which a teacher can use blogs to engage and students in learning. By utilizing a class blog, teachers can help students learn to collaborate with one another, to take an active role in their own learning, bring curriculum into students' every day life, reach multiple learning styles, and much more. I think that using a class blog might be a fun and useful new way for students to create a Reader's Journal, in which they can react and respond to literature. Having a class blog might help students to feel that their classmates are like members of a team, and they always have a place to go to for help, new ideas, or to get feedback on some ideas they might have.
However, I also agree with what many have said with regards to this video only showing the positive sides to using a class blog. As we have discussed, there are several downsides to blogging that must be considered when using the internet in the classroom. While I am becoming more and more open to the idea of creating a class blog for my future ELA classes, it is important to keep in mind all of the negatives we have discussed and to have a plan in mind for how to prevent negative issues as well as what one might do should an issue arise. This video would have been more successful if it did show some of the dangers of using a class blog and offered ideas on how to deal with the downsides.
I agree with the comments that blogging gives all students a “voice” even the shy ones. I sometimes wish this type of system was around during my schooling because I feel it would have most definitely transformed communication. But while watching this video I noticed how all students were sitting behind a computer and I thought to myself what happened to communicating with others verbally. I love how blogging can connect us to others around the United States and world but I feel that students should be taught rules of blogging. That you do not need to always be blogging and that verbal communication is still just as important.
I’d love to try blogging to introduce new topics before I teach them. I’m not sure how one would go about setting-up, securing, and monitoring a blog for comments. I’m always relating these videos to my own situation – a high school math class in a poorly funded district, and I see logistical problems. This would be something my students would have to do outside the classroom. Not all students have computers at home. Each year, I get one or two students who speak little or no English. Typically, they are illiterate in their home language as well and are not skilled with a keyboard, regardless of the language used. Some of my inclusion students can’t spell and are not expected to learn how to spell. How do those children participate and not become a target for ridicule? However, I agree with Marina, “there is a place for blogging in the classroom.” I think it all comes down to responsibly controlling the blog. A few people mentioned communicating with students from all over the world. That sounds “tricky” to me. John S. mentioned teacher approval for all postings. That sounds like great way to monitor. My concern there would be how much time it might take for me to go through each student’s entries. But, if I told students they would be graded for relevant postings and asked them to limit their comments, I could see a classroom blog working well. Also too, I agree with John that a blog could “bring everyone together.”
I agree with what Mary said; that some students who may not write/type well being subjected to ridicule might not want to participate. How do you keep their particpation/involvement active in a class-blog? If you make it part of their grade, maybe the teacher could allow them to post anonymously, but hand in (on paper) what their comment was? I don't know.
I also agree with Ed; it should be maintained that there is only constructive use (and not abuse) of the blogging. As their teacher, this may be taking up more time than you'd anticipate after school, so maybe the use of the classblog is a weekly activity?
I definitely think that there are advantages to doing this. One in particular is the fact that EVERYONE has a chance to be "heard". No longer could you have a classroom where students can disappear.
Blogging definitely has its advantages—as shown by the video post. It can assist in communication and ownership and personal growth. However, like Kelly said, there were no negatives in the video. It is hard to believe that blogging has no faults worthy of being shown in the clip. The internet is a wonderful tool for learning and communication; however, it can also be a dangerous and harmful place when not used appropriately. Because comments are typed when blogging, once they are submitted, everyone has access. This can lead to students writing harmful or inappropriate things, or like Mary says, can lead to ridicule and self-consciousness. This video did not convince me to allow my students to blog, as I am a bit more hesitant about the dangers. It is much more difficult to undo a harmful act or statement in this case, especially since I am the one who instituted the blog.
I agree with Mary and Will S. that blogging is an interesting and engaging way to reinforce a topic and create an opportunity for students to have their voice heard. I agree that access may be an issue for some students and all students and all blogs need to be monitored.
I love the idea of blogging. I think it is a fun and creative way for students to communicate with one another. This format of expression might also make it easier for some students to express themselves and share ideas with others.
I agree with Danyi in that blogging is important for students because it gives them the opportunity to develop strength in their own voice. This video was very informative and cited many postive points about blogging. As stated in the video, blogging is motivating and engaging for students. It also provides the opportunity for students to connect to other students globally. Finally, as a grammar person, blogging engages students in writing skills and helps them develop literacy. Katie F. Tuesday/Thursday EDU 521
Reflection #3 In reading through the comments of my classmates and those in other sections, I can see that at many of us are on the same page related to the fact that student blogging may be something that can have positive impacts on the students with their daily work, their homework, projects and the like. Not that you want to have to control everything that they write, my feeling is that there has to be a number of solid rules, with ramifications if they are not followed, specific to the use of this. As is said, 'change is inevitable, and technology is the driver', we are not going to be able to stop students from using this. Our experience should be such that we provide them with guidance in how to best use this technology to better their school environment and they get more out of each day, as we also as teachers should. I embrace this, without trying to be overly verbose, but there are lots of good things that will come out of this. Ed Wachowicz
I think it’s a great idea to let your students blog. The video was actually inspiring. It enlightened me to other reasons student should blog. I especially believe it is important for students to share their ideas not just for learning the material itself but also so they develop some adequate skill to express exactly what they want to say. You would be surprised at how many students lack the ability to express an idea. M. Malloy
I think it’s a great idea to let your students blog. The video was actually inspiring. It enlightened me to other reasons student should blog. I especially believe it is important for students to share their ideas not just for learning the material itself but also so they develop some adequate skill to express exactly what they want to say. You would be surprised at how many students lack the ability to express an idea. M. Malloy
I think blogs are very important to student learning as long as it is being monitored during school hours. I feel students will enjoy listening to what other people have to say and talk about things in which they all enjoy. Sometimes blogs can be used as homework help or a group discussion on what they are learning in class. Many people do not realize what blogs are and they think that they are bad for the students but in the end and as long as it is regulated the blogs can be used very wisely and be very helpful for the students.
To blog or not to blog....that is the question...Each student will either find themself comfortably blogging back to other students, or terrified to write the wrong comment..
I do feel that the blog is a positive tool that can encourage students to voice their opinions, express their feelings, and effectively communnicate with one another.
In this "digital age" students are expected to communicate in this way.
So many positive points were addressed in this video; these points far outweight the negative effects.
It is then, our job, as teachers, to educate, encourage and monitor our students while blogging. As this may be a good thing to be vocal on the blog, it is also important that identities are sometimes ignored. Promoting "freedom of speech" for students, will hopefully encourage all to explore this option, and embrace learning in a new way.
I have to agree with the video. Blogging is a part of communication that helps students share and iopen up to new ideas. It helps students be more involved as a whole to have a beeter understanding and knowledge about the subject of discussion. I also agree with Sonia M. about blogging being an enhancement writing and communication skills. She also mentioned how it can motivate students, and I agree with this as well because it helps students want to be more aware about other students's point of view. Kristal C.
I really enjoyed this short video. As Ali has previously said, blogging is a great way for students to develop confidence in their own voice and opinion. While some students shy away from participating in class, this is a way for them to express themselves in a way they can feel more comfortable. It is also a great tool for them to help students of all ages feel empowered, that their opinion matters and that they have a "voice" as the video said. Although I don't think blogs should be the only way student participation is reached, it does provide another outlet for students and will hopefully let them develop the confidence they need to share their thoughts in class as well. This video definitely made me see the positive effects of blogging, and it is a technological resource that should not be overlooked.
I thought it was so interesting how these young students were so knowlegable about computer terms. For example, they use the term internet so comfortably. I certainly did not know the term internet as such a young age. It is refreshing to see that kids are still so innocent and naiive when it comes to blogging and such and hopefully the computer will not taint them too much. C.Keegan EDU 521
I agree with Briget and also look forward to encouraging students to create their own blogs. They will be engaged and participate in interactive lessons.
Even though it was a short video it had quite an impact. To see these little faces and know that this is our future. Learning has become much more than school it goes well beyond the walls of the building. It does give ownership and a voice to every student in the classroom. Each one can make a difference because there is something to contribute. The students will learn not just from the teacher but from each other.
This video did in fact convince me to let students blog. I particularly liked the fact that it can increase participation because it is not a face to face interaction. Increasing their digital persona will increase their social interactions within the classroom because children may approach a child that they feel they are getting to know online. This could be a way for special education students to compete with the class interactions because it gives them extended time on conversations. Often these children do not interact because they feel as though they get left behind and miss things in a conversation. It allows a forum for ESL student to peer evaluate each other by commenting on each others posts.
I loved this video and after watching it, it definitely convinced me to let my students blog. Blogging is a great way to encourage communication among students and even teachers. It allows students to be able to share their opinions in a fun and engaging way. I feel that blogging is a good way for students to help each other with homework problems. I agree with Brian that it can increase participation. Because blogging is not face to face interaction, it will give the shy students more of an opportunity to voice their feelings and opinions and give them more of a sense of belonging.
I absolutely agree with what Danyi stated in regards to blogging being an essential concept in a students overall developement. Blogging opens up the avenues for a student to communicate with teacher and peers. Blogging also gives the student an oppurtunity to voice their opinion on topics being discussed in class. I can definitely see blogging as being an important pieace of the curriculum.
I am indeed more than convinced that I will have my students blog. I was required to create and maintain a blog for one of my TESOL courses here at Molloy, and I found that writing blog entries was fun and even therapeutic. I also found that blogging was a great way to express myself, and I look forward to giving my students the same opportunity.
I very much agree with Terry's assertion that blogging gives every student a voice. In the aforementioned course, I enjoyed learning about my classmates and their diverse interests and backgrounds by reading their blogs. It is my hope that my future students will utilize blogs to learn about one another as well.
As an aspiring language teacher, I believe that it is very important that language learners have many opportunities to practice using the target language. Blogging is an excellent medium for this, as it affords students the opportunity to read and write the target language in a relatively informal environment. Blogging can also help me to motivate students, as I can have them write about topics that interest them.
Though I am not yet a classroom teacher, this video offers many convincing reasons to employ student blogging for when I do become one. First, it promotes a concept of writing to learn- or in this case, blogging to learn. Blogging allows the processes of communication, sharing, collaboration, and discussion between classmates. All of these actions promote literacy, as they allow students to the opportunity to read various posts and to express their thoughts in writing.
Second, blogging may promote literacy more than other traditional media. Blogging is a highly interactive, engaging process. Students have the opportunity to readily explore the ideas and thoughts of their peers. It may be more desirable for students than other forms of reading and writing, as it is inherently participatory and unintimidating in its conversational nature.
Third, as our class has previously discussed, blogging can give otherwise shy students a “voice.” Many individuals find themselves more comfortable expressing their ideas in a written classroom forum than via conventional “raise your hand” discussions. Having time to compose and post blogs allows students the opportunity to collect their thoughts and review ideas expressed, making the idea of spontaneous contribution less fear-inducing. Having a voice in the classroom- or in any forum, for that matter- inevitably leads to empowerment. Such empowerment inspires motivation, pride, and ownership of class work.
Fourth, if well-monitored and prepared by an instructor, students can benefit from having an “audience” read their written blog work; other students can perhaps view and comment on an entire class blog, but at the very least, learners will find listeners in their own classmates through maintenance of a class blog. This instills excitement in learners, for if they have an idea that they are eager to share, they have a guaranteed and perhaps unexpected listener; the contribution of ideas is not inhibited by running out of class time or simply missing the opportunity to be called on. From behind the mask of a computer screen, furthermore, students may feel more comfortable not only being more outspoken, but they may feel more able to be creative as well.
Lastly, blogging fosters the incredibly important practice of academic reflection. Learners may view a particular video or examine a certain document and have to reflect through a written response. A general class question may be posed, moreover, and students may be asked to read through other classmates’ responses and construct a dialog. Becoming a reflective student is integral to the lifelong learning process.
I think Brian provides wonderful insight on blogging from a special education student perspective. I believe that extended time allows many people the chance to enhance their digital persona; it takes time to provide thoughtful responses, after all. It’s terrific that extended time for online communication is also helpful for special education students.
This video convinced me not only to allow my students to blog, but to be a facilitator and supporter of blogging in my class. The three words that stood out to me the most during this video were “engagement”, “participation”, and “reflection”. When thinking back to the goals of any lessons that I’ve conducted over the past few years, these three words definitely come to mind. I find that integrating technology, especially blogging, is a great tool for motivating seemingly uninterested middle schoolers into the class discussion. As a special educator, I strongly agree with Brian about students with disabilities needing more time to join in the conversation. I would find that my students were able to make valuable contributions to conversations held in the small support class setting, but were unable to maintain the pace of the conversation with their peers in the large group setting. I will definitely incorporate blogging into my teaching this school year in order to give my students with disabilities a better opportunity to join in the conversation with their peers.
I too enjoyed this simple and short video clip on the benefits of blogging. It is imperative that teachers stay abrest of the many ways students learn and clearly blogging is one of them. My classmates comments are all valid: giving shy students a voice, sharing, collaborating, reflection, literacy and writing are all wonderful benefits of blogging. One thing I felt was missing from the video was the risks of blogging and how to manage them. It is easier to manage a "classroom only blog". To extend the blog parameters beyond the classroom can be both exciting and engaging for the students. However a risk is that the students are blogging with often nameless, faceless individuals who can become much more bold in what they are saying in basically an anonymous situation. It creates the opportunity to be overly bold, harsh or bullying. Anyone else share my concern? Overall though, I feel educational blogging benefits far outweigh the risks.
I thought this video brought up many good points as to why children should blog. There were many advantages brought up in this clip such as sharing, collaboration, interaction, literacy, etc., many of which I had not thought of. I would most definitely incorporate a blog into my classroom as possibly a current events activity. I think this would be more interesting and fun for the children than a current events journal.
Personally, responding to the videos in this course by posting a comment on the class blog as opposed to writing a separate reflection has been easier for me. Additionally, I think the quality of the response is in many cases is better because of the benefit of being able to read the thoughts of the other members of the class to shape my own ideas.
I believe that providing the students the opportunity to blog relieves them of some of the anxiety they may have about their writing. They are not faced with the pressure of staring at a blank page that they need to fill up. Instead they are contributors to a collective discussion which provides them with a chance to put forth their own opinions.
My only minor concern with blogging would be that some students may ignore writing conventions and mechanics because of the casual nature of this communication form. However, if this is monitored by educators, this is a problem that is easily correctable.
I loved this two-minute video. I actually learned more reasons to why any student should blog.I loved the music and its message about the values of blogging. I have always thought blogging was justfor communicating. However, the video mentioned a few key words: literacy, ownership, discussion, empowerment,engagment, and creativity. These are great qualities that we as educators need to see inour students. Focus on more the postive and less on the negative is the true message. -Jennfer Sandoval
After watching this video clip, it just reconfirms my theory that children should be able to express themselves in any form, even through blogging. The ability to capture the ideas of why children should blog through images, and words of empowerment was a wonderful touch. This would be a great form of expression in the classroom especially if we are doing topic of personal opinions, commenting on current events in our community, and school. Blogging gives these students the ability to express themselves without limitations, something they need. I must agree with Jennifer comment when she acknowledges few of the key words and how as educators we need to see those qualities in our students. We do need to focus on the positive especially in our students because they are the future, and they need to know we believe in them.
I thought this video was interested. I am not much of a believer in technology being used for more than neccessary. I love technology and I do believe it should be part of our classroom, teaching and students education, however, I do not think that it should be used in every aspect. The video however showed me many things that children could use blogging for to benefit them as students and as people. It definitely helped me to see the benefits and uses of it for our students. I felt that it was very inspirational and alluring. I very much agree with Jennifer that the words in the video are characteristics we should be displaying and instilling into our students everyday through our lessons and teaching. So, if blogging can help these things, then I say, why not give it a chance.
This video was very informative, and I agree with some of my classmates that it packed in a lot of information in just two minutes. Blogging is a relatively new technology and one that many teachers may be unfamiliar with and therefore afraid to use it. However this video points out just how useful blogging in the classroom can be. The more that educators understand blogging and its potential uses the more likely it will be used in the classroom. -Thomas Mehldau
This video showed me why blogging is so essential to our students' learning and becoming worldly. I never realized the power of the internet and blogging. After viewing this video, I realized that there are so many benefits to making the effort of creating blogs for our students. It inspired me to learn how to create one myself for my students. I hope it becomes an outlet for students to learn about other cultures and current events in their neighborhood and abroad J Dupas
This video showed me why blogging is so essential to our students' learning and becoming worldly. I never realized the power of the internet and blogging. After viewing this video, I realized that there are so many benefits to making the effort of creating blogs for our students. It inspired me to learn how to create one myself for my students. I hope it becomes an outlet for students to learn about other cultures and current events in their neighborhood and abroad. J Dupas
This video showed me why blogging is so essential to our students' learning and becoming worldly. I never realized the power of the internet and blogging. After viewing this video, I realized that there are so many benefits to making the effort of creating blogs for our students. It inspired me to learn how to create one myself for my students. I hope it becomes an outlet for students to learn about other cultures and current events in their neighborhood and abroad. j.Dupas
In response to Max's post, I feel the same way. I hope to eventually creat a blog to increase my students' language use. I am excited that this might be a real motivation for my students to use their language skills on more than just written school assignments. However, instead of tsoel students my special education students will benefit from the practice.
I thought this video was interesting. Towards the end I couldn’t believe how influential it was with only having pictures and captions. I think it is so important to have student’s blogging. The internet has so many beneficial resources to offer and we must take advantage of them. Especially since the future of technology is expanding, it is important that we introduce the internet early in education. As we saw in the video, blogging has so many advantages that will encourage and empower the students in learning. I agree with Thomas’ post about teacher’s being unfamiliar with blogging and therefore afraid to use it. As technology is advancing, it is important that teachers and school districts do what they can to make sure we understand, in order to teach and present these resources to the students.
This video has reinforced my belief that technology and students go hand in hand. Blogging is a way to engage students in any lesson plan but at the same time keeping them in their comfort zone. I have seen blogging done in the classrooms first hand and i can attest that blogging will soon be a staple of classroom activity. With blogging everyone has a voice and no ones opinion is wrong. I will definately be using blogging in my future classrooms.
The improvements throughout the world of technology have broadened the horizons of education. I agree with the video that the usage of these technologies increases the attention span of the students and gets them more involved with the material that you are attempting to teach.
I really liked this video. It showed all the positive things that happen when we use the Internet to communicate in the classroom and how it benefits students learning. In this video I saw an educational way we, as teachers, can use the Internet and have it expand and apply our lessons to meet the needs of different learning types. ~Cynthia Q-B.
When I first started watching this video I was unsure of the impact it would have because it was simply just text and pictures. However, after watching the entire video I found myself surprised at just how many ways blogging could be beneficial to students. Not only is it educational but it can give a student a voice and sense of empowerment. These two qualities would be hard to achieve otherwise. I would definitely consider setting up a class blog for my students in the future. Jamie F
The video does a great job of highlighting the reasons why classroom blogs are good, but it doesn't list any concerns. While I believe class blogs are a great idea, I think it is equally as important to teach kids the dangers of being online - including blogging, passwords, etc.
Additionally, while technology is the future, it is vital that we continue to promote physical activity and learning offline - outside, in the playroom, etc... Children are using their hands and bodies to learn less and less as they rely on technology more and more. I read a scary statistic that only 40% of 4 year olds can not tie their shoes today, but about 75% of them can navigate an iPad. Scary.
In today's society, blogging has truly become popular for adults and children of all ages. Future educators should use blogging with their students any chance that they get. Blogging is a great way for students to communicate with each other and it is a great way for a teacher to get feedback on a particular video or website related to the subject. In the video, they mentioned why students should blog. Students should blog becausue of "collaboration, discussion, enjoyment, creativity, reflection, etc." "It also gives students a voice and advice." It was a great two-minute video and it got the point across. They also mentioned in the video that there will be digital futures and students can write to learn and blog to learn. I agree with these comments. I have never blogged until recently and I think it is a great way to share ideas and to communicate with others.
This was an enjoyable video with a compact, strong message. I would certainly let students blog. Blogging is another form of writing, and writing develops critical thinking, higher-order thinking. Another benefit of students blogging is the opportunity to have them write for a purpose that is still personal and for which a student can still take ownership. It's also an opportunity to teach "netiquette." Because blogging and other types of social networking can be cruelly used, having it done in a classroom with a clear purpose and with guidelines for language, especially in disagreements, will at least introduce students to a civil way to participate in community discourse. Adolescents can especially benefit from this. Between the drama of adolescence itself and being bombarded with media that highlights combative and insulting public dialogue, blogging in the classroom would expose them to a different way of communicating.
I have to say I agree 100% with Lauren. All the video does is list the positive things about blogging but it dosnt list any problems that is causes. I think we live in a society where people find the need to blog everything that they are doing through out the day. Not only is that a waste of time but it is also is a saftey hazard. I don't know about you but what I do is my personaly buisiness and it isnt the world's entertainment. So my question is,"Is blogging helpful?" steph s, M 5:25
When I first started watching the video and saw that it was one word on each slide I didn't think it was going to be as informative as it was. I would agree with Jamie that I was unsure of the impact it would have because it was simply just text and pictures. I also felt after watching the whole video I was surprised at just how many ways blogging could be beneficial to students. I wrote down all of the information to go over it after the video was done and realized there were so many positives to blogging. I would definitely think about setting up a class blog for my students. Jackie Az
I agree with Patrick that the video was one sided. Even though I enjoyed it and strongly agreed with the points it raised, nothing is without its drawbacks, and issues such as access to technology and fear of posting "to the world" and probably other unforeseen consequences will arise. That said, I still think student blogging, used thoughtfully and carefully, can a powerful teaching strategy.
The video is defiantly informative about the many reasons why blogging can be effective. However I must agree with Lauren that while it gives many pros they didn't list any of the cons of blogging. Blogging may be effective in a classroom but I dont not feel that it should be used for every age group or even every subject. I feel that blogging should be used moderately. Tom G
Though this video was only less than two minutes long, it posted 24 powerful points that argues the positive view of integrating technology into the classroom by blogging. Of all the points that this video posted, one of my favorite and what I believe to be the most powerful is “For motivation”. I believe that by letting students blog using the Internet it involves creativity, its different, fun, and therefore motivates the student to learn and take part in this assignment. Technology is a huge way to get kids involved and motivated to learn, because it is a way to make the learning process more engaging and fun for the student. When reading the blogs of my peers, it seems that we have similar views when it comes to letting your students blog. It is a way to get the students voice heard and sparks discussion and debate as well. However, when it comes to any feature using the Internet, the student must be monitored and steps must be taken to prevent any web risk from occurring.
I found this video to be very enlightening on the ways in which blogging can be positive for the classroom and upon student learning.
I think blogging is important for the classroom, because it allows for the quick spread of ideas and it integrates technology into learning. It gives students another use for the internet. I would love to use blogging in my own classroom. Also the extra writing will help students skills.
One must also take into consideration that not all of our students might have access to the internet, therefore as teachers we should be able to offer alternatives as well.
I agree with Mary V. that one of the most important reasons to have students blog that was highlighted in this short video is motivation. This is particularly important when working with students with disabilities. In my experience I have also found that, many students who will avoid writing at all costs are happy to write when it involves the computer. Imagine the possibilities when the child could share their ideas with others around the world and at the same time experience others' points of view. Another subtlety I noticed in this clip is the use of a number instead of a name. I assume this is for the child's protection, but it is another reason that I would be likely to use blogging in my own classroom. Oftentimes, students are unwilling to have other students hear or read things they have written. Again, this is often true when considering students with disabilities. The possibility of anonymity may entice more students to write, and as Natalie mentioned, develop higher level thinking skils. Indeed it would be possible to foster confidence as students become more comfortable with their writing as well as the freedom to express their ideas and opinions. Cindy A.
I took the literacy class last semester and we discussed a lot about write to learn which is exactly what blogging is. It is a place to interact and discuss topics of a classroom without the pressure of the teacher reading over your shoulder. It is a great way for students who may be shy to express their ideas in such a way that everyone can read and appreciate them. It also is a great way for students to start thinking about their own idea and perceptions which helps them take responsibility for their own education. Lastly, I didn't even think about the possibilities that Jen S discussed about talking to people in the rest of the world. How cool would it be if you could blog about something like the American Revolution and have students get the perspective of students on "the other side of the pond". I can't wait to use blogging in my classroom!
I too, like Jackie, was surprised at how many ways students can use blogs for learning. I was only recently introduced to blogs through EDU 521 (when we were told we had to respond to videos each week). Although I had heard about blogging, I was always unsure of what exactly it was and how to use it. I think it is wonderful that students would be able to interact with their classmates, teachers, and students from other countries for learning purposes. It allows students that may not have a 'voice' in the classroom to speak up and voice their opinions. It is excellent for collaborative work so all memebers of a group can stay in touch. Prior to this video and EDU 521 I was not a fan of blogs but now I see all of its benefits and I would like to start using it with my students.
Blogging should be standard practice in every classroom. Blogging on a regular basis promotes many positive educational characteristics. Not only does it allow students to respond to questions in a safe enviornment but it promotes reading and writing as well. this could be beneficial to students both with disabilities and with out.
This video lists the many good reasons for students to blog, but I agree that it does not list the risks. Yes, blogging is a great tool for students to use, but no matter what technology a student is using, if they are online, they must be taught the risks involved and precautions so that they may act accordingly. With that said, I think that blogging is a great idea for students, if they are given a safe place to do so. For instance, through a school districts website, or a class website in which the teacher has created for students access only. I think that blogging can be used in classrooms, but educators must also use the traditional readers responses or handwritten journals to keep students using tools besides technology.
I believe it is important to let students blog for many different reasons. Besides the fact that it helps in their reading and writing skills, it also sparks interest which is necessary for successful learning. If a child is engaged in a blog, they will be working with the computer hands on, which also helps aide in the learning process. Virtual field trips, pen pals, and self reflection are just a few of the reasons why it is essential to teach our students the appropriate and safe way to blog.
Believe it or not, technology is the way of the future. Therefore, allowing students to blog about various topics really does enhance their learning. Not only does it enhance their learning but it enhances conversational skills,expressing themselves as individuals, and their self-confidence. I believe that using blogs in the classroom is a fine use of technology in teaching students various aspects of the curriculum.
I definitely think blogging in the classroom is a perfect opportunity for students to have their voice heard. This is especially important for the children who may not want to participate in classroom discussions. I have learned that some students really have a fear to speak in front of a class and every child should be heard. It's a great way to get to know your students, especially the quiet ones. I agree with Danyi that this 2 minute video gave a glimpse of how blogging can be used in the classroom. Karen B.
Yes, this video definitely convinced me that students should blog. There was something very cool about seeing those very young students at the computer, writing and working collaboratively. I think it is very important for teachers to provide students with the technological skills they will need, to build upon for use in their future schooling, or as the video put it, for their, "digital futures". I agree with Jen S, that, the world is rapidly changing as technology advances, and students need to be given opportunities to familiarize themselves with all of the changes. In class we learned about how low stakes writing can be more beneficial for students learning, and can lead success in high stakes tasks, as students become more confident in their writing. I feel that blogging is a great opportunity for such writing practice, because students may be asked to write about a certain topic and respond, or just choose their own topic, making it highly motivational.
I agree that blogging will give students a chance to own and develop something for their digital future. I feel children are more interested in the internet than with conventional learning methods. Going "outside" the walls of the classroom is a challenge 21st century teachers will have to overcome for their students to be relevant in the future world. I noticed some of the other comments by students were interested in how blogging can negativley influence learning. I think it can only be benefical if monitored correctly by teachers.
Like the previous comments mentioned, I too agree with allowing my students to blog. Students especially those who are visual and kinestetic learners will benefit from using the computer and typing their thoughts, reflections and feelings in a blog. I also feel that for the more timid and shy students, this can benefit them incase they do not like verbal interactive sharing with the whole class, they can do it on a blog and still get their opinions "heard". Also, it is taking a "pen pal" to a whole other level, it allows for immediate interaction and conversation between two international students. I feel blogging is most beneficial and can be used in a variety of different ways. Kaitlyn D.
Blogging is becoming more and more important as a means of communication. At first I was skeptical about students using because of things like their ability to stay on topic, however after watching this video I can see how useful blogging can be for students. Not too mention with technology advancing as fast as it has been in the last decade blogging is going to inevitably use more and more. The video mentioned many good things that blogging can do for students such as expand the classroom, and allow for discussion and participation for students who are on the shy side. The only thing to be cautious of is language/literacy, because of the age we live in kids are going to be tempted to use internet slang when typing and they must remember that even though blogging is on the internet, when blogging for school they must be professional. -Mike S.
This video is a great tool, and could also help individuals, understand and realize the importance of student blogging. Students have the opportunity to voice their opinions on particular issues and subjects. Student blogging could also get students motivated and more involved on class projects. Jamie L.
I agree with Danyi, I never knew there were so many reasons for kids to blog. I think blogging is greta for the student who may be shy and hesitate to participate. I think the student who needs a hint to get there thoughts flowing, will truly benefit from blogs. I never thought about using a blog for E.S. students, but I would definitely try it in my classroom.
I believe blogging is good for several reasons, the first is it definitely gives each student his/her own individual voice to be heard. Blogging promotes engagement outside of the classroom which again is good for critical thinking skills.Holding students accountable to read, reflect, and then respond in any way that they want is still work that is being asked of them, which in turn will enhance learning and foster creativity.Lindsay S
As it showed in the video, there are plenty of very good reasons to use blogs. I am all for anything that will get a child engaged and working cooperatively with his/her fellow students. My only concern is that they have too much fun with it, and it gets in the way of their schoolwork.
The video "why let our students blog" closely relates to last weeks blog posting on technology in the classroom. The video provides endless benefits of students blogging. While the students are blogging they're working on a variety of skills simultaneously: reading comprehension, writing, discussing class content, all the while having access to information to support their postings on the web.
The web offers students who are shy or non-participatory in class an opportunity to shine and hold passionate conversations/debates. Lastly the blogs are open 24-7; students can contribute at anytime of the day.
Kent A. brought up some concerns with the blogs and how it may get out of hand or become a distraction. These are valid concerns, and with any technology or lesson given an educator must be prepared to properly supervise their students.
Watch this video. Did that convince you to let your students blog? Why or why not?
After watching this video, I do not believe I am convinced to let my students blog, but I am more enthusiastic about the idea of letting students blog. This video points out many important why we should let our students blog--for engagement, participation, motivation, etc. I do, however, believe that educators will encounter many problems in giving students freedom in blogging. The most convincing aspect of the video was the pictures. Students are always so excited to use the computer. By allowing them to use the computer to interact with their peers, we will be able to hold their attention more thoroughly. Like Christine said, it would be exciting to create a blog that others across the world can view, giving our students the opportunity to become global learners.
Personally, I think that giving students the ability to blog is a great idea. Since as far back as any of us can remember, one assignment we were given constantly from 1st grade all the way to our senior year of high school was to give reflections on what we had learned. I for one always got bored with having to keep a journal and having to do the same process every day. With the ability to blog, it gives students a more enjoyed, relaxed experience for the fact it can be done through the simple act of typing. Lets students blog can be even more useful for those of a younger age. By allowing them to to use a computer to post their feelings, ideas, and reactions to whatever the topic at hand is, this will help them build grammatical skills for later down the road. Plus, no matter what age you are, letting students be able to interact on any level is sure to raise interest.
This video demonstrates why teachers should allow blogging. It is very important to let students blog, especially today with the increase of technology. Blogging allows students to express their ideas and thoughts as well as it being engaging. It is also great for global learning. -Elizabeth B
Andrew F. Sure, allowing students to blog is a great idea. Classrooms of the future will become increasingly interactive and this is a wonderful medium. The video gave many reasons for utilizing blogs and I concur. I likeed all of the reasons,but "Digital future" stood out to me. As my classmates mentioned, all students will participate, even students who normally do not feel comfortable speaking up in class. It is also important for the teacher to supervise closely so that the students do not become engaged in outside activities.
This video does a great job of showing us what benefits students get out of blogging. I thinking blogging can be a great tool for a child's written and language developement. I also believe that blogging can benefit many children with special needs. It gives them a voice, and a chance to be heard, just like any other student. When children blog they are not defined by how they look or how well they speak. They have an opportunity to express themselves and to also listen to other people's opinions or views. I believe a classroom blog is also very beneficial. It helps to create a classroom community and keeps the teaher connected to her students and the parents. Michelle B
Also - as Kent A. pointed out - there are some risks associated with blogging as there is with many web-based technologies. It is the teachers responsiblity to make their students aware the these risks and to familiarize them with the appropriate behavior that is expected of them when they are blogging. Michelle B
I liked this video a lot and think that it would be even more beneficial for teachers who maybe feel apprehensive about allowing their students to blog. The video states many good reasons why students should be blogging that maybe some people do not realize or think about on their own. I think blogging is a great way to incorporate writing in any subject. I think students are motivated to write better on a blog post because they know other students are going to be reading it, not just the teacher.
I agree with Michelle's post in that blogging is a great way for students to express themselves without having to worry about standing in front of the classroom. They will not be judged on how they look or sound. Working as a middle school teacher, I know how much this concern affects our students. I think it is important as educators to give students various outlets to express themselves and their opinions.
I agree with both, Dena and Michelle, in that the level of comfort that is afforded to a student through the usage of blogging is very beneficial to some. The ability to express one's self without the fear of others immediately silencing or rejecting his/her opinion or comment. In the age of technology, I believe the influx of these types of modalities for assessment with become more and more evident on a daily basis. I am only concerned with the integrity of answers produced on a blog because, in fact, as an educator outside the classroom structure, we cannot know for certain who is producing the responses.
I feel that blogging is a great way to incorporate technology into a given lesson on a consistent basis. The usage of blogging is great for producing thought-provoking discussions among a wide variety of participants logging in from different locations. This is a great way to get journal entries from students within a given class or to have weekly "communicating across the curriculum " assignments. I currently use a blog similar to that of this to instill and practice the usage of mathematical language when necessary. It is a direct, intimidation free method for a student to vocalize his/her thoughts in reagrds to a particular topic. However, as with all things, it must be carefully watched, monitored, and used.
I have always been a strong believer in letting students blog and this video only made my opinion stronger. As Dena stated earlier, this video is a great way to influence teachers who might be a little hesitant to allow their students to blog. Blogging is a great way to extend education outside the classroom. It also is a great way for many students, especially students with special needs to have their voice be heard. Kids today spend more time on computers then ever and will have to be proficient in using computers throughout their lives. By integrating blogging into your teaching it gives students more exposure to using the computer as well as making them continue to use their minds outside the classroom.
I enjoyed watching this video. Its content really sold me on the ways that blogging can be beneficial to all students in the classroom. As a classroom teacher, I think it is important to ensure that students understand how to properly communicate with one another through the internet, and the instructor creates meaningful instruction through blogging. Hopeful to work in the special education field one day, I agree with Keith and believe that "Blogging is a great way to extend education outside the classroom. It also is a great way for many students, especially students with special needs to have their voice be heard." I believe it is important to develop instruct that will benefit ALL students in the classroom.
Using blogs in our classroom is a great idea because it brings unity to the class. Students can help each other out with projects or homework when they have wquestions. It also allows the teacher to see what the students are talking about in class to learn what they like and don't like. It also prepares them for the new wave of communication and information delivery. Cristine I like your idea of using the blog to communicate to other cities and countries. It takes the idea of pen pals to the whole next level becase the results are so much quicker and can bring so many different people together in one conversation. James S.
This was an informative short video giving the many reasons that blogging is beneficial to students and learning. I strongly believe that it is important for students to have a voice and feel that they are being listened to, but sometimes in the shrot 40 minute periods there is simply not enough time to hear out everybodies opinions on certain topics. Blogging is a great way for students to feel that they are able to share their opinions with other students and their teachers. Someone in an earlier post said " Creating a classroom blog would be an excellent way of incorporatng technology into lessons and assignments. Blogs provide an open forum for the sharing of ideas and encourage discussion." I agree with this comment completely because i think discussions and sharing of opinions is one of the most important aspects of learning.
Throughout college, I never really blogged in my classes except all claseses that were related to Education. I now see why many teachers use blogging to include their students in participating and interacting with each other over the internet. These different voices of opinion gives a chance for each student to absorb the thoughts of others and accept the fact that there are many peeople out there with many different opinions. Blogging can be useful in overall development socially and in developing your own opinions. -Katie C.
I agree with Bridget, "Blogs provide an open forum for the sharing of ideas and encourage discussion." Students can blog about events in the classroom or current events in the world. Students can give thoughtful responses and will be able to post as opposed to being shy in the classroom, students can also post at home things that they forgot to say while in the classroom.
I could see having a blog for my classroom, so students will be able to ask questions and expand on the events learned in the classroom. In higher level classroom students can post blogs about current events.
This podcast points out a lot of reasons why students should be allowed and able to blog. There are many ideas it lists that I never would have thought of had I not seen this video and if anything it gave me more evidence as to why I would want to integrate blogging into a classroom environment. Its a new age way to engage students and help make learning fun again in a number of different ways.
I have to say, this video although well put together and visually pleasing, did not convince me one way or another as to whether I would have my students blog.
As Megan D. mentioned, there is a point in the video where it is suggested that students should blog for literacy. Perhaps if the video had more support of this, I would have been more easily swayed to allow my students to blog. However, I can not see how blogging allows for their literacy to flourish--sadly, I think that with the use of technology, too many literacy skills (such as spotting misspelled word or improper grammar) go unpolished.
Hopefully, technology will further evolve so that using blogs as a learning tool will heed only positive results.
I really like this video on blogging. It is a great tools for kids to use. I did find that the pictures in the video we nice to see the kids using the technology in the classroom. I think that the music was catchy and would attract teachers to view it. The video definitely shows that this is a great tool to have in the classroom.
I am new to blogging. So far I have really been enjoying my experiences. I am given the opportunity to view video clips and ideas that I might not have seen otherwise. Allowing students to blog affords them the same opportunities. Students should be able to express themselves in an open forum with their peers to exchange ideas and share creativity. I agree with Kasey that blogging is a great tool for students and the classroom. As a future educator I believe all students should have a voice. I think that blogging at a young age, possibly all ages will require additional supervision from the teacher. It is a simple and easy to use technological resource. I also enjoyed the way the video clip was presented with single words. It reminded me of a brainstorming session.
"Why let our students blog?" was a great video to watch because it opened my eyes to the many reasons why students should be blogging. I agree with Erin and how I enjoy participating in the blogs because I too, am new to all this. I am also enjoying watching these videos weekly because I feel like I am becoming more aware of technology in education. The video was interesting because I always had it in my mind that the younger generation would have no reason to blog, but realizing that blogging among students creates interaction, participation, creativity, excitement, ownership, and literacy. After seeing this video I realized that maybe blogging is up and coming with students because there are so many advantages that come along with it.
I agree with the comments above. I found this video to be very catchy with the music. I am also new to blogging and the video opened my eyes to the different ways it could be used in the classroom. I think bogging among a class or school is a great tool for children. It lets them communicate and learn in a different more interesting way. It also will give the students an opportunity to communicate in the blog outside of the classroom, especially if they have questions about homework or projects. I feel that as long as the blog is monitored and safe for the children to use than it should be implemented into their education.
I agree with Erin in that all students should have a voice. Blogging is a great, new way for them to do so. The video was a great way to explain how effective blogging can be for students in the classroom. I really liked how the video stated that blogging "extends the walls of the classroom." It is a great way for students to share their thoughts and ideas with each other, their teachers, and with other students from around the world. There are so many ways to use blogs and with how popular they're becoming, I feel it is useful to have in the classroom. Students feel proud knowing how to use a blog and to share their writing with peers boosts confidence tremendously. I just began writing my own blog and I plan to base it around classroom ideas to share with others. If I'm having my own students create a blog, it would be nice to model how to do one and take pride in the work I do.
I enjoyed this video, it was simple and to the point. I also enjoyed the background music while being able to read for myself and learn about all the benefits of blogging. While I have always been an advocate for blogging, this video opened my eyes to even more benefits for children that I had never thought about before. I agree with the above comments in that all students should have a voice in the classroom; blogging is a great way to provide that opportunity to all students. Blogging creates a safe and non-threatening way for any students to share thoughts and ideas with others. Blogging is especially beneficial to those students who are shy and do not feel confident raising their hands and contributing to in class discussions. I am able to personally relate to this idea because I was shy growing up, and would rarely raise my hand to speak during class discussions. I think if blogging was available to me I would have felt a lot more comfortable sharing my thoughts with others by typing them on a blog rather than sharing them aloud in class. It gives these students the opportunity to share in a way that they feel more comfortable and confident doing so.
Last year I started a blog, and I am thoroughly enjoying it. I think it's a great way of defining yourself and for those of us that are a bit more reserved, it's a great way of expressing yourself. One of my friends is a fifth grade teacher in Florida and he has class blog that he updates on a daily basis. I find this to be such a modern way of communicating between teachers, parents, and students. I like the idea of students blogging, but I think it also depends heavily on the age of the students. The older the student, the more inappropriate their content could be.
The video does a wonderful job of inspiring educators on all levels to allow students to blog. The video pinpoints the many advantages to blogging and how blogging can have a positive affect on the students learning process. At the very end of the video when it says "write to learn......learn to blog" I believe this saying demonstrates the true power of blogging. Students not only are able to speak their mind and form their own opinion, they work on their writing skills and become much more engaged.
I was never a fan of blogging, but this video definitely changed my mind. Blogging is the new hand-written journals students used to do. I think the more access our students have to new technology, the better their learning opportunity is. It offers students new ways of learning and being creative outside the textbook. I think blogging is great for the students because it also gives them a sense of accomplishment with their fellow classmates, and something new to talk about. It makes learning so much more enjoyable.
This video helped me realize what an asset blogging can be for students. It's a great motivational tool and it helps get students who normally won't participate to speak about topics discussed in class.
159 comments:
I loved this two-minute video. I actually learned more reasons to why any student should blog. I strongly belief that by students having a voice in a blog to discuss important topics they will gain confidence that they can apply anywhere else. Their voice gives them power as stated in the clip but this power evolves into open-mindedness, because they have the opportunity to feed of each others ideas and take everyone else’s perspective into consideration. In other words, blogging will be a key concept in their overall development and personal strength.
Danyi T.
The video points out all the reasons why students should blog. I would definitely use blog to teach my students how to communicate and express their ideas. It would be a great way to get a child motivated and to participate in projects.
-Saira U.
The video on blogging in the classroom highlighted many reasons as to why it is important to allow students to blog. Creating a classroom blog would be an excellent way of incorporatng technology into lessons and assignments. Blogs provide an open forum for the sharing of ideas and encourage discussion. Blogs can be exciting for students because it allows them to see their ideas work on the web. In the future I could easily see myself creating blog spots for my students.
Bridget S.
The video was inspirational with the music and the images with the words and such. I do see the point in letting students express themselves and allowing them to do so through blogs, but I think it is important to remember to be cautious with children when dealing with the internet. I think a classroom could benefit greatly from having a blog, as long as it is well monitored and used in the proper ways. Students expressing thier ideas and feedback could also be extremely beneficial when trying to gage the effectivness of a recent lesson or even just seeing if the students are all on the same page.
Jeff K.
This video completely convinced me to let my students blog. Blogging can definitely give students a voice they may not get in the physical classroom, and therefore an individual sense of empowerment. I think blogging is a more equal opportunity method of classroom discussion, especially for students who are on the shyer side or have processing difficulties. The most important thing I took from the video was when it said "to give [students] skills useful for their digital futures." I think it is extremely important for students to be in touch with the digital world more now than in the past because the world is rapidly changing as technology advances. Blogging is a simple way in which students can connect the digital world to the classroom.
-Jen S
I think this clip gave a lot of solid reasons to let students blog. Besides being engaging and exciting for students, I like how the clip mentioned going outside the walls of a classroom. There are a lot of great sites made by teachers in other towns, states or even countries that form partnerships with a class to exchange their ideas. Imagine how exciting it would be for a class here to be discussing the same topic with ideas of another class in London or somewhere else?!
I think blogging is a wonderful thing for children to do and experience. Blogging allows students and teachers to be connected 24/7, the learning never stops. Blogging can be a great tool for teachers to use to enhance any lesson in any subject, with most age groups.
Colleen F
Christine, that's a great idea you had about being able to connect with students in different cities and countries! Blogging is a great way to collaborate with classrooms other than your own.
-Jen S
Dani, I like how you mentioned open-mindness. Blogs can be a good way to teach children how to open their minds and respectfully agree or disagree with someone else.
I really enjoyed this video on blogging. I am now aware of several reasons on why we should let our students blog. I especially liked the clip that stated how blogging gives each child a voice. I completely agree with this and believe that blogging can help students voice their thoughts and opinions.
Also, Christine that sounds like a great idea having your students blog and connect with students in another country.
*Jenny
I really enjoyed this short video - it provided me with even more reasons then I originally thought of as to why students should blog. I agree with Bridget and many others who said that blogging is a great way to incorporate technology into a number of different lessons. It also provides students with a "voice" and outlet to share and discuss ideas. Blogging definitely extends the walls of the classroom and makes room for interaction with students in other classes, schools and even countries. The idea of ownership is important as well, I think it would be great for a child to be able to see their thoughts and opinions posted on the web. I also agree that teaching children about blogging and other Web 2.0 tools at an early age will provide them with skills that are necessary for their future.
-Jessica W
Like others have said the 24/7 access is great for students. It also keeps are a written record that's always accessible for children to review of conversations (especially those who forget what was talked about in class or weren't there).
I thought that this video was very inspiring. The video showed why students should be blogging. I would definitely have my students blog as part of their learning experience because it allows for communication, creativity and motivation. It also teaches students how to learn and teach others what they have learned.I believe blogging is a great tool because it allows the students to feed off each others ideas and be able to have discussion.
- Mike S.
-Saira- I agree with you that blogging is a great tool for students to communicate and express their ideas. I also agree that it is a great motivator.
- Mike S.
Jenny C- I agree about a student having a voice. It allows even the shy student to be involved in class discussion and participate.
- Mike S.
I agree that teaching students to blog and use other Web 2.0 tools at a young age will only help them in the future.
*Jenny
Mike S, I agree with your belief that blogging allows students to feed off each others ideas, therefore furthering conversation.
-Jen S
I could not agree more. Blogging really does all of those things stated in that video. It is a way to engage students in learning and give them ownership and a voice over their own ideas. As an english teacher i beleive it is a way to make writing more fun and enjoyable. Also, it is pretty cool being able to converse with kids across the globe. I remember having a pen pal when i was in elementary school, you barely got to know them. With new technology and blogging you can really get to know someone and share your educational experience and life with them even if they thousands of miles away
Danyi T- "Their voice gives them power as stated in the clip but this power evolves into open-mindedness, because they have the opportunity to feed of each others ideas and take everyone else’s perspective into consideration."
Jeff K- "I think a classroom could benefit greatly from having a blog, as long as it is well monitored and used in the proper ways."
-MIKE T-
This video showed me many more benefits to using blogs in the classroom. I hadn't even thought of many of these confidence building characteristics blogs help to create. In this video blogs were portrayed as positive learning tools that helped students communicate their work.
My concern regarding many people's views is that the video is totally a one sided look at blogs. None of the negative aspects such as kids who are unfamiliar with technology, kids who don't have access to technology at home, fear of their ideas being accessed by the world, etc. were addressed.
In my opinion one of the greatest features of a blog is that it gives every student in your class a voice. I love to have open discussions in my class but due to time restraints during the day it is impossible to have every student contribute to a discussion. With a blog every student gets a change to give their opinion and state ideas. In addition to this students are able to respond to one another and exchange ideas. Students who might not interact in class could do so in a blog.
-Kathy M.-
Jeff K - i agree with you when you talked about how blogs should be carefully monitored and used properly. I could see how a blog might get a little out of hand. Its important for teachers to clearly state the guidelines when blogging and what the consequences are.
Patrick - I like how you brought up some of the negative aspects that were not brought up in the video - they didn't really cross my mind until i read your response. I think if teachers utilize a blog they need to start it in the classroom with the students so that they understand how to use the technology. In addition the teacher needs to make sure all students have access to the blog at home before they assign it.
This video showed more reasons why students should use blogs. It opened my eyes to more ways students should use blogs and how it benefits them. Its a great way for the students to show their interests and concerns in class. Blogging is also a great way for students to keep themselves updated with today's technology.
-Deanna C.
This video presented about twenty different reasons why you should let your students blog. I think blogging is an incredible tool to incorportate into a classroom. It opens for the doors for students to communicate within in a class through the use of a different medium and can allow those who are uncomfortable to vocialize thier ideas a way to express themselves. In addition to allowing students to communicate within a classroom, it is also a great tool for students to communicate with others throughout thier community, state and even globally. I agree with Jen. S. and believe blogging is also important because it a tool that will aide students in thier digital futures.
Kristina B.
Blogging is an activity that has a million uses both in and out of the classroom. This video did a great job in highlighting some of these. While I do anticipate using blogs in my classroom one day, I feel like it must not become the primary means of participation. Even though using a blog would have given a shy student an opportunity to participate (as i mentioned last week), I think there is a great need for increased face to face interactions between students and their peers/teachers. We are in an age where technology is everywhere, and it's amazing. However, it is becoming easier to rely on these technologies rather than supplement ourselves with them. As an educator, I would absolutely use a blog, and other similar technologies, but in a conscious effort to balance it with in class discussion, debate and conversation.
John G
I think blogging is a great way to incorporate technology into the classroom. It gives students a different way of communicating with each other as well as people all over the world. I do believe that technology should be included in the everyday classroom but it is important to balance it with social interaction.
John-I completely agree with you..I think we sometimes rely on technology too much and aren't paying enough attention to other ways of communicating like a simple class discussion or debate. It's definetly important to have a good balance between the two.
-Jeanine T.
This two-minute video certainly provided a positive outlook on blogging for our students. As I watched it, I felt it lacked a narrator to add comementary and make the video even more convincing. The video opened me up to all the opportunities students have at their fingertips with blogging. I feel blogging could be an excellent tool to implement in my classroom as long as it's used appropriately.
In response to Jeff K., I do agree that there are precautions that have to be taken when allowing children access to the internet. It must be done in a safe and appropriate manner.
I also agree with Jessica W. that blogging enables students to communicate with students in other classes, cities, countries, etc. This opens up students to viewpoints and opinions from other demographics that they could not experience in their own classroom.
Tom L.
I really enjoyed this video clip.I think that blogging is a great tool that I would implement in my classroom. It gives students a voice, espically those who may not always want to speak in class. Also, it uses technology, which is something that students in today's classrooms can relate to.
-Christine Sommer
I particularly didn't like this video. I was never too familiar with Blogs or blogging; however I still would not be convinced to allow them to Blog. At one point in this video its states for literacy. I feel that they may not pick up the proper way to speak as it is not required, on a blog.
I agree with John G. when he says that there would need to be face to face communication for students. Their social skills may struggle if they do not have this face to face interaction.
I also agree with Patrick, when he says that blogging should be explained and taught properly before use. It should also be monitored.
-Megan D
I thought the video was nice. I think that blogging gives students another outlet to voice their opinion. Especially in the case of the child with special needs. Ive seen educational videos when they use a computer to help children like the boy in the video communicate and develop. It's always good to have another learning tool in your back pocket. You never know when it may come in handy and this is definitely one of those.
-David B
I would allow my students to blog because this video highlights all of the positive rewards students can gain from blogging. As long as the blogging is monitored by a responsible adult, blogging wouldnt be harmful to students. It gives them the opportunity to express their thoughts and feelings with each other. Technology is the furture so why not let students indulge in its many possibilities.
Melissa H.
I enjoyed this little video clip about students being able to blog. I didn't realize that there were so many positive things for the students that could come out of being able to blog.I agree with Bridget when she said that it would be a good idea to have a classroom blog for the students. It would be a good way for the children to use different learning techniques by using technology. It is also a great way for children to communicate with eachother.
Jaime R
I thought the video was great. For my group Powerpoint project I'm discussing Blogging in the classroom. Many of the points Rachel mentioned I also have for my presentation.
Rob S.
I think this video had a lot of great reasons as to why teachers should allow their students to blog. I believe that blogging will allow the students to be connected with their teacher and classroom all hours of the day. The students will not only be connected with their teacher, but with other classmates and other classrooms as well. By blogging, students can have conversations with their classmates in their own classroom or even in other classrooms around the world. I believe that this is one of the most important parts about blogging. That children now have the opportunity to connect with people outside of their state or even country. This will give them the chance to connect and voice their ideas to new people and in turn, students will be more excited and engaged with their learning environment.
Jackie C
This video was very informative and I feel that letting students blog within the class or about the class from their homes is really engaging them in other ways to respond. It also allows for parents to be involvd with what their children are doing in the class from their homes. Students can have the opportunity to express how they feel using their words and brainstorm with others as the blog keeps growing. I would use blogging in my class because it is a new and inventive way to communicate and develop communcaiton skills about various topics.
Theresa K.
I agree with Jackie that blogging is a great way to connect our students together whether it is between classroom or countries. We are open the world of quick and easy communcation as well as giving our children the chance to use their voice and learn from what others their age have to say.
Theresa K.
Although this video does not look like there is much to it, the different reasons that are posted are so important to all learners. If nothing else for a student but a reason to come to school in the morning, then blogging is a great tool to incorporate into the classroom. For a student to see that other students read their blog, maybe even posted a comment about it, or mentioned something about it in the hallway, gives students a sense of satisfaction or appreciation. I believe that blogging can spark new friendships because of things that students find they have in common. It can also build self-esteem in some of the more timid students.
Jaime S.
I thought the video was short but very to the point. I never realized how blogging could be so beneficial to grade students. Blogging in school gives students opportunities to share with one another about school issues or topics which is a great way to learn. I like the quote from the video " give students a 'voice'" which I thought in itself was empowering. Blogging provides students with a way to reflect and to speak their opinions. It's also a great way to become technology savvy. I think blogging in school is a great idea especially after watching this video.
This video was very interesting and to the point. Blogging is a great way to connect our students when not together in the same classroom. I also agree with Jeanine that it is a great way to incorporate the new technology into the classroom. Although it would be beneficial for the students to stay connected while using technology there have to be limitations and rules in place as a precaution. The blogging must be done is a safe way for all. Overall though, I do believe that blogging would enable the students to utilize technology often both inside and outside of the classroom.
- Bethany Hahl
Letting students blog is very beneficial in the classroom, especially in the world we are living in today. Children are so used to expressing themselves on the computer through the use of instant messaging and email, and social networks. Blogging is a new way to get students to particiapte in the classroom more and is comfortable for the students because it is what they are used to. I like that students can write blogs as an assignment because there are many students who do not like to talk in class, and blogging is a new chance for shy students to participate more often and express their ideas or questions.
I agree with Jen that blogging is way to connect the digital world and the classroom.
I really liked Christine's comment, that students can share ideas and commments with students around the world! That is very interesting for teachers and students!
Diana M.
I really liked the video. I never throught that blogging could have such a big ipact. I liked when the video said that by letting students blog they have a learning environment that is open 24/7. I also never thought that blogging could be so powerful for a student. Imagine if blogging did provided the students with 3 of the qualities mentioned. That would help the students in all aspects of their education as it continues. I think that the video has shown me that blogging would be an excellent tool to use in the classroom.
Lauren G.
I viewed this video twice to get the full impact. I would say "yes" I would allow my students to blog, however, I would have some guide lines. Blogging is a great tool for communicating, sharing, having a large audience, your own voice, collaborative work etc. The bigger questions to me would be learing by writing vs. learning by blogging. I would still want my students to be creative in their writing and drawing, as well as, not loosing writing skills and good penmanship. I feel that a real balance is what is necessary. Like they say too much of anything is no good for you, even technology
Lisa C.
I enjoyed watching this video clip. After watching the video, I believe that students should have the chance to blog for assignments and such. This video convinced me to allow my future students to blog. Blogging connects students to other students, as well as connecting the student(s) and teacher. I think blogging is very engaging for students, and it allows students to learn from eachother.
Christina A
I felt this video was a great and simple way to explain how blogging could benefit a classroom and a student. Blogging increases communication and sharing of ideas throughout the students. It allows students to express themselves in other ways that are exciting to them. I agree with Lisa C on the importance of writing and penmanship. I believe both are primary in learning and seem to have been under-appreciated in recent years. I like the part in the video that said blogging, "extends the walls of the classroom". Finally, I believe blogging is an excellent way to prepare children for their ;digital futures' as the video describes.
-Michelle A
I enjoyed this fun, quick video. If anything, the computer in the classroom should be embraced, not feared by teachers. A lot of people jump to the negative sides of posting on blogs and the dangers of the internet. This video establishes all the positives blogging can have in all aspects of the students education. Sharing your ideas with the world, getting feedback from someone outside of your everyday life. Getting points of view and feedback from other classes across the globe can lead into great discussions and lessons as to what part of the world a certain class is from and why one group of students react differently from another group in another country or state or town. Blogging can also be used to work on a students grammar, spelling and communication skills. Blogging and even appropriate social networking sites will be welcomed in my classroom along with any new, positive learning technology.
Nick M.
I am not sure that this video convinced me to let my students blog. While it did point out many of the positive aspects of blogging, it did not mention at all any of the negatives, and the positives, to some are outweighed by the negatives. I am not one of these people, and I definitely think there is a way to fit blogging into a math classroom, but this video did not lessen any of the concerns I have with it.
Letting students blog within the classroom is a good way to have students interact with each other, especially the students that tend to stay quiet for each lesson. It opens the doors so that students can see the entire world and possibly understand what else goes on in today’s world. Blogging can be fun for students when used in a positive way as the video shows. Although blogging can be beneficial to students, some students use blogging in a negative way, which the video does not show. I am not totally sure if I would use blogging in my classroom after hearing about some negative aspects about blogging. If I do decide to do a blog in my classroom, I would make sure that it is supervised all the time.
Kim F
I agree with Kim. Blogging allows people or students to freely state their feelings with out feeling pressured. Blogging can be used as a useful source in a classroom, but as teachers we also have to be careful with the negatives that come with blogging. I think blogging should be used in classrooms, but it should be filtered so the students to experiment with it and use it in a negative way.
Marleny Abreu.
T/Th
I can’t say that the video necessarily convinced me that students should be allowed to blog, because I agreed that it’s a good idea before I saw the video. I think that students blogging, in a restricted way, amongst their school mates and other children their age and in a censored forum can be a great way to enhance learning. I say that it should be restricted because there should be some sort of access code needed in order to log in and only an adult facilitator, such as a teacher, should be able to provide that code. I think this is necessary because if it isn’t regulated it will just become another form of myspace or facebook for these kids to figure out ways to anonymously taunt each other or worse. I also think that it should be censored, meaning that it doesn’t allow foul language and other stuff like that to be posted so that when a child is logged on and blogging the teacher doesn’t need to look over his/her shoulder the entire time. Or their could be a way in which the teacher has to view what’s going to be posted first to approve it. I liked in the video the way the letter showed that one particular school blogs collectively based on their rooms. I think that’s a great idea, and gives the students a feeling of both accomplishment and pride in the camaraderie they hold with their classmates that they blog with. I would definitely allow students to blog in a class of my own and the idea of doing it collectively based on our room number or class section is a great idea to bring everyone together.
The idea of blogging by children can allow them to be extremely creative in looking at ways to gather and process new information from a myriad of sources. This presentation is simple in its approach, but very accurately conveys what interconnectivity can do for students. Digital Futures is probably a misnomer as we are in the digital age and children growing up will utilize technology to advance and better their lives. The world is shrinking and these technologies are allowing students to reach out to anyone around the Planet Earth. This actually removes the walls of the traditional classroom and can create a 24 x 7 educational setting that truly has very few limits. Digital ethics, however, need to be taught to insure that these school technologies are used for what they are intended and are not abused by those who interact on the world wide web.
Ed Wachowicz
I also agree with Charles that the video did not really present any of the negatives, and as a result, did not offer any alternatives to the problems that may ensue when allowing kids to have their information presented via blog. I think the video was very inspiration, but certainly one-sided.
I have to agree with the comments of Charles and John. This video did not present the many challenges and issues that can come along with blogging in the classroom, including various safety issues that arise, plus the difficulty in monitoring a classroom full of students putting their thoughts on the internet and getting responses.
I don't think personal blogging will be something I will pursue in my classroom, because all of the reasons that this video presented as to why blogging is a good tool can be satisfied in other ways that are easier to monitor. For example, students can find creative expression in their own personal journals. Locked, invite only chat rooms and video chat can help students speak and share with other students around the world. The possibilities are endless.
I do think there is a place for blogging in the classroom, however. Classes can have entire class blogs, and the teacher can invite students to share thoughts or stories or schoolwork on the blog and would then be more in charge of the discussion to make sure nothing inappropriate was happening. If several teachers did this and incorporated the blog into the events of the day, this would be a safer way to accomplish those goals without allowing students unrestricted access, which can lead to trouble.
-Marina M.
Blogging is something that I never really got into until college. This is truly something I wish I could have done growing up. Being one of the more quiet students in the class, blogging would of allowed me to have a voice. If I am able to I will def. try to include blogging in some of my classes. Even if it's just to discuss homework or talk about the days lesson. Like the others have mentioned the video did not really discuss the negative aspects of blogging, but I think it could be used in a very positive way if used correctly.
-Natalie M.
Blogs enable collaboration, communication, discussion and participation and the video highlighted these attributes succinctly. I love the idea of incoporating a blog into my classroom to get students writing --without the daunting task of staring a blank, white page. Reading and responding to others' interpretations, and as Christine and others pointed out, to hear from students in other parts of the world are big benefits to blogging. I do think there are some possible landmines in introducing this technology-- like making sure content is appropriate and protecting students-- but teacher supervision or keeping content to a closed circuit should help deal with those potential problems.
Natalie, I agree with you. It gives a voice to all students and it helps the shy students to state their mind freely. When I start teaching I will see if I can inforce blogging in my classroom. Its a wonderful why to hear what the students feel or have to say.
Marleny Abreu
T/TH
After watching this video I believe that blogging should be incorporated into the classroom. It extends the walls of the classroom connecting students with the endless possibilities of the Internet. It offers students with an alternative learning environment where they can be creative. It also provides shy students with an alternative way that they can express themselves.
I agree with Charles, John and do not think the video discussed the negative issues associated with blogging and using the Internet. I believe that in order to incorporate blogging in the classroom, it is imperative to monitor student’s usage. If not, I believe that students may abuse the blog.
Lauren T.
Tu/Th
After watching the short video I think that it would be interesting to try blogging in the classroom. I think that it certainly allows students to interact and express themselves with others, both near and far.
I agree with some of the other posts that the video did not address any negatives that pertain to blogging. That makes me wonder what some negatives might be and want to do further research to see what others say about blogging in the classroom. I also agree with Lauren T. that if used in the classroom it needs to be closley monitored or it might become abused by students.
Nicole F.
M/W
I think that this video offered a lot of diverse reasons for why blogging is important for students. I think that blogging offers a lot of room for students to communicate, have ownership and pride over their work, engage in participation, and so much more. I think that blogging is also a good way for students to earn points for their grade, through participation. This leads into why I think that blogging goes hand in hand with differentiation of instruction. For the more shy students, blogging can be a great way for them to earn points to class participation. Blogging can also be a creative outlets, gives a voice to students, allows them to reflect on their work, and even gives them an audience. I think that handled the right way, blogging can be a great outlet to meet the many academic needs of students.
I totally agree with Danyi T. I think that blogging can definitely encourage students to have more confidence. The wonderful thing about this is that by building up confidence, hopefully students can apply this in other areas of their life, and even in future jobs and careers. I think that blogging gives students the confidence to have more opinions and ideas. I also think that blogging helps prepare students for the more technological world ahead of them. By having the experiences and practices with the internet and blogging now, students will be more prepared for their futures.
Blogging has a ton of advantages for students. As Natalie said, it gives shy kids a voice. Many students also are tactile learners, and can't communicate verbally as well as they can on paper. Others, though, as the teacher must keep in mind, get frightened by the written word. Maybe writing will help their appreciation of texts, or maybe they'll freak out because they rather speak it than say it. That's where video messaging comes in, and I believe, to be fair to all students, there should be both written and verbal ways to blog/podcast. But I will consider using blogging in the classroom.
- Amy E.
This short video provides many positive reasons why our students should blog? As a teacher candidate and up and rising 21st century teacher, blogging is another useful interactive tool to use in the classroom. I think it helps students enhance their writing and communication skills. In addition, it helps students communicate with others around the world about any academic topic or issues. I also think it motivates those students who tend to be the quietest.
Like Natalie M. mentioned earlier, I also wish blogging was available when I was in school because I was one of the quietest students and found it very challenging to communicate my ideas and speak my mind with peers and teachers.
I believe blogging is a voice for all diverse students. As the world becomes more digital and technologically advanced, teaching our students to use an additional tool like blogging, will only better prepare them for what the technology future holds for us.
Sonia Montalvo, T/TH, 6p-9p
This short video provides many positive reasons why our students should blog. As a teacher candidate and up and rising 21st century teacher, blogging is another useful interactive tool to use in the classroom. I think it helps students enhance their writing and communication skills. In addition, it helps students communicate with others around the world about any academic topic or issues. I also think it motivates those students who tend to be the quietest.
Like Natalie M. mentioned earlier, I also wish blogging was available when I was in school because I was one of the quietest students and found it very challenging to communicate my ideas and speak my mind with peers and teachers.
I believe blogging is a voice for all diverse students. As the world becomes more digital and technologically advanced, teaching our students to use an additional tool like blogging, will only better prepare them for what the technology future holds for us.
Sonia Montalvo, T/TH, 6p-9p
I agree with Charles, Ed, John and Marina this video shares with us the endless positive possibilities of incorporating blogging in the classroom but where are the negative attributes. Blogging does give the shy student a voice. It does promote an engaging and interactive atmosphere and give students a 24/7 extension to the classroom walls. Though there are some safety precautions educators must take and be aware of when incorporating blogging into a classroom or lesson. I would incorporate blogging in my classroom but I would have to set up strict protocol and procedures and have the support and understanding of both my students and especially the parents of the students.
Danielle S.
I felt that this video and the comments that have already been posted bring up many excellent points which we have been discussing in class. There are many ways in which a teacher can use blogs to engage and students in learning. By utilizing a class blog, teachers can help students learn to collaborate with one another, to take an active role in their own learning, bring curriculum into students' every day life, reach multiple learning styles, and much more. I think that using a class blog might be a fun and useful new way for students to create a Reader's Journal, in which they can react and respond to literature. Having a class blog might help students to feel that their classmates are like members of a team, and they always have a place to go to for help, new ideas, or to get feedback on some ideas they might have.
However, I also agree with what many have said with regards to this video only showing the positive sides to using a class blog. As we have discussed, there are several downsides to blogging that must be considered when using the internet in the classroom. While I am becoming more and more open to the idea of creating a class blog for my future ELA classes, it is important to keep in mind all of the negatives we have discussed and to have a plan in mind for how to prevent negative issues as well as what one might do should an issue arise. This video would have been more successful if it did show some of the dangers of using a class blog and offered ideas on how to deal with the downsides.
I agree with the comments that blogging gives all students a “voice” even the shy ones. I sometimes wish this type of system was around during my schooling because I feel it would have most definitely transformed communication. But while watching this video I noticed how all students were sitting behind a computer and I thought to myself what happened to communicating with others verbally. I love how blogging can connect us to others around the United States and world but I feel that students should be taught rules of blogging. That you do not need to always be blogging and that verbal communication is still just as important.
Kristen B.
T-Th
I’d love to try blogging to introduce new topics before I teach them. I’m not sure how one would go about setting-up, securing, and monitoring a blog for comments. I’m always relating these videos to my own situation – a high school math class in a poorly funded district, and I see logistical problems. This would be something my students would have to do outside the classroom. Not all students have computers at home. Each year, I get one or two students who speak little or no English. Typically, they are illiterate in their home language as well and are not skilled with a keyboard, regardless of the language used. Some of my inclusion students can’t spell and are not expected to learn how to spell. How do those children participate and not become a target for ridicule?
However, I agree with Marina, “there is a place for blogging in the classroom.” I think it all comes down to responsibly controlling the blog. A few people mentioned communicating with students from all over the world. That sounds “tricky” to me. John S. mentioned teacher approval for all postings. That sounds like great way to monitor. My concern there would be how much time it might take for me to go through each student’s entries. But, if I told students they would be graded for relevant postings and asked them to limit their comments, I could see a classroom blog working well. Also too, I agree with John that a blog could “bring everyone together.”
I agree with what Mary said; that some students who may not write/type well being subjected to ridicule might not want to participate. How do you keep their particpation/involvement active in a class-blog? If you make it part of their grade, maybe the teacher could allow them to post anonymously, but hand in (on paper) what their comment was? I don't know.
I also agree with Ed; it should be maintained that there is only constructive use (and not abuse) of the blogging. As their teacher, this may be taking up more time than you'd anticipate after school, so maybe the use of the classblog is a weekly activity?
I definitely think that there are advantages to doing this. One in particular is the fact that EVERYONE has a chance to be "heard". No longer could you have a classroom where students can disappear.
-Will S. M/W 6-9pm
Blogging definitely has its advantages—as shown by the video post. It can assist in communication and ownership and personal growth. However, like Kelly said, there were no negatives in the video. It is hard to believe that blogging has no faults worthy of being shown in the clip. The internet is a wonderful tool for learning and communication; however, it can also be a dangerous and harmful place when not used appropriately.
Because comments are typed when blogging, once they are submitted, everyone has access. This can lead to students writing harmful or inappropriate things, or like Mary says, can lead to ridicule and self-consciousness.
This video did not convince me to allow my students to blog, as I am a bit more hesitant about the dangers. It is much more difficult to undo a harmful act or statement in this case, especially since I am the one who instituted the blog.
I agree with Mary and Will S. that blogging is an interesting and engaging way to reinforce a topic and create an opportunity for students to have their voice heard. I agree that access may be an issue for some students and all students and all blogs need to be monitored.
Rachel K.
I love the idea of blogging. I think it is a fun and creative way for students to communicate with one another. This format of expression might also make it easier for some students to express themselves and share ideas with others.
Kgeraghty
I agree with Danyi in that blogging is important for students because it gives them the opportunity to develop strength in their own voice. This video was very informative and cited many postive points about blogging. As stated in the video, blogging is motivating and engaging for students. It also provides the opportunity for students to connect to other students globally. Finally, as a grammar person, blogging engages students in writing skills and helps them develop literacy. Katie F. Tuesday/Thursday EDU 521
Reflection #3
In reading through the comments of my classmates and those in other sections, I can see that at many of us are on the same page related to the fact that student blogging may be something that can have positive impacts on the students with their daily work, their homework, projects and the like. Not that you want to have to control everything that they write, my feeling is that there has to be a number of solid rules, with ramifications if they are not followed, specific to the use of this. As is said, 'change is inevitable, and technology is the driver', we are not going to be able to stop students from using this. Our experience should be such that we provide them with guidance in how to best use this technology to better their school environment and they get more out of each day, as we also as teachers should. I embrace this, without trying to be overly verbose, but there are lots of good things that will come out of this.
Ed Wachowicz
Section 521-04
June 10, 2010
I think it’s a great idea to let your students blog. The video was actually inspiring. It enlightened me to other reasons student should blog. I especially believe it is important for students to share their ideas not just for learning the material itself but also so they develop some adequate skill to express exactly what they want to say. You would be surprised at how many students lack the ability to express an idea. M. Malloy
I think it’s a great idea to let your students blog. The video was actually inspiring. It enlightened me to other reasons student should blog. I especially believe it is important for students to share their ideas not just for learning the material itself but also so they develop some adequate skill to express exactly what they want to say. You would be surprised at how many students lack the ability to express an idea. M. Malloy
I think blogs are very important to student learning as long as it is being monitored during school hours. I feel students will enjoy listening to what other people have to say and talk about things in which they all enjoy. Sometimes blogs can be used as homework help or a group discussion on what they are learning in class. Many people do not realize what blogs are and they think that they are bad for the students but in the end and as long as it is regulated the blogs can be used very wisely and be very helpful for the students.
To blog or not to blog....that is the question...Each student will either find themself comfortably blogging back to other students, or terrified to write the wrong comment..
I do feel that the blog is a positive tool that can encourage students to voice their opinions, express their feelings, and effectively communnicate with one another.
In this "digital age" students are expected to communicate in this way.
So many positive points were addressed in this video; these points far outweight the negative effects.
It is then, our job, as teachers, to educate, encourage and monitor our students while blogging. As this may be a good thing to be vocal on the blog, it is also important that identities are sometimes ignored. Promoting "freedom of speech" for students, will hopefully encourage all to explore this option, and embrace learning in a new way.
Elizbeth G
I have to agree with the video. Blogging is a part of communication that helps students share and iopen up to new ideas. It helps students be more involved as a whole to have a beeter understanding and knowledge about the subject of discussion.
I also agree with Sonia M. about blogging being an enhancement writing and communication skills. She also mentioned how it can motivate students, and I agree with this as well because it helps students want to be more aware about other students's point of view.
Kristal C.
I really enjoyed this short video. As Ali has previously said, blogging is a great way for students to develop confidence in their own voice and opinion. While some students shy away from participating in class, this is a way for them to express themselves in a way they can feel more comfortable. It is also a great tool for them to help students of all ages feel empowered, that their opinion matters and that they have a "voice" as the video said. Although I don't think blogs should be the only way student participation is reached, it does provide another outlet for students and will hopefully let them develop the confidence they need to share their thoughts in class as well. This video definitely made me see the positive effects of blogging, and it is a technological resource that should not be overlooked.
Allison P. EDU 521.03
I thought it was so interesting how these young students were so knowlegable about computer terms. For example, they use the term internet so comfortably. I certainly did not know the term internet as such a young age. It is refreshing to see that kids are still so innocent and naiive when it comes to blogging and such and hopefully the computer will not taint them too much.
C.Keegan EDU 521
I agree with Briget and also look forward to encouraging students to create their own blogs. They will be engaged and participate in interactive lessons.
Even though it was a short video it had quite an impact. To see these little faces and know that this is our future. Learning has become much more than school it goes well beyond the walls of the building. It does give ownership and a voice to every student in the classroom. Each one can make a difference because there is something to contribute. The students will learn not just from the teacher but from each other.
I agree with Carina about encouraging students to blog. It will motivate them to be proactive in their listening because their voice counts.
This video did in fact convince me to let students blog. I particularly liked the fact that it can increase participation because it is not a face to face interaction. Increasing their digital persona will increase their social interactions within the classroom because children may approach a child that they feel they are getting to know online. This could be a way for special education students to compete with the class interactions because it gives them extended time on conversations. Often these children do not interact because they feel as though they get left behind and miss things in a conversation. It allows a forum for ESL student to peer evaluate each other by commenting on each others posts.
Brian G
I loved this video and after watching it, it definitely convinced me to let my students blog. Blogging is a great way to encourage communication among students and even teachers. It allows students to be able to share their opinions in a fun and engaging way. I feel that blogging is a good way for students to help each other with homework problems. I agree with Brian that it can increase participation. Because blogging is not face to face interaction, it will give the shy students more of an opportunity to voice their feelings and opinions and give them more of a sense of belonging.
Ryann K.
I absolutely agree with what Danyi stated in regards to blogging being an essential concept in a students overall developement. Blogging opens up the avenues for a student to communicate with teacher and peers. Blogging also gives the student an oppurtunity to voice their opinion on topics being discussed in class. I can definitely see blogging as being an important pieace of the curriculum.
Brenda K
I am indeed more than convinced that I will have my students blog. I was required to create and maintain a blog for one of my TESOL courses here at Molloy, and I found that writing blog entries was fun and even therapeutic. I also found that blogging was a great way to express myself, and I look forward to giving my students the same opportunity.
I very much agree with Terry's assertion that blogging gives every student a voice. In the aforementioned course, I enjoyed learning about my classmates and their diverse interests and backgrounds by reading their blogs. It is my hope that my future students will utilize blogs to learn about one another as well.
As an aspiring language teacher, I believe that it is very important that language learners have many opportunities to practice using the target language. Blogging is an excellent medium for this, as it affords students the opportunity to read and write the target language in a relatively informal environment. Blogging can also help me to motivate students, as I can have them write about topics that interest them.
Though I am not yet a classroom teacher, this video offers many convincing reasons to employ student blogging for when I do become one. First, it promotes a concept of writing to learn- or in this case, blogging to learn. Blogging allows the processes of communication, sharing, collaboration, and discussion between classmates. All of these actions promote literacy, as they allow students to the opportunity to read various posts and to express their thoughts in writing.
Second, blogging may promote literacy more than other traditional media. Blogging is a highly interactive, engaging process. Students have the opportunity to readily explore the ideas and thoughts of their peers. It may be more desirable for students than other forms of reading and writing, as it is inherently participatory and unintimidating in its conversational nature.
Third, as our class has previously discussed, blogging can give otherwise shy students a “voice.” Many individuals find themselves more comfortable expressing their ideas in a written classroom forum than via conventional “raise your hand” discussions. Having time to compose and post blogs allows students the opportunity to collect their thoughts and review ideas expressed, making the idea of spontaneous contribution less fear-inducing. Having a voice in the classroom- or in any forum, for that matter- inevitably leads to empowerment. Such empowerment inspires motivation, pride, and ownership of class work.
Fourth, if well-monitored and prepared by an instructor, students can benefit from having an “audience” read their written blog work; other students can perhaps view and comment on an entire class blog, but at the very least, learners will find listeners in their own classmates through maintenance of a class blog. This instills excitement in learners, for if they have an idea that they are eager to share, they have a guaranteed and perhaps unexpected listener; the contribution of ideas is not inhibited by running out of class time or simply missing the opportunity to be called on. From behind the mask of a computer screen, furthermore, students may feel more comfortable not only being more outspoken, but they may feel more able to be creative as well.
Lastly, blogging fosters the incredibly important practice of academic reflection. Learners may view a particular video or examine a certain document and have to reflect through a written response. A general class question may be posed, moreover, and students may be asked to read through other classmates’ responses and construct a dialog. Becoming a reflective student is integral to the lifelong learning process.
-Jen Meliambro
I think Brian provides wonderful insight on blogging from a special education student perspective. I believe that extended time allows many people the chance to enhance their digital persona; it takes time to provide thoughtful responses, after all. It’s terrific that extended time for online communication is also helpful for special education students.
-Jen Meliambro
This video convinced me not only to allow my students to blog, but to be a facilitator and supporter of blogging in my class. The three words that stood out to me the most during this video were “engagement”, “participation”, and “reflection”. When thinking back to the goals of any lessons that I’ve conducted over the past few years, these three words definitely come to mind. I find that integrating technology, especially blogging, is a great tool for motivating seemingly uninterested middle schoolers into the class discussion. As a special educator, I strongly agree with Brian about students with disabilities needing more time to join in the conversation. I would find that my students were able to make valuable contributions to conversations held in the small support class setting, but were unable to maintain the pace of the conversation with their peers in the large group setting. I will definitely incorporate blogging into my teaching this school year in order to give my students with disabilities a better opportunity to join in the conversation with their peers.
-Sarah Jane M.
I too enjoyed this simple and short video clip on the benefits of blogging. It is imperative that teachers stay abrest of the many ways students learn and clearly blogging is one of them. My classmates comments are all valid: giving shy students a voice, sharing, collaborating, reflection, literacy and writing are all wonderful benefits of blogging. One thing I felt was missing from the video was the risks of blogging and how to manage them. It is easier to manage a "classroom only blog". To extend the blog parameters beyond the classroom can be both exciting and engaging for the students. However a risk is that the students are blogging with often nameless, faceless individuals who can become much more bold in what they are saying in basically an anonymous situation. It creates the opportunity to be overly bold, harsh or bullying. Anyone else share my concern? Overall though, I feel educational blogging benefits far outweigh the risks.
Sarah S.
I thought this video brought up many good points as to why children should blog. There were many advantages brought up in this clip such as sharing, collaboration, interaction, literacy, etc., many of which I had not thought of. I would most definitely incorporate a blog into my classroom as possibly a current events activity. I think this would be more interesting and fun for the children than a current events journal.
Bianca Todd
Personally, responding to the videos in this course by posting a comment on the class blog as opposed to writing a separate reflection has been easier for me. Additionally, I think the quality of the response is in many cases is better because of the benefit of being able to read the thoughts of the other members of the class to shape my own ideas.
I believe that providing the students the opportunity to blog relieves them of some of the anxiety they may have about their writing. They are not faced with the pressure of staring at a blank page that they need to fill up. Instead they are contributors to a collective discussion which provides them with a chance to put forth their own opinions.
My only minor concern with blogging would be that some students may ignore writing conventions and mechanics because of the casual nature of this communication form. However, if this is monitored by educators, this is a problem that is easily correctable.
Dan M.
I loved this two-minute video. I actually learned more reasons to why any student should blog.I loved the music and its message about the values of blogging. I have always thought blogging was justfor communicating. However, the video mentioned a few key words: literacy, ownership, discussion, empowerment,engagment, and creativity. These are great qualities that we as educators need to see inour students. Focus on more the postive and less on the negative is the true message.
-Jennfer Sandoval
After watching this video clip, it just reconfirms my theory that children should be able to express themselves in any form, even through blogging. The ability to capture the ideas of why children should blog through images, and words of empowerment was a wonderful touch. This would be a great form of expression in the classroom especially if we are doing topic of personal opinions, commenting on current events in our community, and school. Blogging gives these students the ability to express themselves without limitations, something they need.
I must agree with Jennifer comment when she acknowledges few of the key words and how as educators we need to see those qualities in our students. We do need to focus on the positive especially in our students because they are the future, and they need to know we believe in them.
Kricel F.
I thought this video was interested. I am not much of a believer in technology being used for more than neccessary. I love technology and I do believe it should be part of our classroom, teaching and students education, however, I do not think that it should be used in every aspect. The video however showed me many things that children could use blogging for to benefit them as students and as people. It definitely helped me to see the benefits and uses of it for our students. I felt that it was very inspirational and alluring. I very much agree with Jennifer that the words in the video are characteristics we should be displaying and instilling into our students everyday through our lessons and teaching. So, if blogging can help these things, then I say, why not give it a chance.
-Angela T.
This video was very informative, and I agree with some of my classmates that it packed in a lot of information in just two minutes. Blogging is a relatively new technology and one that many teachers may be unfamiliar with and therefore afraid to use it. However this video points out just how useful blogging in the classroom can be. The more that educators understand blogging and its potential uses the more likely it will be used in the classroom.
-Thomas Mehldau
This video showed me why blogging is so essential to our students' learning and becoming worldly. I never realized the power of the internet and blogging. After viewing this video, I realized that there are so many benefits to making the effort of creating blogs for our students. It inspired me to learn how to create one myself for my students. I hope it becomes an outlet for students to learn about other cultures and current events in their neighborhood and abroad
J Dupas
This video showed me why blogging is so essential to our students' learning and becoming worldly. I never realized the power of the internet and blogging. After viewing this video, I realized that there are so many benefits to making the effort of creating blogs for our students. It inspired me to learn how to create one myself for my students. I hope it becomes an outlet for students to learn about other cultures and current events in their neighborhood and abroad.
J Dupas
This video showed me why blogging is so essential to our students' learning and becoming worldly. I never realized the power of the internet and blogging. After viewing this video, I realized that there are so many benefits to making the effort of creating blogs for our students. It inspired me to learn how to create one myself for my students. I hope it becomes an outlet for students to learn about other cultures and current events in their neighborhood and abroad.
j.Dupas
In response to Max's post, I feel the same way. I hope to eventually creat a blog to increase my students' language use. I am excited that this might be a real motivation for my students to use their language skills on more than just written school assignments. However, instead of tsoel students my special education students will benefit from the practice.
I thought this video was interesting. Towards the end I couldn’t believe how influential it was with only having pictures and captions. I think it is so important to have student’s blogging. The internet has so many beneficial resources to offer and we must take advantage of them. Especially since the future of technology is expanding, it is important that we introduce the internet early in education.
As we saw in the video, blogging has so many advantages that will encourage and empower the students in learning. I agree with Thomas’ post about teacher’s being unfamiliar with blogging and therefore afraid to use it. As technology is advancing, it is important that teachers and school districts do what they can to make sure we understand, in order to teach and present these resources to the students.
This video has reinforced my belief that technology and students go hand in hand. Blogging is a way to engage students in any lesson plan but at the same time keeping them in their comfort zone. I have seen blogging done in the classrooms first hand and i can attest that blogging will soon be a staple of classroom activity. With blogging everyone has a voice and no ones opinion is wrong. I will definately be using blogging in my future classrooms.
*Kamaal.H
The improvements throughout the world of technology have broadened the horizons of education. I agree with the video that the usage of these technologies increases the attention span of the students and gets them more involved with the material that you are attempting to teach.
Nicholas Hablenko
I really liked this video. It showed all the positive things that happen when we use the Internet to communicate in the classroom and how it benefits students learning. In this video I saw an educational way we, as teachers, can use the Internet and have it expand and apply our lessons to meet the needs of different learning types.
~Cynthia Q-B.
When I first started watching this video I was unsure of the impact it would have because it was simply just text and pictures. However, after watching the entire video I found myself surprised at just how many ways blogging could be beneficial to students. Not only is it educational but it can give a student a voice and sense of empowerment. These two qualities would be hard to achieve otherwise. I would definitely consider setting up a class blog for my students in the future.
Jamie F
The video does a great job of highlighting the reasons why classroom blogs are good, but it doesn't list any concerns. While I believe class blogs are a great idea, I think it is equally as important to teach kids the dangers of being online - including blogging, passwords, etc.
Additionally, while technology is the future, it is vital that we continue to promote physical activity and learning offline - outside, in the playroom, etc... Children are using their hands and bodies to learn less and less as they rely on technology more and more. I read a scary statistic that only 40% of 4 year olds can not tie their shoes today, but about 75% of them can navigate an iPad. Scary.
In today's society, blogging has truly become popular for adults and children of all ages. Future educators should use blogging with their students any chance that they get. Blogging is a great way for students to communicate with each other and it is a great way for a teacher to get feedback on a particular video or website related to the subject. In the video, they mentioned why students should blog. Students should blog becausue of "collaboration, discussion, enjoyment, creativity, reflection, etc." "It also gives students a voice and advice." It was a great two-minute video and it got the point across. They also mentioned in the video that there will be digital futures and students can write to learn and blog to learn. I agree with these comments. I have never blogged until recently and I think it is a great way to share ideas and to communicate with others.
-Lara S.
EDU 364 (S)
This was an enjoyable video with a compact, strong message. I would certainly let students blog. Blogging is another form of writing, and writing develops critical thinking, higher-order thinking. Another benefit of students blogging is the opportunity to have them write for a purpose that is still personal and for which a student can still take ownership. It's also an opportunity to teach "netiquette." Because blogging and other types of social networking can be cruelly used, having it done in a classroom with a clear purpose and with guidelines for language, especially in disagreements, will at least introduce students to a civil way to participate in community discourse. Adolescents can especially benefit from this. Between the drama of adolescence itself and being bombarded with media that highlights combative and insulting public dialogue, blogging in the classroom would expose them to a different way of communicating.
I have to say I agree 100% with Lauren. All the video does is list the positive things about blogging but it dosnt list any problems that is causes. I think we live in a society where people find the need to blog everything that they are doing through out the day. Not only is that a waste of time but it is also is a saftey hazard. I don't know about you but what I do is my personaly buisiness and it isnt the world's entertainment. So my question is,"Is blogging helpful?"
steph s, M 5:25
When I first started watching the video and saw that it was one word on each slide I didn't think it was going to be as informative as it was. I would agree with Jamie that I was unsure of the impact it would have because it was simply just text and pictures. I also felt after watching the whole video I was surprised at just how many ways blogging could be beneficial to students. I wrote down all of the information to go over it after the video was done and realized there were so many positives to blogging. I would definitely think about setting up a class blog for my students.
Jackie Az
I agree with Patrick that the video was one sided. Even though I enjoyed it and strongly agreed with the points it raised, nothing is without its drawbacks, and issues such as access to technology and fear of posting "to the world" and probably other unforeseen consequences will arise. That said, I still think student blogging, used thoughtfully and carefully, can a powerful teaching strategy.
The video is defiantly informative about the many reasons why blogging can be effective. However I must agree with Lauren that while it gives many pros they didn't list any of the cons of blogging. Blogging may be effective in a classroom but I dont not feel that it should be used for every age group or even every subject. I feel that blogging should be used moderately.
Tom G
Though this video was only less than two minutes long, it posted 24 powerful points that argues the positive view of integrating technology into the classroom by blogging. Of all the points that this video posted, one of my favorite and what I believe to be the most powerful is “For motivation”. I believe that by letting students blog using the Internet it involves creativity, its different, fun, and therefore motivates the student to learn and take part in this assignment. Technology is a huge way to get kids involved and motivated to learn, because it is a way to make the learning process more engaging and fun for the student.
When reading the blogs of my peers, it seems that we have similar views when it comes to letting your students blog. It is a way to get the students voice heard and sparks discussion and debate as well. However, when it comes to any feature using the Internet, the student must be monitored and steps must be taken to prevent any web risk from occurring.
Mary V.
I found this video to be very enlightening on the ways in which blogging can be positive for the classroom and upon student learning.
I think blogging is important for the classroom, because it allows for the quick spread of ideas and it integrates technology into learning. It gives students another use for the internet. I would love to use blogging in my own classroom. Also the extra writing will help students skills.
One must also take into consideration that not all of our students might have access to the internet, therefore as teachers we should be able to offer alternatives as well.
Nicole K.
I agree with Mary V. that one of the most important reasons to have students blog that was highlighted in this short video is motivation. This is particularly important when working with students with disabilities. In my experience I have also found that, many students who will avoid writing at all costs are happy to write when it involves the computer. Imagine the possibilities when the child could share their ideas with others around the world and at the same time experience others' points of view.
Another subtlety I noticed in this clip is the use of a number instead of a name. I assume this is for the child's protection, but it is another reason that I would be likely to use blogging in my own classroom. Oftentimes, students are unwilling to have other students hear or read things they have written. Again, this is often true when considering students with disabilities. The possibility of anonymity may entice more students to write, and as Natalie mentioned, develop higher level thinking skils. Indeed it would be possible to foster confidence as students become more comfortable with their writing as well as the freedom to express their ideas and opinions.
Cindy A.
I took the literacy class last semester and we discussed a lot about write to learn which is exactly what blogging is. It is a place to interact and discuss topics of a classroom without the pressure of the teacher reading over your shoulder. It is a great way for students who may be shy to express their ideas in such a way that everyone can read and appreciate them. It also is a great way for students to start thinking about their own idea and perceptions which helps them take responsibility for their own education. Lastly, I didn't even think about the possibilities that Jen S discussed about talking to people in the rest of the world. How cool would it be if you could blog about something like the American Revolution and have students get the perspective of students on "the other side of the pond". I can't wait to use blogging in my classroom!
I too, like Jackie, was surprised at how many ways students can use blogs for learning. I was only recently introduced to blogs through EDU 521 (when we were told we had to respond to videos each week). Although I had heard about blogging, I was always unsure of what exactly it was and how to use it. I think it is wonderful that students would be able to interact with their classmates, teachers, and students from other countries for learning purposes. It allows students that may not have a 'voice' in the classroom to speak up and voice their opinions. It is excellent for collaborative work so all memebers of a group can stay in touch. Prior to this video and EDU 521 I was not a fan of blogs but now I see all of its benefits and I would like to start using it with my students.
-Kristine D.
Blogging should be standard practice in every classroom. Blogging on a regular basis promotes many positive educational characteristics. Not only does it allow students to respond to questions in a safe enviornment but it promotes reading and writing as well. this could be beneficial to students both with disabilities and with out.
^ that post is mine
matt m
This video lists the many good reasons for students to blog, but I agree that it does not list the risks. Yes, blogging is a great tool for students to use, but no matter what technology a student is using, if they are online, they must be taught the risks involved and precautions so that they may act accordingly. With that said, I think that blogging is a great idea for students, if they are given a safe place to do so. For instance, through a school districts website, or a class website in which the teacher has created for students access only. I think that blogging can be used in classrooms, but educators must also use the traditional readers responses or handwritten journals to keep students using tools besides technology.
I believe it is important to let students blog for many different reasons. Besides the fact that it helps in their reading and writing skills, it also sparks interest which is necessary for successful learning. If a child is engaged in a blog, they will be working with the computer hands on, which also helps aide in the learning process. Virtual field trips, pen pals, and self reflection are just a few of the reasons why it is essential to teach our students the appropriate and safe way to blog.
Christina G.
Believe it or not, technology is the way of the future. Therefore, allowing students to blog about various topics really does enhance their learning. Not only does it enhance their learning but it enhances conversational skills,expressing themselves as individuals, and their self-confidence. I believe that using blogs in the classroom is a fine use of technology in teaching students various aspects of the curriculum.
I definitely think blogging in the classroom is a perfect opportunity for students to have their voice heard. This is especially important for the children who may not want to participate in classroom discussions. I have learned that some students really have a fear to speak in front of a class and every child should be heard. It's a great way to get to know your students, especially the quiet ones. I agree with Danyi that this 2 minute video gave a glimpse of how blogging can be used in the classroom.
Karen B.
Yes, this video definitely convinced me that students should blog. There was something very cool about seeing those very young students at the computer, writing and working collaboratively. I think it is very important for teachers to provide students with the technological skills they will need, to build upon for use in their future schooling, or as the video put it, for their, "digital futures". I agree with Jen S, that, the world is rapidly changing as technology advances, and students need to be given opportunities to familiarize themselves with all of the changes.
In class we learned about how low stakes writing can be more beneficial for students learning, and can lead success in high stakes tasks, as students become more confident in their writing. I feel that blogging is a great opportunity for such writing practice, because students may be asked to write about a certain topic and respond, or just choose their own topic, making it highly motivational.
I agree that blogging will give students a chance to own and develop something for their digital future. I feel children are more interested in the internet than with conventional learning methods. Going "outside" the walls of the classroom is a challenge 21st century teachers will have to overcome for their students to be relevant in the future world. I noticed some of the other comments by students were interested in how blogging can negativley influence learning. I think it can only be benefical if monitored correctly by teachers.
Like the previous comments mentioned, I too agree with allowing my students to blog. Students especially those who are visual and kinestetic learners will benefit from using the computer and typing their thoughts, reflections and feelings in a blog. I also feel that for the more timid and shy students, this can benefit them incase they do not like verbal interactive sharing with the whole class, they can do it on a blog and still get their opinions "heard". Also, it is taking a "pen pal" to a whole other level, it allows for immediate interaction and conversation between two international students. I feel blogging is most beneficial and can be used in a variety of different ways. Kaitlyn D.
Blogging is becoming more and more important as a means of communication. At first I was skeptical about students using because of things like their ability to stay on topic, however after watching this video I can see how useful blogging can be for students. Not too mention with technology advancing as fast as it has been in the last decade blogging is going to inevitably use more and more.
The video mentioned many good things that blogging can do for students such as expand the classroom, and allow for discussion and participation for students who are on the shy side. The only thing to be cautious of is language/literacy, because of the age we live in kids are going to be tempted to use internet slang when typing and they must remember that even though blogging is on the internet, when blogging for school they must be professional.
-Mike S.
This video is a great tool, and could also help individuals, understand and realize the importance of student blogging. Students have the opportunity to voice their opinions on particular issues and subjects. Student blogging could also get students motivated and more involved on class projects.
Jamie L.
I agree with Danyi, I never knew there were so many reasons for kids to blog. I think blogging is greta for the student who may be shy and hesitate to participate. I think the student who needs a hint to get there thoughts flowing, will truly benefit from blogs. I never thought about using a blog for E.S. students, but I would definitely try it in my classroom.
I believe blogging is good for several reasons, the first is it definitely gives each student his/her own individual voice to be heard. Blogging promotes engagement outside of the classroom which again is good for critical thinking skills.Holding students accountable to read, reflect, and then respond in any way that they want is still work that is being asked of them, which in turn will enhance learning and foster creativity.Lindsay S
As it showed in the video, there are plenty of very good reasons to use blogs. I am all for anything that will get a child engaged and working cooperatively with his/her fellow students. My only concern is that they have too much fun with it, and it gets in the way of their schoolwork.
The video "why let our students blog" closely relates to last weeks blog posting on technology in the classroom. The video provides endless benefits of students blogging. While the students are blogging they're working on a variety of skills simultaneously: reading comprehension, writing, discussing class content, all the while having access to information to support their postings on the web.
The web offers students who are shy or non-participatory in class an opportunity to shine and hold passionate conversations/debates. Lastly the blogs are open 24-7; students can contribute at anytime of the day.
Kent A. brought up some concerns with the blogs and how it may get out of hand or become a distraction. These are valid concerns, and with any technology or lesson given an educator must be prepared to properly supervise their students.
Watch this video. Did that convince you to let your students blog? Why or why not?
After watching this video, I do not believe I am convinced to let my students blog, but I am more enthusiastic about the idea of letting students blog. This video points out many important why we should let our students blog--for engagement, participation, motivation, etc. I do, however, believe that educators will encounter many problems in giving students freedom in blogging. The most convincing aspect of the video was the pictures. Students are always so excited to use the computer. By allowing them to use the computer to interact with their peers, we will be able to hold their attention more thoroughly. Like Christine said, it would be exciting to create a blog that others across the world can view, giving our students the opportunity to become global learners.
-Marisa G.
Personally, I think that giving students the ability to blog is a great idea. Since as far back as any of us can remember, one assignment we were given constantly from 1st grade all the way to our senior year of high school was to give reflections on what we had learned. I for one always got bored with having to keep a journal and having to do the same process every day. With the ability to blog, it gives students a more enjoyed, relaxed experience for the fact it can be done through the simple act of typing.
Lets students blog can be even more useful for those of a younger age. By allowing them to to use a computer to post their feelings, ideas, and reactions
to whatever the topic at hand is, this will help them build grammatical skills for later down the road. Plus, no matter what age you are, letting students be able to interact on any level is sure to raise interest.
Reed C.
This video demonstrates why teachers should allow blogging. It is very important to let students blog, especially today with the increase of technology. Blogging allows students to express their ideas and thoughts as well as it being engaging. It is also great for global learning.
-Elizabeth B
Andrew F.
Sure, allowing students to blog is a great idea. Classrooms of the future will become increasingly interactive and this is a wonderful medium. The video gave many reasons for utilizing blogs and I concur. I likeed all of the reasons,but "Digital future" stood out to me.
As my classmates mentioned, all students will participate, even students who normally do not feel comfortable speaking up in class.
It is also important for the teacher to supervise closely so that the students do not become engaged in outside activities.
This video does a great job of showing us what benefits students get out of blogging. I thinking blogging can be a great tool for a child's written and language developement. I also believe that blogging can benefit many children with special needs. It gives them a voice, and a chance to be heard, just like any other student. When children blog they are not defined by how they look or how well they speak. They have an opportunity to express themselves and to also listen to other people's opinions or views.
I believe a classroom blog is also very beneficial. It helps to create a classroom community and keeps the teaher connected to her students and the parents.
Michelle B
Also - as Kent A. pointed out - there are some risks associated with blogging as there is with many web-based technologies. It is the teachers responsiblity to make their students aware the these risks and to familiarize them with the appropriate behavior that is expected of them when they are blogging.
Michelle B
I liked this video a lot and think that it would be even more beneficial for teachers who maybe feel apprehensive about allowing their students to blog. The video states many good reasons why students should be blogging that maybe some people do not realize or think about on their own. I think blogging is a great way to incorporate writing in any subject. I think students are motivated to write better on a blog post because they know other students are going to be reading it, not just the teacher.
I agree with Michelle's post in that blogging is a great way for students to express themselves without having to worry about standing in front of the classroom. They will not be judged on how they look or sound. Working as a middle school teacher, I know how much this concern affects our students. I think it is important as educators to give students various outlets to express themselves and their opinions.
I agree with both, Dena and Michelle, in that the level of comfort that is afforded to a student through the usage of blogging is very beneficial to some. The ability to express one's self without the fear of others immediately silencing or rejecting his/her opinion or comment. In the age of technology, I believe the influx of these types of modalities for assessment with become more and more evident on a daily basis. I am only concerned with the integrity of answers produced on a blog because, in fact, as an educator outside the classroom structure, we cannot know for certain who is producing the responses.
I feel that blogging is a great way to incorporate technology into a given lesson on a consistent basis. The usage of blogging is great for producing thought-provoking discussions among a wide variety of participants logging in from different locations. This is a great way to get journal entries from students within a given class or to have weekly "communicating across the curriculum " assignments. I currently use a blog similar to that of this to instill and practice the usage of mathematical language when necessary. It is a direct, intimidation free method for a student to vocalize his/her thoughts in reagrds to a particular topic. However, as with all things, it must be carefully watched, monitored, and used.
I have always been a strong believer in letting students blog and this video only made my opinion stronger. As Dena stated earlier, this video is a great way to influence teachers who might be a little hesitant to allow their students to blog. Blogging is a great way to extend education outside the classroom. It also is a great way for many students, especially students with special needs to have their voice be heard. Kids today spend more time on computers then ever and will have to be proficient in using computers throughout their lives. By integrating blogging into your teaching it gives students more exposure to using the computer as well as making them continue to use their minds outside the classroom.
-Keith G.
I enjoyed watching this video. Its content really sold me on the ways that blogging can be beneficial to all students in the classroom. As a classroom teacher, I think it is important to ensure that students understand how to properly communicate with one another through the internet, and the instructor creates meaningful instruction through blogging.
Hopeful to work in the special education field one day, I agree with Keith and believe that "Blogging is a great way to extend education outside the classroom. It also is a great way for many students, especially students with special needs to have their voice be heard." I believe it is important to develop instruct that will benefit ALL students in the classroom.
-Christina D.
Using blogs in our classroom is a great idea because it brings unity to the class. Students can help each other out with projects or homework when they have wquestions. It also allows the teacher to see what the students are talking about in class to learn what they like and don't like. It also prepares them for the new wave of communication and information delivery. Cristine I like your idea of using the blog to communicate to other cities and countries. It takes the idea of pen pals to the whole next level becase the results are so much quicker and can bring so many different people together in one conversation.
James S.
This was an informative short video giving the many reasons that blogging is beneficial to students and learning. I strongly believe that it is important for students to have a voice and feel that they are being listened to, but sometimes in the shrot 40 minute periods there is simply not enough time to hear out everybodies opinions on certain topics. Blogging is a great way for students to feel that they are able to share their opinions with other students and their teachers. Someone in an earlier post said " Creating a classroom blog would be an excellent way of incorporatng technology into lessons and assignments. Blogs provide an open forum for the sharing of ideas and encourage discussion." I agree with this comment completely because i think discussions and sharing of opinions is one of the most important aspects of learning.
-Danielle C.
Throughout college, I never really blogged in my classes except all claseses that were related to Education. I now see why many teachers use blogging to include their students in participating and interacting with each other over the internet. These different voices of opinion gives a chance for each student to absorb the thoughts of others and accept the fact that there are many peeople out there with many different opinions. Blogging can be useful in overall development socially and in developing your own opinions.
-Katie C.
I agree with Bridget, "Blogs provide an open forum for the sharing of ideas and encourage discussion." Students can blog about events in the classroom or current events in the world. Students can give thoughtful responses and will be able to post as opposed to being shy in the classroom, students can also post at home things that they forgot to say while in the classroom.
I could see having a blog for my classroom, so students will be able to ask questions and expand on the events learned in the classroom. In higher level classroom students can post blogs about current events.
Kate M.
This podcast points out a lot of reasons why students should be allowed and able to blog. There are many ideas it lists that I never would have thought of had I not seen this video and if anything it gave me more evidence as to why I would want to integrate blogging into a classroom environment. Its a new age way to engage students and help make learning fun again in a number of different ways.
Justin B.
I have to say, this video although well put together and visually pleasing, did not convince me one way or another as to whether I would have my students blog.
As Megan D. mentioned, there is a point in the video where it is suggested that students should blog for literacy. Perhaps if the video had more support of this, I would have been more easily swayed to allow my students to blog. However, I can not see how blogging allows for their literacy to flourish--sadly, I think that with the use of technology, too many literacy skills (such as spotting misspelled word or improper grammar) go unpolished.
Hopefully, technology will further evolve so that using blogs as a learning tool will heed only positive results.
Jackie D.
I really like this video on blogging. It is a great tools for kids to use. I did find that the pictures in the video we nice to see the kids using the technology in the classroom. I think that the music was catchy and would attract teachers to view it. The video definitely shows that this is a great tool to have in the classroom.
I am new to blogging. So far I have really been enjoying my experiences. I am given the opportunity to view video clips and ideas that I might not have seen otherwise. Allowing students to blog affords them the same opportunities. Students should be able to express themselves in an open forum with their peers to exchange ideas and share creativity. I agree with Kasey that blogging is a great tool for students and the classroom. As a future educator I believe all students should have a voice. I think that blogging at a young age, possibly all ages will require additional supervision from the teacher. It is a simple and easy to use technological resource. I also enjoyed the way the video clip was presented with single words. It reminded me of a brainstorming session.
"Why let our students blog?" was a great video to watch because it opened my eyes to the many reasons why students should be blogging. I agree with Erin and how I enjoy participating in the blogs because I too, am new to all this. I am also enjoying watching these videos weekly because I feel like I am becoming more aware of technology in education. The video was interesting because I always had it in my mind that the younger generation would have no reason to blog, but realizing that blogging among students creates interaction, participation, creativity, excitement, ownership, and literacy. After seeing this video I realized that maybe blogging is up and coming with students because there are so many advantages that come along with it.
I agree with the comments above. I found this video to be very catchy with the music. I am also new to blogging and the video opened my eyes to the different ways it could be used in the classroom. I think bogging among a class or school is a great tool for children. It lets them communicate and learn in a different more interesting way. It also will give the students an opportunity to communicate in the blog outside of the classroom, especially if they have questions about homework or projects. I feel that as long as the blog is monitored and safe for the children to use than it should be implemented into their education.
I agree with Erin in that all students should have a voice. Blogging is a great, new way for them to do so. The video was a great way to explain how effective blogging can be for students in the classroom. I really liked how the video stated that blogging "extends the walls of the classroom." It is a great way for students to share their thoughts and ideas with each other, their teachers, and with other students from around the world. There are so many ways to use blogs and with how popular they're becoming, I feel it is useful to have in the classroom. Students feel proud knowing how to use a blog and to share their writing with peers boosts confidence tremendously. I just began writing my own blog and I plan to base it around classroom ideas to share with others. If I'm having my own students create a blog, it would be nice to model how to do one and take pride in the work I do.
I enjoyed this video, it was simple and to the point. I also enjoyed the background music while being able to read for myself and learn about all the benefits of blogging. While I have always been an advocate for blogging, this video opened my eyes to even more benefits for children that I had never thought about before. I agree with the above comments in that all students should have a voice in the classroom; blogging is a great way to provide that opportunity to all students. Blogging creates a safe and non-threatening way for any students to share thoughts and ideas with others. Blogging is especially beneficial to those students who are shy and do not feel confident raising their hands and contributing to in class discussions. I am able to personally relate to this idea because I was shy growing up, and would rarely raise my hand to speak during class discussions. I think if blogging was available to me I would have felt a lot more comfortable sharing my thoughts with others by typing them on a blog rather than sharing them aloud in class. It gives these students the opportunity to share in a way that they feel more comfortable and confident doing so.
Last year I started a blog, and I am thoroughly enjoying it. I think it's a great way of defining yourself and for those of us that are a bit more reserved, it's a great way of expressing yourself. One of my friends is a fifth grade teacher in Florida and he has class blog that he updates on a daily basis. I find this to be such a modern way of communicating between teachers, parents, and students. I like the idea of students blogging, but I think it also depends heavily on the age of the students. The older the student, the more inappropriate their content could be.
The video does a wonderful job of inspiring educators on all levels to allow students to blog. The video pinpoints the many advantages to blogging and how blogging can have a positive affect on the students learning process. At the very end of the video when it says "write to learn......learn to blog" I believe this saying demonstrates the true power of blogging. Students not only are able to speak their mind and form their own opinion, they work on their writing skills and become much more engaged.
I was never a fan of blogging, but this video definitely changed my mind. Blogging is the new hand-written journals students used to do. I think the more access our students have to new technology, the better their learning opportunity is. It offers students new ways of learning and being creative outside the textbook. I think blogging is great for the students because it also gives them a sense of accomplishment with their fellow classmates, and something new to talk about. It makes learning so much more enjoyable.
This video helped me realize what an asset blogging can be for students. It's a great motivational tool and it helps get students who normally won't participate to speak about topics discussed in class.
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