The article mentions another great benefit - students who would not normally participate in a class discussion or question find it easier to participate and be involved. The use of technology is always an interest builder for students, and blogs allow students to be creative while employing the interests of computers and handheld communication.
According to the article, benefits of blogging include:
- Highly motivating to students, especially those who otherwise might not become participants in classrooms.
- Excellent opportunities for students to read and write.
- Effective forums for collaboration and discussion.
- Powerful tools to enable scaffolded learning or mentoring to occur.
So blogging can provide a number of benefits, including encouraging students who might be difficult to motivate otherwise, and providing a forum for students who truly want to learn and understand to get information and knowledge even after the bell rings.
The articles I read mentioned very similar things! I think it is a great way to get to know your students on a deeper level. I also think students are more eager to share online then on paper. Why? I have no idea but they seem to just do! I find it very interesting how something so simple can make such a huge impact especially on student interest in learning!
ReplyDeleteIt's exciting to see so many articles supporting the use of blogs in education but I think we need to continue to step back and openly consider what might be negatives.
ReplyDeleteSince I've joined this blogging class, I've found myself adding "comments" under news stories at my favorite online news sites. I then enjoy watching to see how many people read my comments, or reply, or "like." I'm coming to appreciate the value of blog discussion even beyond the classroom environment.
ReplyDeleteHas anyone come across articles on using blogs in a classroom that is already online? I see a lot of things about using blogs in an on-campus setting, and it makes all kinds of sense. I'm sold on that.
ReplyDeleteHowever, what if you are already using Moodle or Blackboard or one of the other course management software tools? Does it make as much sense then? The one thing I see that is really enticing is the ability to publish something for a wider audience than just your class.
I think that using two sites would be very frustrating. I had a class where we used moodle but had to post our assignments at a different location and it was very confusing and frustrating at times, especially since we had to spend a great deal of time posting on moodle and then had to also go to this other site.
ReplyDeleteLast spring I did a workshop on blogging in teaching for the faculty at WOU and at least one, but I think several, setup their online course as exclusively a blog. She wrote the instructions in her blog and the students responded in their own blogs and commented on others in a formal type discussion and exchange of ideas.
ReplyDeleteDid you get any feedback from her on how it went? What did she like? What would she do differently next time?
ReplyDeleteMoodle is set up with the basic ability to blog as you mentioned, but with other available components. Why did she choose to use a blog? Would she use it over Moodle again?
Questioned out yet? :o}
She was satisfied with it but because she's clearly not a techie and has retired, the feedback is a little weak. She did like it better than Moodle because offers so many tools and options that she got lost. I helped set it up and we kept it very basic.
ReplyDeleteUsing two sites, it seems, would be daunting for students; however, how would this amount of confusion and frustration be ameliorated for students that are learning disabled?
ReplyDeleteI think it would be doubly frustrating for those with learning disabilities because the students would have to try to figure out more than one website, along with the struggle to simply figure out the class lesson.
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