Light, D. (2011). Do web 2.0 right [Pg.10-15]. Retrieved from http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/201102?pg=12&pm=2&fs=1#pg12
Wikis and blogs are a great way to get students engaged and motivated to practice their writing skills, but for the beginners and people who just don’t know where to start, this may be hard. Fortunately, many educators have tried them out and are now publishing what works and what doesn’t seem to work.
What researchers have come to find is that teachers seem to have the best of luck with web 2.0 using tools to create ongoing conversations among students and “always on” learning communities. These teachers made wiki and blogs a daily practice in their classroom, not just one single project, they carefully considered their audience and taught and enforced appropriate behavior. Although, what they have also come to find out is, that if you’re not careful, you can also have a lot of unmotivated students. Making very careful consideration of how you intertwine blogs in to a classroom and on-line community is a very important part to the success you will see with your students.
Overall, wikis and blogs are a wonderful means to engage students in their work and the works of others. Even if you don’t know how to use the tools right away, going through the trouble of learning them can be very rewarding. When these tools are used right, it can add a whole new dimension to learning.
1.What do you think is the best way to incorporate a blog in to the classroom?
When it came to individual blogs, students seemed to be unmotivated for different reasons. Some were worried about making their school work public, while others were reluctant to write if they felt that their work might not be as meaningful as other students. Individual blogs seemed to work more flowingly when it was one on one with the teacher. The student felt more comfortable in their work and were more expressive than they were when they had to post their work publicly.
Even though I do think there are benefits to individual blogs and that they should be used as well, I like the idea of incorporating a classroom blog in to my curriculum. I think the students are more engaged and excited about the idea of a classroom blog. It seems to support student debates, generates interest as well as elicits prior knowledge.
2. How will you as a teacher prepare your students for the constructive criticism/ negative feedback that they may get in response to their blog post?
As a teacher, I would first explain what we will be doing on-line in the classroom. Give a few examples of how the blogging will work and make sure that I am creating the appropriate learning environment for the type of debates that will take place. I would establish ground rules and go over the mutual respect that they all must have for each other in my classroom and in the on-line community. I want to make sure that the students understand that they can be critical of others work and have people be critical of theirs, without it being taken to a personal level.
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