The Starting Line: blogs and wikis

After reading chapters 3 and 4 in Richardson I thought about how it is easy for teachers to think of how to scaffold learning for their students but for some reason it seems like we forget that step when it comes to our own learning. We can't just expect to know how to do this the right way the first time and instead need to scaffold our learning, or in this case our blogging and start to the Read/Write Web. Richardson suggested that if blogs are new to you start by exploring other blogs to see the potential uses, formatting and the commonalities between blog posts. Richardson states, "As you get more settled into the rhythm of posting, begin to write more in depth about your reading, drawing on your own personal experiences and reflections. In this way, you'll come to understand the true mental work that is blogging."

I think the "mental work" that Richardson is referring to is the crafty voice that many blog authors have, along with the connections bloggers include in their posts: pictures, links or videos. However, I see the mental work differently. In creating my posts I rethink everything sentence I write because I know that anyone could read it. I think this "mental work" will be similar for my students because they will be more cautious about their writing and responses since they know their peers or even parents can read their work. Hmmm, what is that I smell? Ownership? Accountability? Motivation? Engagement?

If you want to take that first step and just start exploring the who/what/when/where/why of blogging, signing up through Google Blogger is really easy (take it from me who is a newbie to this). Those of you interested in blogging with your class a couple of good start up options I'd suggest looking into: Edublogs.org or 21classes.com. Both of these options allow the teacher to monitor posts and set access. Edublogs has over 300,000 education blogs!

And on the idea of wikis, what do you think: Wikipedia or Whackypedia?

I was always under the impression that it was more of a "whackypedia" but in reading some of the facts and research included in Chapter 4 of Richardson I am beginning to think otherwise

Oh the Possibilities

After reading just the first two chapters of Richardson, I feel inspired. I know I can't do it all but I am excited to start. I am looking forward to using the free tools that are available to us, as teachers and as citizens, to create interactive learning opportunities for my students. One of my favorite quotes from the reading is the comparisons between writing and blogging: "Writing stops; blogging continues. Writing is inside; blogging is outside. Writing is monologue; blogging is conversation. Writing is thesis; blogging is synthesis." I liked this so much because it seems that a lot of formative assessment is handing in a culminating paper or responding in a journal that a teacher scores and gets back to you, but a blog provides feedback opportunities from someone other than the teacher and the conversation and learning can continue beyond handing it in; publishing is NOT the end.

One issue that has continually been brought up at school has been how to motivate our students and how to get them to that "next level of achievement." How do we move beyond proficiency and push our students to achieve at the goal and advanced performance levels? I think that blogging could be the answer we have been looking for; blogs are tools that engage readers with ideas, questions and links and they seek response and commentary and advocate collaboration. We want students to take ownership in their work and seek further knowledge. 

To me it seems that blogging opens doors to endless possibilities and provides opportunities for students to submit works and receive feedback from peers and contributors that are not always their teacher (fancy that). I think this work is easier said than done and that a lot of planning and pre-teaching must be happen to have a classroom blog work as an effective learning tool. Even at a whole school level, positive implications can be seen, take the school webpage from Meriwether Lewis Elementary School in Portland, OR for example. This page shows a wide range of interaction possibilities. In exploring the page it is obvious the second that it loads that the school's site is more of a news outlet than a site to answer the who, what, where of the school. Just the homepage features 5 posts of school activities in the past week, what an easy way to build a school community and create rapport and bonds between classes, families and community members.  Are blogs the answer to student engagement and family involvement?