It is easy to get lost in the jargon of the blogging community. For a novice, like me, the sheer enormity of literature revolving around blogging as an educational and effective tool for communication is overwhelming. I liken the feeling to a frog being tossed into the ocean five miles off shore. Even if it can see the coastline, it has no way to get there. It is my interpretation of what King and Cox describe as the initial experience of “techno-hell”. Fortunately, good instructors introduce tools, or lily pads, so the frog can hop to the coast. Great instructors also provide examples of how it’s done as well as strike a balance between encouraging and coercing our little froggy friend. If he optimizes his resources, before he knows it the frog is looking out to sea, marveling over the distance he travelled to make it to the sandy beach.
Now that the safety of our discussion board has been ripped away like an old Band-Aid, I have had to come to terms with my own fear of drowning in the ocean of cyberspace. Unlike discussion board activities, blogs are accessible to anyone with a computer and internet. Like Santos expresses, blogs allow students to relate-create-donate. However, the stakes are higher when you know more people are reading your words. The donation of material draws more importance. I am more critical of my postings knowing that many people may view my words. I want them to be educational while being entertaining enough that everyone, not only my classmates, can make it to the end without dozing off (drool is not good for electronics ;-).
The biggest advantages of blogs are expressed in Oravec’s article. She says that blogs allow students to develop their own voices by analyzing material then personalizing meaning in the form of subjective feedback. I admit that I breathed a sigh of relief when I realized that I could focus on content and context instead of advance design and html code. I also feel a sense of freedom and excitement composing this blog post that I did not experience responding to discussion boards. It feels like my own space. I feel like I am utilizing a different area of my brain that I do not normally associate with education.
Witte’s article perfectly surmises the concept that online journalism tunes students into the more creative parts of their brains that are usually muffled by the idea of classroom composition. It gives students a feeling of freedom of expression or of having a “voice”. The only con I can foresee, protecting minors from internet predators, is also addressed in the article. Then again, this is only my first blog. Talk to me again in five weeks to see if I make it to shore like the frog or drown in my ignorance!
Yay! You made it to…
THE END
Tonya,
ReplyDeleteLove your analogy of the frog! Great idea to capture your readers right from the beginning! I agree that one of my favorite aspects of a blog is personalizing my space and the freedom of voice. One of our other classmates mentions the personal ownership of the blog as opposed to the message board which is no one person's space, but shared. It will be interesting to see how that element plays out over the next few weeks.
The other benefit I see to a blog for educators is it provides space to go beyond the classroom learning. Especially in the F2F format, time is restricting. A blog allows the instructor to add more content, refer to outside sources for more learning, and follow up on questions and comments from class time. Students could even post questions using a pseudonym to allow for the shy ones "voice" that they may not have inside the classroom. Your thoughts? Great job!
Thanks Vianne! I agree that blogs allow more time to research tangent sources. However, I believe Dean brought up a good point about time management. With a blog, we have seemingly unlimited time to research and follow up on questions and discussions. Unfortunately, as I have already experienced, time slips quietly away. I like the idea of using pseudonyms for the shy learner, but I think this arena affords them more of a voice than the F2F format. I suppose if someone were really concerned about criticisms or anonymity, the instructor could allow him/her to operate under a moniker. Thanks for commenting!
DeleteGreetings, Tonya! I also enjoyed your analogy of the frog! Great job! Made for fun, interesting reading...any yes, it appears both of us (Vianne and I, so far) made it to the end of your Blog! I fear my blog is a little boring; note to self! :)
ReplyDeleteI agree with statement you made regarding ownership of the blog site. I even felt a little that way when creating my own blog; a surprising yet, enjoyable feeling.
One aspect I do miss with the "blogging concept" is the interaction between many members of our virtual classroom, at a glance, if you will. Although the blog is more personal, I believe, allowing for more originality and personality vs. the message board in the virtual classroom, the entire idea is one that is new to me...and growing on me, I might add.
In our text (King & Cox, 2011) the authors state "...cross-sharing of ideas can spur students to read more of their classmates' work and help build a learning community that has the potential to extend around the world as students learn to link to content and connect with others virtually, developing a network of colleagues as they do" (p. 94). Wow! And all that from a blog experience/assignment. Obviously, the opportunities for growth and networking are endless; when used in the right context, as addressed in both of the articles you cited above.
Keep up the great work!
Alicia
References; King, K., & Cox, T. (2011). The professor's guide to taming technology. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing, Inc.
Hi Alicia!
DeleteI have to agree with you regarding the ease of access of the discussion board. All comments were one click away. For me, though, it was a little overwhelming to see the number of posts. Most often, I would sit back and take a deep breath before delving into the material. Since we have personal spaces, I feel more like we're sitting in someone's living room with a few friends sharing a cup of coffee. I can see how different people prefer one or the other based upon their personalities and inclinations. BTW, your blog is not boring. Thanks for commenting!
Tonya,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your entertaining and wonderfully well-written blog. I can relate to the frog analogue because I feel so out of my element with blogging assignments. I think my first reaction was debilitating fear. Thus, the reason for my blog being published late. Like you, I am overly concerned about my writing being out there for a worldwide audience. I don’t think that I did that well the first time. But, I will be better the next time. Thanks again for being entertaining in your post. It help me a lot.
Thanks Dawn! You made it to the first lily pad! I empathize with you, but I would change the word "fear" to "challenge". That way it lets a little air out of its power. I'm proud of you for overcoming this challenge and creating your very first post.
DeleteI spent two workdays in front of my computer figuring this stuff out. While someone else may do the same work in an hour or less, I tend to second and third guess my post and abilities. It is encouraging to know that we keep getting better! If you need an empathetic ear, I'm always available. Maybe I can share some of the info I've learned so you don't have to spend all day in front of your computer. LOL! Thanks for commenting!
Certainly, you've demonstrated the pros of blogging within this blog. You are certainly creative and expressive. Great post!
ReplyDeleteThanks Sonora! It helps that writing is my first love. Our affair began when I first discovered the magic of expression through pen at the ripe old age of six. Hahaha. Though I don't write as often as I would like, I appreciate any opportunity to re-engage. Thanks for commenting!
DeleteTonya,
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to tell you that I enjoyed reading your blog, your creativity definitely comes through. I liked the title and the way you direct-linked the references into your blog post. Any chance you could send some of your love of writing my way?
Dean
Hi Dean!
DeleteThanks for the comments. I would LOVE to send you some of my LOVE for writing. And there you go! ;-D Happy to oblige.
OMG Tonya, great post. Were you an english major? I think the metaphors and imagery are quite something. Definitely kept up my interest in reading. Echoing Dean's comment, like the direct link to the authors.
ReplyDeleteOh, I definitely hadn't reflected on Blogs being a good tool to allow for creativity amongst the students that may not be otherwise present in an essay or discussion board. Not sure there is anything else I can add. Great idea, starting to like this peer learning things.
Thanks Mr. Farmer ;-)
DeleteI agree with the peer learning thing being a great teaching tool. I have learned a lot from reading others' posts, but sometimes it can make my head spin. So many of our classmates have such breadth of knowledge, that I can still get lost in the jargon. I actually spent an hour reading outside material so I could understand one post (I won't name the person). For that reason, I try to make my blog as accessible and easy to follow as possible. I'm glad it is paying off. Thanks for commenting!