How funny, my first post in a blog is about blogging itelf. Anne Bartlett-Bragg from the University of Technology in Sydney seems to grasp the real essense of what this is all about. My assignment today is to respond on an article discussing why blogging in the classroom is such a positive thing. Bartlett-Bragg says that blogging for learning's sake is helpful because of the "interactive nature" of the blog.
Though this is my first real experience in the blogging world, I can already tell that my teacher is on to something. She wants us to blog in order to fully understand our thoughts behind what we are saying. Writing is a powerful tool when used in a more candid sense. I could easily write a paper to my teacher telling her everything she wants to hear, instead I can come here and write about not only my assignments but comment on what others have to say. I am able to express mysel in a different way. Bartlett-Bragg says that students who blog "have a voice and the other students read it and respect it." Online more students who have a fear of speaking out in the classroom have their opinions weighed on by others when there is no fear of what will come out of it.
In the blogging world, as I understand it, arguments are not started, instead discussions are created, right? Did Bartlett-Bragg get it right, are students more inclined to be themselves when they have no fear of who is looming in cyber-space to respond to them? I know this is a mojor step for me, I have to move from the safety and comfort of my teacher reading what I have to say and responding with a nice red pen to the whole world, or those who participate in blogging I guess, to decide if what I am saying is right or wrong.
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2 comments:
Blogs can be for both discussion and argument; doesn't Olmsted point out that he liked reading the comments of people who disagreed with his opinions? I noticed a point you made here that is very important, when we stop to think about it. It's about understanding the thoughts behind what you are saying. Are you suggesting that many students write papers for school without really connecting to what they are saying?
In a sense, yes. I know that I am guilty of not connecting all the dots. When writing a paper it would seem that one would want to connect the thoughts of others and theirs, however, it seems it becomes much more mechanical in an essay and I feel as though as a student my thoughts are easily lost in the midst of trying to incoporate the thoughts of others
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