Week 9 – My journey with blogging

“Web 2.0 has moved the Internet from our traditional one-way information flow to a two-way “conversation” in which the Three R’s have been supplanted by the Three C’s: Contributing, Collaborating, Creating — through mediums like blogs, wikis, and twittering.”

http://audio.edtechlive.com/Educational-Networking-The-Important-Role-Web-2-0-Will-Play-in-Education.pdf Steven Hargadon

My personal experience is very raw. I started blogging only 9 weeks ago and I have written about this learning journey in previous posts. I loved experimenting with how to develop an audience etc. I soon decided I would initiate blogging with the students at my school (8- 12 year olds). I struggled at first to find a ‘purpose’ and then realised that the writing IS the purpose. It did not matter what content the children were writing about, it mattered that they we were writing and now with a potentially varied audience. I introduced blogging to them by discussing diary writing and how diary writing was an intensively personal experience, diaries even used to come with keys. Blogs on the other hand are normally public – we write with the intention that others will or may read them. We discussed that they are a two way experience, the writer and the reader both benefit.

The first attempts were varied, I suggested they reflect on the year so far and their efforts and thinking varied dramatically (as you would expect). I asked them to comment on each other’s first attempts and was pleased with the language they used – they stayed positive and encouraging. I will persist as the year progresses, but I am hoping that maybe one or two (at least) will be inspired by the nature of blogging and extend themselves just a little.

I chose to use KidBlogs due to the ability to monitor posts and comments. It was simple to setup and the children (and I) learned to navigate around very quickly. I am already thinking that I might change due to the limited customisation available.

Steven Hargadon argues that computers had not really altered education to any great degree until the advent of Web 2.0. The advent of the internet “ has so significantly changed our relationship to information and our own personal learning opportunities outside of formal education, that we’re beginning to see a set of software tools emerge that are profoundly altering both learning processes and outcomes.”

I certainly feel that we have yet to alter our teaching to include use of the technology available, but understand that whilst we do not have complete access to the hardware, it is difficult for teachers to fully embrace the potential. A class teacher with occasional access to a lab and class access to 4 pc with a group of 25 students, can only plan so much – access is so important. Perhaps when the ideal world exists and we have 1:1 in all schools, we can expect more – but for now, we are doing the best with what we have.

Poster street

poster-street

The blogging has continued to interest my 17 year old – three posts so far Motzie’s Blog.