It has the same effect as a newspaper - too much info at one time. I like concise and direct infor. It appears to have information all over the place. If students are actually entering an online writing contents for recognition that it has a good purpose.

This whole blogging thing is completely new to me. How I would use this in physical education I am not sure. One suggestion could be to have the students participate in an obstacle course or scavenger hunter, if you will, and everyday post their findings or points on a certain blog. They could even post hints or clues as to where to go or how to capture more points. I do not know how I would get my students computer access so I really am not sure that this will work for physical education.

I think blogging has great potential for use in the classroom. The collaboration site and the literature site are both very interesting. I have to say I felt a bit "naughty" reading other peoples' personal thoughts in some of the personal blogs. It's like peeking into their journals. I'm not sure if I liked that very much.
It would be fun to develop a reading log blog for a particular novel in language arts--then students from around the country reading the same novel can all have a dialogue about the text.

Edited by author 08-11-2003 01:51 AM
Blogging is definitely interesting! I passed the idea by a couple of my college students and they are already on top of it. They are all into making their own web pages - now they have new ways to share with their friends! As for myself, I am more private than that. As for young students, I think they would find it very cool. I have seen evidence that some people who are very shy in public find it easy to express themselves in print. Also, it seems to be a great organizational tool for the classroom...the possibilities are many!

Blogging is a brand new idea for me which I have never heard of before until now! I think that it would be very useful in the classroom and students would be able to feel free in expressing their ideas and opinons. It would be wonderful for students in the classroom who are shy and tend not to particpate as much. Blogging creates an opportunity for these students to feel more comfortable in a social situation. I believe that blogging could be used across all subjects.

Edited by author 08-11-2003 08:31 PM
I had never heard of blogging until now, but I like the idea. It's hard to really know until I try it myself, but I think kids would really get into it. I love using journals in class, whatever the subject, so if I have access to enough computers, I would love to give it a try!

Blogging has been a "hot" topic on the college campus where I work. I didn't really see the attraction and I still don't. Like some other posts have said - I'm more private than that. I don't feel a need to post my thoughts for others to read and I'm not really interested in reading the wandering thoughts of strangers! Looking through some of the examples I did see where there could be some useful purpose for blogging but I don't see it in my future.

I have looked at blogging prior to this and even used a blog in a previous course. It was an interesting way to collaborate. I like that blogs will instantly update a site with content.

Teachers could use this for an easy way to update a class site. I had never thought about having kids keep blogs. I am not sure how the privacy of the blogs would work.

It's funny that this came up because just today I was reading an article about Howard Dean and his successsful web-based promotion which included blogging. Personally, the convenience factor is great... monitoring students would be another issue altogether.

At the risk of being in the minority, I find MOST (not all)blogs (especially the personal ones) boring and dull. I don't care to spend my time reading about the mundane details of someone's daily life. However, I do have a friend who is suffering from inoperable brain cancer. He keeps a blog to update his friends and family on how he's feeling, test results, treatments, etc. In his case, I am grateful for the blog because I want to know how he is doing without being too nosey or intrusive.
As for using blogs in education, I think that it would be difficult to adminster in elementary school. I could definitely see using it in a middle school or high school writing class as a form of free writing.

Edited by author 08-14-2003 03:50 PM
I'm not quite sure what's so "special" about blogging. It appears to be a case of Personal Webpage meets Threaded Message Board. Blogs may have value in collaborative education projects, but I'd be concerned about the public nature of blogs. Since anyone who can find the blog can view it, I would be concerned about privacy, especially if it was being updated by students.
One value I can see in blogs would be for professional communities that wish to share information and ideas. I can see professional checking in and adding to a blog on a regular basis if it involved their own professioinal community.

I am unconvinced about the usefullness of blogging. The examples that I reviewed of younger audiences were interesting. It looked like it may be a good medium for students to reflect on subjects they are learning or on books they are reading. It also seems as though they could potentially have contact with other students to discuss similar topics. Which also leads me to my concerns about student safety and privacy issues. I would also worry about time constraints as well as minimal access to the technology necessary for this medium.

It seems to me that blogging is an inexpensive way to post one's opinions or thoughts on a variety of topics, a tool probably used with the intent of eliciting feedback and input from other interested parties in the hopes of problem-solving, collaboration, or disemination of information designed to influence public opinion. I found the "Where is Raed?" link thought-provoking, and can see how it could be used to initiate (and scaffold) social studies or history lessons in classrooms. Blogging appears to be giving voice to some individuals who otherwise may not have access to do so.

Edited by author 08-19-2003 06:46 PM
I think blogging can be used as an effective tool to write down thoughts in a clear and coherent way. Knowing that you are writing them on the web, it is obvious that the author of the blog has the intention of others reading whatever they are posting. Because of this there is a sense of pride, and individuality that is put into their writing. The bloggers write in a manner that is personal to them, therefore this form of self expression can allow them to be more reflective and see writing as a useful and meaningful tool for communication. Thus, somehow incorporating the blog into the classroom will be a helpful method of increasing interest in student writing, and their exposure and use of the current technology.

This is a great medium for creative writing and letting students express themselves. It may get students to develop ideas in writing, when otherwise they may not do so. I'm not sure of its value in a Math class, though. The blogs can offer insight regarding students' interests and what turns them off. It might be more useful in this regard.

I found Blogging an creative interesting way of brain storming. If one wants organize ones thoughts using tech., it is a a great way to track of ones thoughts and interests. Students can use one anothers "Blogging" sites to investigate and share ideas on a topic, or find new information on a topic they are investigating. I do see that there my be a quality control and one my have to skim over "Blogging"sites to weed out good information from bad information, but for the most part if is a pretty useful tool.