Amy Gahran’s presentation, Strategic Commenting, was really helpful for me in understanding how to build an audience and thinking differently about blogging. It really helped put the pieces together. I think prior to this, I thought of blogging more as an online journal without understanding its potential to be social. Certainly, I hoped other people would find my blog posts interesting and comment on them, but I didn’t expect to get any comments and I didn’t. Yet, I wondered how successful bloggers get an audience. The readings for this week, really helped me to see the value of using these social media tools as well. A big paradigm shift needs to be taken in education. I am fortunate to be in an educational setting where I can experiment. Also Nancy and Joao gave me hope by posting to my blog and giving advice on how to develop an audience as both of them are experienced at it. Thanks to both of you!
I am also guilty of having my students use their blogs as a place to post journal entries, final drafts of papers, and a place to post assignments online. I am not sure how to guide them to making comments on others blogs and to teach them how to develop an audience as of yet. Probably has something to do with the fact that I don’t do it well myself. Even though I haven’t yet done this, I am lucky that my students feel comfortable posting to their personal blogs and to a class blog(here are examples of each chaeyoonl.edublogs.org and globalab.edublogs.org). I think now my classes and I can take that next step together to make it a more social experience. I’m looking forward to taking that journey with them. There’s a lot to teach and learn about social media so to start, if anyone has any guidelines that they give to student’s about posting comments I would love to get access to them.
Yvonne C
January 27, 2008 at 9:42 pm
The thing to keep in mind is that this is a journey. You don’t have to do it perfectly right from the start. Just keep refining what you do, and you will see progress.
I think the idea of commenting is a real important one. So is reading blogs. The more you do it, the easier it will be to get your students to do it. And, as I said somewhere else recently, I am starting to think that I would introduce blogging by having student read blogs first. Then I would ask them to begin to comment. Then, I think, I would ask them to blog. I don’t know if it would make a difference or not, but that is my next plan!
January 27, 2008 at 10:42 pm
I believe Nancy’s plan is the key to blogging interaction. I didn’t so it myself and I somewhat regret it now. Anyway I put it down to experience. You live and learn they say…When I started the blogging journey about 3 years ago I very rarely wrote comments on sb else’s blogs. My first impulse was to set up a blog myself , having read very few…not a nice idea seen from my present perspective. On the other hand , I learnt by doing. And my learning still continues.
But I made another terrible mistake when I started blogging myself- just as if the one already mentioned wasn’t enough- I didn’t open any comments for potential readers!!!! Yes. I feel ashamed. But it’s true. A blog without comments!!!! What was the use of it???? – Thank God the world wide web gives a second chance. The best chance I guess, the one that enhances learning. And I am trying to get the most out of it now.
January 28, 2008 at 2:49 pm
You have certainly taken the first step in gaining a readership. Joining groups that have something in common (in this case the smielt session) has connected you to amyn people. Last year when I was a participant, I found myself following the blogs long after the session was ended because of the aggregator.
I agree that blogging is difficult in education, mainly because we don’t have many role models. We have to figure most things out for ourselves. I’m on my 4th class blog and only now feel like I’ve reached a stage where the students (all adults, all teachers themselves) have begun to interact. And I’ve certainly made my share of mistakes as well, and will continue to make them.
You can have a look at my class blog here: http://yourcaeblog.blogspot.com
The last class blog I started, I had each student leave a report on the lesson we had. While everyone had a chance to write on the blog, I had to force further posting. However, I found strategies to encourage them without making it a duty. Now in the yourcaeblog, I showed them several times, made suggestions on what they could write (never obligatory) and had them begin with comments. Now I am happy to see that they have begun posting and communicating there as well.
I’m sure the next one will be even better.
January 28, 2008 at 2:50 pm
oops, just realized that I forgot www in the url. Sorry about that.
January 29, 2008 at 9:49 pm
Wow! I am happy that I visited Yvonne’s blog to read these comments about blogging in education. This is exactly what I am most interested in at the moment, namely to read about other people’s experiences in blogging with their students. Nancy referred an important point, that is, “keep in mind this is a journey. You don’t have to do it perfectly right from the start.” With my little experience, I can confirm that this is right. As a matter of fact, this process is normal. It’s normal that we learn from our mistakes and so refine our practice continuously. But it’s also very important to learn with other people who have more experience and can tell us not only about the mistakes they made but also about ideas that can be motivating for the students. It’s very interesting to read about Illya’s experience. After giving us a good idea “The last class blog I started, I had each student leave a report on the lesson we had.”, she goes on telling us about her experience and reveals what she’s already learned “However, I found strategies to encourage them without making it a duty.” or “…I showed them several times, made suggestions on what they could write (never obligatory) and had them begin with comments.” This “never obligatory” is, according to my own experience, very important. I am absolutely sure that she’s going to do even better the next time. So, people like me just need to be patient, persistent and try to be part of a “readership” like this smielt session or the webheads to get the necessary input.
February 8, 2008 at 4:41 pm
I agree with Joao that reading everyone’s comments on this blog and finding out about their experiences with their students is very useful and interesting. I guess that really shows you the power of blogging – you can encourage your students to blog by explaining what it has done to you (all of us here); how you met people and how you started interacting with them and how you started learning from them through this medium.
I have also experienced a lot of ups and downs in terms of blogging with my students. Right now, for example, I don’t have any access to the lab, so blogging is on hold for this session.
However, I wanted to share with you what I discovered just this Monday. One of my students who was studying with me in November/December and who had gone back to his country decided to continue blogging to help him stay connected with English. He’s been posting since his return and I was really happy to see it, so even if 30 of your students stop blogging, there will be 1 who will continue, and that’s still very rewarding
February 10, 2008 at 11:18 am
I have two classes this year. Both are learning German as a foreign language. The older students who are about to leave school and enter university didn’t like the idea of blogging but many of the students in the other class did. So it is a kind of consolation for me that these students are using their blogs with obvious advantages in the learning of the language.