Hi Classmates,
There are many pro's and con's when it comes to blogging. But I believe the pro's outweigh the con's if it is used properly. On the personal side with families being so spread out nowadays blogging can be a great way for distant relatives to stay in touch and up-to-date with what is going on in different parts of the family tree. 
For us grandma in Denver can log on to our blog and see current pictures of the granddaughters and read what they are doing in school, girl scouts, church events and other events as they occur. Even families that live closer to us can log on and see what they may have missed. It is a great way for the girls to get involved with communicating in a different way. It allows them to practice their typing and spelling skills and putting thoughts down in words.On the professional side blogging can be a great way for teachers to connect and network within the industry; share ideas for classroom management, lesson plans, creative ideas, things that worked and didn't work; and to get students interested in using technology to learn. Technology is engaging and fun to use. Students are using it more and more each day and as educators we need to keep up with the times and start using it as well.
As the article stated "we need to model for our students habits of communication that are positive and productive even outside the bounds of the subjects we teach." He goes on to say "what better way to illustrate to our students that effective communication requires us to consider the effects our words might have on our listeners or readers.
I support blogging just like any other means of communication such as twitting, facebook and even regular email. As people we have a desire and need to be in contact with one another. We were not created to go through life alone. With technology staying in contact with one another has gotten easier. No longer are the days where you have to wait for a letter to arrive in the mail for weeks on end. Instead we can receive instant responses and information in the palm of our hands.
Talk to you soon,
Sheila Lowe
- Maxlow, James and Lisa Nielsen. Point/Counter Point is Blog Worth the Risk. Retrieved from the ISTE website Learning and Leading with Technology, May 2009
Hey Sheila. I agree with you completely. Blogging is simply another means of communication. We have evolved many ways to communicate, from simple conversations, to telegrams, books, phones, newspapers, radios, television, and now the internet. Teachers should understand that blogging is simply another form of communication, and that they need to be as responsible when using it as they would if they were writing a newspaper article.
ReplyDeleteIt is important for teachers to embrace the technological revolution as well. Our students are going to be the most web-connected generation ever. I remember the internet becoming popular when I was a kid (I had AOL and one of those dial-up modems that you had to turn off the phone to use) but these children have been accustomed and naturalized to the use of technology for their entire lives. If we want to really educate them the best way, we need to be able to communicate with them on their level.
Hi Sheila,
ReplyDeleteIt was interesting to read about your personal experience blogging and how it has been a positive experience for you and your family. It can be easy to focus on the handful of stories one hears about legal actions and unfortunate repercussions from blogs-gone-wrong. So the fact that your children and extended family all enjoy participating and communicating through a blog is a good reminder that blogs can be uniting! It's also sounds like it's been a great way to engage your children and their grandparents in using the latest technology.
Melissa
Sheila-
ReplyDeleteDoing a little catching up here, but I agree with you that blogging does have it's benefits for both personal and professional uses. However, as long as you do not mix the personal and professional lives in your blogs. In other words you have a professional blog, and you have a personal blog. Only bad things can happen when the two mix.
Travis.