Thing 3

I enjoyed reading this blog.  It provided many compeling points about how blogging can be integrated into curriculum in a meaningful, authentic manner.  I especially liked the point about it gives students motivation to write.  As a wriing teacher I found it hard to motivate some students to write because the end product seemed so far awat from the beginning and with this society of instant gratification it made it difficult for them to follow through.  Using blogs could make them see one purpose for writing as well as instant gratification for their product.  http://anne.teachesme.com/2007/01/17/rationale-for-educational-blogging/

This is what I thought about the seond grade duck one... I loved reading their theories about the missing duck. Besides the fact that the students are more creative than I could ever be I treasure the concept of letting them imagine and knowing they may never get their answer. This kind of learning inspires intellectual curiosity that no worksheet ever can. Thank you to all the enducators who are willing to think outside the box!    http://duckdiaries.edublogs.org/2006/04/20/2nd-graders-write-about-our-missing-duck/#comment-276


Another one I check out (http://pairadimes.davidtruss.com/students-information-schools/comment-page-1/#comment-3746) was interesting.  What struck me about blogging as a genre in this example was how I could get lost for hours in others comments!  One comment connected me to a 60minutes clip that I had to watch and then that topic took me on a whole other search.  Quite some had passed before I remembered why I was there in the first place.  Blogging could consume someone if they let it!

Commerical Break:  What I enjoy about the blog format thus far is the informal nature to it. People are writing their thoughts without a thesaurus so the vocabulary is very much as though people are talking to one another.  I am trying to note how I am reading them and I notice I skim a lot more than I would a book or a magazine.  Since I am also distracted somewhat easily I find the commercials a little distracting. 
Okay the next one I visited has really got me thinking be about out schedule. http://bobsprankle.com/bitbybit_wordpress/?p=349&cpage=1&rcommentid=80267&rerror=incorrect-captcha-sol&rchash=5ae430ffc76ccfac70e0a89b95a5ef33#commentform I found many comments thought provoking which only led to more questions for myself. 

In conclusion I must admit my viewpoint about blogging has changed.  I went into this thinking it was a tool that was used by people that have too much time on their hands.  Man, was I wrong.  I see now that it is much more.  I see how my learning as a professional could be expanded through reading and responding to blogs.  I also see the advantages for my students, albeit young as they are, they could experience the interactive manner of language.  The students may grasp the idea that reading is an active, not passive activity. I believe they can see the power of their words as others repsond to their thinking.  This experience has been enlighting and I look forward to making it a part of our program.