Week 3 – What’s Your Blogging Philosophy?

July 29, 2009 · Posted in Uncategorized · 6 Comments 

Philosophy and Rethinking Blogs in Classrooms

Why do you want to blog? What purpose will it serve? If a parent were to ask you to explain or defend your use of blogging, how would you answer?  How could you explain the power of blogging to a teacher at your school to get them interested in the platform?

In this course we have been looking at different ways to tweak settings and templates, but now comes the time to ask yourself if blogging is for you.  What can you as an educator bring to blogging?

Research time:

There is much discussion in the blogosphere about the purpose and reason for using technology in education.  Read the following blog post by Will Richardson: http://weblogg-ed.com/2009/digital-inclusion/ or this post by Jim Moulton http://www.edutopia.org/blogging-purpose

Take a look at this blog post, “Thoughts on Assessment,” from a teacher on what she learned through the class blog:  http://www.teachandlearn.ca/blog/2009/02/20/thoughts-on-assessment/ and this interview with a middle school ELA teacher: http://www.edutopia.org/student-blogging-classroom-tips

Take a few minutes to look through these lists of educational blogs.  Be sure to look at blogs from several different topics.

As you go through the blogs ask yourself:

  1. Who is the audience of the blog?
  2. What information is being presented?
  3. Is the best way to present the information?
  4. What can you learn as a blogger from this blog?

Post your summary and reflection to these questions on your blog in your Week 3 Reflection Post.

Write your own philosophy

Now that you have had time to look through more educational blogs, and read some insight into the use of technology and it’s purposes, what is your opinion?  Should you blog?

Write a blogging philosophy statement that you can share with anyone who might ask about or question your use of blogging in the classroom.  Depending on your role in education – think of an administrator, colleague, parent, and/or student as your audience.  As you write your statement keep the following questions in mind:

  1. Who is your audience?
  2. What are they gaining by the blog?
  3. Why is blogging better than not?
  4. What are you bringing to the blogging platform as a educator?
  5. What is your commitment to blogging?

Thank you for all your hard work in this course and be sure to ask if you have any questions as you continue your blogging experience! 

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