welcome to the land of lolo, i hope that you enjoy your stay.
i am incredibly excited about this class, as i feel that there is a great expanse of innovative and interesting resources that i can learn and live in my future classrooms. unfortunately, i got a tooth pulled over the lunch break today, so i wasn't able to participate fully in the class today, though i am quite sure that i will be all up in it quite soon.
revolving around blogging, here
is my myspace blog, which i write in a few times a week and which will probably also be heavily school focused in the next year.... i see blogging as a great tool for building community in the classroom in a new way, connecting learnings to one another in a space that they have a really direct impact on. blogs also touch and reach students whose speaking skills aren't as strong, or shy kids. it gives students another medium in which to participate, in addition to strengthening their cognition of the subject material, ability to respond to others' writing, and building their own writing skills.
i have to say that i am intrigued by the use of blogs in the classroom, and reminiscing to my own experiences of creating the online community. people say things on the internet that they will not say in real life. people admit, have the discussions that they wouldn't dare to if you were sitting across the table. and i think it's a great addendum to a classroom environment.... though personally, i think it's important to address wholly different styles of learning and yes, in class participation in addition to extra-curricular or online input is crucial.
i think blogs are useful tools to expand upon, clarify and further the class discussion, but certainly not a replacement. i love technology and want to integrate it into my classroom as much as possible, but i worry about its effects and making people lazy enough that they don't interact, don't explore in person and save it for the "safe" classroom.
online space is never safe, folks. when you put it out there, it is no longer yours and the audience is able to do with your writing what they want. your intention only goes so far. and really, i think that the quality of in-person discussion can be stellar if the real-time classroom is fostered and created with expectations for quality, respect, confidentiality.
anyhoo, as someone who has blogged for 8 or 9 years now in many different venues, i think that the level of conversation and community building is crucial to understanding the language of the students we work with, however i don't see entirely online classrooms as effective as a combination of media with a real discussion. having the ability to say it aloud, to argue a point on the spot and not hiding behind the screen... it still holds value with me.
anyway, more very soon!! looking forward to all that we explore in this class.
xo
lauren (or lolo, as i'm known outside of class)
5 comments:
Lauren, I am thoroughly impressed with your blogging skills. This is all new to me, so I may use you as an inspiration. I also agree that blogs can be a useful tool in the classroom when used in moderation and in conjunction with face-to-face interactions and meaningful discussion in the actual classroom setting. I am excited to learn more about the many applications of this kind of technology as an educational resource, but am hesitant regarding outsider access. I'm not sure if you can guarantee them protection from the outside world, even by moderating comments or limiting permission. Well, that's all for now. Have a great weekend! (By the way, how long are these things supposed to be?)
Lauren, I share Leah's excitement that we have someone in our midst who can add relevant personal experiences to our conversation. I'm paraphrasing here, but I heard your raise the important twin questions of how, in the classroom setting, you build to and build upon online conversation. These are meaty questions that can really help us sharpen our definitions of what sort of classroom environment we seek, and how we think about accommodating our students.
Strictly at an experiential level, though, I'm interested in questions like how often you find the unexpected responses to blog posts, etc., to have been helpful, intellectually stimulating, helpfully expanding your world view, etc?
I look forward to learning from you, Lauren...
Hi Lauren. I used to post on Livejournal, and I know that I was able to reply to comments. I haven't been able to figure out how to do that on this blog? Have you?
Coleen
Hi Lauren
You really have touched on an important subject--the digital generation and internet safety. We are going to be exploring this issue much more in the Fall, after you are in your placements. But in the 21st Century, where technology is becoming ubiquitous in society, it is important to educate students on how to use these tools and stay safe at the same time. With all of your experience you are really one-step ahead of many teachers and hopefully you will be able to bring your skills/knowledge to your mentor teacher's classroom this Fall.
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