An interesting article which cast us instantly into the unknown. Having us post our answers to a publically accessible blog site also causes us to scrutinize our words carefully, more so than if we were just posting our answers to the discussion board of a WebCT site.
There is a certain academic freedom that students (us) share when we sit in a class and we speak frankly and openly about academic topics. But when we post to the www, the rules change somewhat and we must mind our P’s and Q’s. I find that many professionals do not actually say what they think nor what they mean when they put things in writing. Text that would normally include harsh criticism is edited or not posted. The fear of “paper-trails” causes many people to simply keep their opinions to themselves or else people use the phone where it is less easy to document a conversation.
I mention these things because I found the article somewhat mundane. If I were tempted to speak harshly about the article, my comments might be mitigated by fears of libel etc. I am reminded of the time that Preston Manning accused PM Chretien of taking kickbacks. He said it in the house, but when he left the house and entered the scrum, he would not repeat his words. Interesting.
The author has taken the time to state things which I consider to be self-evident or obvious. He foot-notes the fact that “Reading and writing provide the foundation for education” as if that particular statement needs reinforcement from a qualified source.
The author does make a number of important observations. Perhaps the most important is the fact that blogs are popular and if they encourage students to write then they can be valuable. They demonstrate that their is a desire for students to express themselves and tell stories. Story-telling is an integral part of our culture and yes, students want to participate in that. So blogs can help students explore, analyze, relate, write, edit, and internalize writings. They may also allow students to write anonymously. People may never see their faces or critique them openly.
On the other hand, I find that the article is rather one-sided. It does not adequately present pitfalls to blogging. While the article ends with an acknowledgement that further research is required in some areas, it does not adequately demonstrate that blogging actually increases literacy in any way. Some might suggest that writing in unedited, hackneyed computer phrases is detrimental to good expression. There is no comment on the reaction of students to negative comments to their blogs. What happens to the insecure student when another writer comments, “you are stupid, you should stop writing.....?” At least journals created in the class can be monitored as can the environment by the teacher.
Nevertheless our students demonstrate that they are globally savvy, intelligent, and generally conscientious. Without formal education, many are aware of protocols, ethics, standards of conduct and behaviour. Students will even reprimand their own peers for improper conduct on a site etc.
I generally believe that all reading is good reading and all writing is good writing. We encourage students in Essential English to read anything...the comics, horoscopes, sports scores, anything. So how are blogs much different?
They do require us to broadcast lessons on media literacy from a very young age. ***not everything you read is true ***you must be aware of bias ***blogs are personal and not necessarily fact ***blogs are unedited and my be jammed with inaccuracies or falsehoods
But on the other hand, blogs can carry intensely personal accounts. They can carry timely information. They can inspire debate, creative thinking, and a host of other literary skills.
On The Educated Blogger by David Huffaker
ReplyDeleteAn interesting article which cast us instantly into the unknown. Having us post our answers to a publically accessible blog site also causes us to scrutinize our words carefully, more so than if we were just posting our answers to the discussion board of a WebCT site.
There is a certain academic freedom that students (us) share when we sit in a class and we speak frankly and openly about academic topics. But when we post to the www, the rules change somewhat and we must mind our P’s and Q’s. I find that many professionals do not actually say what they think nor what they mean when they put things in writing. Text that would normally include harsh criticism is edited or not posted. The fear of “paper-trails” causes many people to simply keep their opinions to themselves or else people use the phone where it is less easy to document a conversation.
I mention these things because I found the article somewhat mundane. If I were tempted to speak harshly about the article, my comments might be mitigated by fears of libel etc. I am reminded of the time that Preston Manning accused PM Chretien of taking kickbacks. He said it in the house, but when he left the house and entered the scrum, he would not repeat his words. Interesting.
The author has taken the time to state things which I consider to be self-evident or obvious. He foot-notes the fact that “Reading and writing provide the foundation for education” as if that particular statement needs reinforcement from a qualified source.
The author does make a number of important observations. Perhaps the most important is the fact that blogs are popular and if they encourage students to write then they can be valuable. They demonstrate that their is a desire for students to express themselves and tell stories. Story-telling is an integral part of our culture and yes, students want to participate in that. So blogs can help students explore, analyze, relate, write, edit, and internalize writings. They may also allow students to write anonymously. People may never see their faces or critique them openly.
On the other hand, I find that the article is rather one-sided. It does not adequately present pitfalls to blogging. While the article ends with an acknowledgement that further research is required in some areas, it does not adequately demonstrate that blogging actually increases literacy in any way. Some might suggest that writing in unedited, hackneyed computer phrases is detrimental to good expression. There is no comment on the reaction of students to negative comments to their blogs. What happens to the insecure student when another writer comments, “you are stupid, you should stop writing.....?” At least journals created in the class can be monitored as can the environment by the teacher.
Nevertheless our students demonstrate that they are globally savvy, intelligent, and generally conscientious. Without formal education, many are aware of protocols, ethics, standards of conduct and behaviour. Students will even reprimand their own peers for improper conduct on a site etc.
I generally believe that all reading is good reading and all writing is good writing. We encourage students in Essential English to read anything...the comics, horoscopes, sports scores, anything. So how are blogs much different?
They do require us to broadcast lessons on media literacy from a very young age.
***not everything you read is true
***you must be aware of bias
***blogs are personal and not necessarily fact
***blogs are unedited and my be jammed with inaccuracies or falsehoods
But on the other hand, blogs can carry intensely personal accounts. They can carry timely information. They can inspire debate, creative thinking, and a host of other literary skills.
Dan