According to Santos (2011) blogging is a way for “people to
be more expressive and creative in voicing out their opinion or points of view”
(p. 15). That is probably, in my opinion, one of the greatest pros to blogs. A
blog allows a person so many possible formats for this creativity to be
expressed. It is used by corporations, small businesses, celebrities or anyone
who wants to promote an idea or cause. Politicians use blogs to provide an
outlet for their messages and to connect with their supporters. With so many
people familiar with this format, it only makes sense for educators to adopt
this in the classroom.
Carter (2011) discusses blogging as “socially situated
learning in a community of practice” (King and Cox, 2011, p. 91). When an
educator uses a blog in higher education, he/she is placing the student in “a
form of social co-participation in a community of learners” (p. 92). When used
in a classroom, a blog can provide students with a way to reflect on course
content and with other students. This type of reflection is an important
component of critical thinking which is vital to a student’s success in the
classroom and in the work world. I think for adult learners a blog can be less
threatening than producing other forms of course projects such as power point,
because it is keeping an online diary. Starting a blog is easier than learning
power point. The use of a blog in the classroom can allow more student
interaction and connection. Carter (2011) provided an example of the use of
blogging in a class and “a student commented on the positive influence blogging
had on her by requiring her to pay more attention in class”(King & Cox,
2011, p. 96). This is the type of interaction and engagement that keeps adult
learners interested in learning.
There are several cons to the use of blogging in the
classroom. Oravec (2002) discusses the problem of privacy and stated that
educators need to make students aware of “online audience in practical terms
and to explore ethical issues involved” (p. 618). Unless a blog is private, it
is open to the World Wide Web and that can cause problems for students and
educators, so everyone needs to know how to interact on the web. Another
problem as noted in the Wikipedia entry, there are several examples of legal
issues with blog entries. A Delta Airlines flight attendant was fired for
information she put in her blog, and Mark Cuban was fined for criticizing
officials during the NBA finals.
While there are pros and cons to blogging, I think that as
an opportunity to add variety to the learning experience for adults, blogging
is worth a try for instructors.
References
Blog. Wikipedia online. Retrieved from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog
Carter, T.J.
(2011). Blogging as reflective practice in the graduate classroom. In K.P. King
and T.D. Cox (Eds.), The Professor’s
guide to taming technology (pp. 89-104). Charlotte, NC: Information Age
Publishing, Inc.
Oravec, J.A.
(2001). Bookmarking the world: weblog applications in education. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 45, 7, 616-621.
Santos, A.N.E.
(2002). Blogs as a learning space: creating text of talks. Contemporary Issues in Education
Research, 4,6, 15-19.
I agree that educational blog can promote in expressing one’s understanding and reinforce acquired knowledge. Furthermore, adult learners can develop critical reflection by actively participating in a virtual learning community. There are other learning tools available to encourage the learners’ reflection skills. However, blog activity can provide a unique and dynamic environment, which allows the learners to negotiate information and reconstruct their knowledge via exchanging comments (Carter, 2010). There is some privacy issue with treating the blog as a reflective online diary. It certainly depends on a blogger’s willingness to share personal information with the world.
ReplyDeleteReferences
Carter, T. J. (2010). BLOGGING AS REFLECTIVE PRACTICE IN THE GRADUATE CLASSROOM. The Professor's Guide to Taming Technology: Leveraging Digital Media, Web 2.0, and More for Learning, 89.
I like the reflective aspect of blogging and I think it can be a great opportunity for students to receive different feedback on their ideas. With a diary, you don't get that type of feedback.
DeleteHi Barbara,
ReplyDeleteI certainly do agree with your point about blogs being more like a diary or reflective environment. They serve as a means to voice your opinion on any and all topics of discussion which I think is very valuable when dealing with adult learners who might be looking for some sort of interaction or collaborative setting.
One thing that I have noticed in your post as well as some of the other posts from our classmates this week is the issue of privacy. I agree as well that it is important to not post anything sensitive that might have negative effects on the author and that people need to be careful online. However, I also think that authors need to embrace the fact that by starting a blog or any other online presence that they are inherently opening themselves up to the world and allowing anyone and everyone the ability to share their opinion with them, regardless of it being positive or negative. Either way, it all contributes to the learning process and hopefully helps to create better interaction and collaboration amongst users in the online community.
I think that privacy is an issue that anyone who uses the internet has to be concerned with. I think that it is good that we can reach lots of people, however, it gives us an opportunity to remember what enters cyberspace remains in cyberspace!
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