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One of our assignments for class this week was to read the article "Online Collaborative Inquiry: Classroom Blogging Ventures and Multiple Literacies". I found this article interesting in a number of ways.
One statement in particular that really stood out to me was that the technologies themselves are less important than how we as teachers integrate them into the classroom. It is not enough, in other words, simply to instruct students in the basics of Twitter, facebook, or Animoto. Rather, we need to find meaningful ways to truly integrate these technologies into our existing curriculum. Students need to learn which technology to use in certain contexts, and how best to use it. In this way, they begin to develop advanced literary skills. The National Education Technology Standards for Students (NETS) has specific guidelines regarding how students should understand and be prepared to utilize these various technologies. The argument can be made that blogging in particular satisfies most of these skill sets, but it is important to remember that students ought to be well rounded when it comes to various technologies.
I also liked that the article made mention of the value of the blogging community. Blogging inherently encourages a back-and-forth discussion that can be invaluable in a school setting. Students will be able to share their work and expand their knowledge base by connecting online with other writers, and we as teachers will have successfully integrated blogging into our classroom.
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I really like the point you brought out about teachers forming and joining blogging communities as a tool for increasing their knowledge base. The professional and social relationship dynamic between teachers has fundamentally changed since I first joined the profession. Much of the idea sharing and mentoring took place int he teachers' lounge and in small groups around the building. Nowadays, the teachers' room is empty most of the day and there is very little face to face interaction beyond passing each other in the hallways. The suggestion of small professional blogging communities built around professional interests could serve as a catalyst to rekindle some fo this missing professional sharing.
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