In the opening days of this class I found myself a bit overwhelmed with the bombardment of this new avenue of technology I have discovered. There are many individuals who take part in daily rituals that enable a means of communication with no boundaries, well maybe one? You have to have an electronic device! The advent of technology has allowed people to stay connected with the smallest of smart phones to iPads. As the next generation of communication tools arrive; we will continue to develop new ways to utilize them. Having a personal connection to a wide variety of electronic sources provides an individual with an almost limitless source of information that can be categorized as valid and in some instances peer oriented or opinion based.
The use of blogs in the classroom as an educational tool may pose or can pose a problem. It is very important that students understand the proper etiquette to follow when communication of ideas or posts to a blog. There may be potential for a situation to arise with regards to a blog post that has been made. Situations like these need to be handled quickly and in a most efficient manner. Instructing your students and giving them the foundation to the proper use of these technologies can provide a positive learning environment and one that enables students to reach levels of intelligence in an otherwise non-traditional manner.
As I looked over content related to blogging I have once again feel as if I should have discovered this tool a long time ago. This mass means of communication of ideas and concepts is something really that I have been looking for. One of the key challenges in staying informed is getting connected to that information. Blogging offers a relative view of a specific topic that can range from cooking recipes to space engineering to microbiology. The amount of information at the fingertips of the student or researcher is dependent on the time someone might want to spend researching via blogs. As I write into this blog I also am reminded that blogging in education is not only limited to research and the investigative aspect of electronic sources. Blogging can also provide a tool for teaching. Using a blog post as a springboard for assignments will provide your class with an avenue of communication. This communication will allow students to engage in activities created by the teacher or instructor. “Further, blogging gives students a genuine and potentially worldwide audience for their work. Having such an audience can result in feedback and and greatly increase student motivation to do their best work. Students also have each other as their potential audience, enabling each of them to take on a leadership role at different times through the course of their learning.” (Downes, 2009)
Completing the learning cycle in our students every year can be ever so challenging. The new discoveries made are a prelude to the upcoming year. The process always reinvents itself and allows us to reflect on what we might have done different, what we might change and also what we definitely not do again. My ambitions as a teacher are to give my students an experience and knowledge that will enable them in the real world environment. This new blogging discovery is one that will open up avenues in my teaching, networking, research and peer based learning. It is all very new to me. I wish that I would; have discovered it sooner. The potential for my personal experiences in the classroom will increase the technology use for one. But, it will allow me to be more creative in the manner in which my students communicate their ideas about art, community and their own experiences in the art room.
Downes, S. (2009, Apri) Half an Hour. Retrieved May 9, 2010 from
http://halfanhour.blogspot.com/2009/04/blogs-in-education.html
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