Comments on: Writing on Educational Blogs http://mcgrail.edublogs.org/2006/09/30/writing-on-educational-blogs/ Another excellent Edublogs.org blog Tue, 07 Oct 2008 02:45:08 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Jane Perzyk http://mcgrail.edublogs.org/2006/09/30/writing-on-educational-blogs/#comment-26 Jane Perzyk Tue, 10 Oct 2006 01:43:22 +0000 http://mcgrail.edublogs.org/2006/09/30/writing-on-educational-blogs/#comment-26 Most digital natives seem to eschew any type of grammar barrier, preferring instead to honor celerity over correctness. In teaching online courses with active discussion boards, or hybridized courses (still using active discussion boards), I found that, at the community college level, students needed quite a bit of coaching as to what was appropriate. It was my feeling that postings in a class discussion forum should be scholarly in nature, and as such, should possess some degree of decorum. Remembering, however, that the discussion forums were accessibly only by password, there was no danger that students would embarrass themselves (or me!!) publicly. However, the rules change where blogging is concerned. Depending on the blogsite, students must remember that they are creating permanent records. This fact alone may encourage some to "clean up their act" as far as vocabulary and grammar go, but if they are not concerned about the exposure of their postings in MySpace accounts, then warnings about a permanent record will be for naught. It's all really a matter of audience--what is appropriate for a particular audience? To demonstrate this, I would pose the following questions (this works with middle schoolers as well as college students), and after some reflection on their part, the students would experience an ah ha! moment. Here are the questions: 1. Thinking about a recent party you attended with your friends, how would you describe the party to your pastor/minister/rabbi? What vocabulary would you use? What details would you relate? 2. Thinking again about that recent party, how would you describe the party to your parent(s)? Would your choice of words and content change? 3. How would you describe that same party to some friends who were not able to attend? When they hear the third question, students usually start chuckling, and suddenly, they "get it!" Most digital natives seem to eschew any type of grammar barrier, preferring instead to honor celerity over correctness. In teaching online courses with active discussion boards, or hybridized courses (still using active discussion boards), I found that, at the community college level, students needed quite a bit of coaching as to what was appropriate. It was my feeling that postings in a class discussion forum should be scholarly in nature, and as such, should possess some degree of decorum. Remembering, however, that the discussion forums were accessibly only by password, there was no danger that students would embarrass themselves (or me!!) publicly.

However, the rules change where blogging is concerned. Depending on the blogsite, students must remember that they are creating permanent records. This fact alone may encourage some to “clean up their act” as far as vocabulary and grammar go, but if they are not concerned about the exposure of their postings in MySpace accounts, then warnings about a permanent record will be for naught.

It’s all really a matter of audience–what is appropriate for a particular audience? To demonstrate this, I would pose the following questions (this works with middle schoolers as well as college students), and after some reflection on their part, the students would experience an ah ha! moment. Here are the questions:

1. Thinking about a recent party you attended with your friends, how would you describe the party to your pastor/minister/rabbi? What vocabulary would you use? What details would you relate?
2. Thinking again about that recent party, how would you describe the party to your parent(s)? Would your choice of words and content change?
3. How would you describe that same party to some friends who were not able to attend?

When they hear the third question, students usually start chuckling, and suddenly, they “get it!”

]]> By: Nancy http://mcgrail.edublogs.org/2006/09/30/writing-on-educational-blogs/#comment-25 Nancy Mon, 09 Oct 2006 12:11:04 +0000 http://mcgrail.edublogs.org/2006/09/30/writing-on-educational-blogs/#comment-25 I think that blogging is a personal evolutionary process, in terms of content and function. When I first began blogging, it weighed heavily on the personal side, even as I was talking about teaching and my school. Over time, I began to treat my blog as a professional space, so I purposely began writing content that dealt only with my teaching practices and experiences in the classroom. I even avoided talking about "office politics" issues. I started another blog, expressly for personal content, in order to keep the two separate. Now, I have two education blogs--one that talks about my teaching in general, and another that specfically chronicles my inquiry into using blogging and Web 2.0 in the classroom. So, I think it takes time for new bloggers to find their niche and their voice, and figure out what audience they want to reach with their blog. There are plenty of bloggers out there, though, who purposefully mix everything together in one blog (http://tamaraeden.blogspot.com or http://mildlymelancholy.blogspot.com, for example) because it is not their intent to be known solely as an education blogger. Defining oneself as an education blogger requires self-editing, in terms of keeping the content consistent. I think the purpose of education blogging is to share practices, give/receieve feedback, and network with other teachers. I, as a teacher, find it interesting to read what other teachers are doing in their classrooms, but at the same time, I want to know who that teacher is, in their real life, so I like About pages that are healthily developed. (In your own About page, in fact, I find myself wondering what school/region you teach in, and wishing you had a CV of some sort, or an explanation of your background in teaching.) I think that blogging is a personal evolutionary process, in terms of content and function. When I first began blogging, it weighed heavily on the personal side, even as I was talking about teaching and my school. Over time, I began to treat my blog as a professional space, so I purposely began writing content that dealt only with my teaching practices and experiences in the classroom. I even avoided talking about “office politics” issues. I started another blog, expressly for personal content, in order to keep the two separate. Now, I have two education blogs–one that talks about my teaching in general, and another that specfically chronicles my inquiry into using blogging and Web 2.0 in the classroom.
So, I think it takes time for new bloggers to find their niche and their voice, and figure out what audience they want to reach with their blog. There are plenty of bloggers out there, though, who purposefully mix everything together in one blog (http://tamaraeden.blogspot.com or http://mildlymelancholy.blogspot.com, for example) because it is not their intent to be known solely as an education blogger. Defining oneself as an education blogger requires self-editing, in terms of keeping the content consistent. I think the purpose of education blogging is to share practices, give/receieve feedback, and network with other teachers. I, as a teacher, find it interesting to read what other teachers are doing in their classrooms, but at the same time, I want to know who that teacher is, in their real life, so I like About pages that are healthily developed. (In your own About page, in fact, I find myself wondering what school/region you teach in, and wishing you had a CV of some sort, or an explanation of your background in teaching.)

]]> By: Clarence Fisher http://mcgrail.edublogs.org/2006/09/30/writing-on-educational-blogs/#comment-12 Clarence Fisher Fri, 06 Oct 2006 22:55:21 +0000 http://mcgrail.edublogs.org/2006/09/30/writing-on-educational-blogs/#comment-12 My professional blog has served as a powerful reflective space that is contained within a critically informative international network.I have wanted to focus my writing on my classroom, but in ways that resepct the privacy and autonomy of the learners within that space, and with a proper degree of respect for my employer. It has been a fine line to walk at times, but it has driven my practice forward like no other learning experience. Once the connections begin and the creativity of the network begins informing your practice, the space becomes alive with possibilities. My professional blog has served as a powerful reflective space that is contained within a critically informative international network.I have wanted to focus my writing on my classroom, but in ways that resepct the privacy and autonomy of the learners within that space, and with a proper degree of respect for my employer. It has been a fine line to walk at times, but it has driven my practice forward like no other learning experience. Once the connections begin and the creativity of the network begins informing your practice, the space becomes alive with possibilities.

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