1. What do you see as excellent features of the blog you participated in and why?
The features of the blog that I participated in that I found beneficial were the feedback from mentors and the conversation with classmates. I thought that the responses and constructive criticisms that I got from my mentors really helped me to determine what will and will not work in a classroom. They really helped shape my activity. Not only that, but they gave advice about future correspondence with parents, students, and peers. I also thought that the post 3 feature of this blog was very beneficial to me. I felt that chatting with my classmates gave me a break from the monotony of school-related posts. I also found out that I was not the only one who was struggling to keep up, and got encouragement to keep trying.
2. What do you want to see changed or revised as components or features of the blog you participated in and why?
I think that if I had to take this class again, I would beg that the blog project be only two weeks long. I had such a hard time not only keeping up with postings, but comments as well. The combination of keeping the blog going and turning in other assignments really put a lot of pressure on me. I felt that the combination of required posts was good, and I would keep that the same. I think that rather than having several different blogs for one class, it might help with organization and monitoring to have one blog for the entire class, especially since the class sizes are relatively small. This way we could pick from more posts to respond to, and view a larger variety of classroom activities.
3. What do you believe does not belong in the blog and why?
I felt that the blogs that I observed were incredibly well maintained this semester. Despite the fact that one of the posts was intended to be more personal, the postings were kept free of profanity and impropriety. I felt that the kinds of postings done were appropriate for the project in question. I feel that if these blogs are to continue, the links to assignments should remain, however links to outside pages (search engines, etc.) should be left off. To me, it is unnecessary advertisement, and has the potential for containing negative images, phrases, or ads.
4. What do you want to see added to enhance your blog and why?
I have to say that adding things to the blog project is probably not the way to go. As I mentioned earlier, the project itself is rather large, and adding to it would have to merit removing other assignments from the class itself. However, if the blog were shortened, I could see adding a section on layouts and changing templates to make the blog more personal. Doing something like this could also be used in other applications (personal webpages, home computer desktop, etc.)
5. Please comment on the quality of blog components an features:
- Content including student showcase projects and proposed classroom activities: The content of the student showcases and activities was alright. There were some aspects that left a little to be desired in the way of spelling and grammatical error. Some students think much faster than they type in an effort to post and get it over with!
- Interactions and exchanges between students: The commenting between students was (again) alright. Students commented because they were required to do so. I saw very little extended conversation going on outside of required postings.
- Interactions and exchanges between students and mentors: I felt that these interactions went very smoothly. Mentors were accomodating, courteous, and gave helpful hints without being pushy or overbearing.
- Overall visual design and layout of this blog site: I think that the site itself is aesthetically pleasing, but plain. It is easy to navigate and easy to update.
6. What stands out about this blogging and mentoring experience for you?
The thing that stands out the most was the amount of time that it took every week. Honestly, rather than thinking about doing things well, because of the amount of things to do every week I simply concentrated on getting it done. When I got sick in the middle of the semester, I couldn't even do that. I thought that the mentors were excellent, and that was another thing that really stood out for me. The fact that other people took the time out of their busy schedules to assist me in my education really struck me, and I am very appreciative of that.
7. How do you see yourself functioning initially in this context? Did that change as the experience progressed? Why or why not?
Initially, I saw myself doing well on this project. As it went on, however, that changed drastically. I felt myself slipping, and at this point I am nervous that I will not do well at all, especially because I was late in several of my postings. I still see quality in my postings, which is what really upsets me. Because my standard of writing is high, I felt initially that I would really succeed here. Despite all of this, I see myself not doing well because of circumstances beyond my control this semester.
8. What role should teachers and students have in the blogging experiences?
Students should post, comment and engage in discussion related to the class and assigned postings. They should be responsible for the upkeep and management of their site. Teachers should be there to ensure that postings are appropriate. They should also monitor as many postings as they can in order to provide helpful feedback that will supplement the comments of the student mentors. Teachers should also be there to troubleshoot, stepping in in the event of mechanical or technological malfunction.
9. What do you see as the educational value of blogs in the classroom? How about outside the classroom?
The educational value of blogs in the classroom is higher than educators can imagine. Blogs promote communication between students, as well as between students and mentors. Blogging can ensure that students spend time outside of the classroom on their education. Blogging outside of the classroom also allows parents to see what their kids are doing inside the classroom. They can help with postings, give ideas, and support their children despite the fact that they cannot be there in the classroom during the day.
10. In your view based on this experience, how can blogs be integrated appropriately and effectively in k-12 classrooms? Provide concrete ideas or examples.
Blogs can be effectively integrated in k-12 classrooms under a few concrete circumstances. First, students must be monitored extensively. Grade school aged students need more supervision than upper level students. Teachers need to be aware of the comments and postings that are being made to watch out for bullying and inappropriate material. Second, teachers must be clear in their guidelines for postings. Students must know exactly what is expected of them, and take responsibility for making comments. Lastly, students need ample time to make postings while in class. Many students do not have computer/internet access outside of the classroom, and teachers must be accommodating to those students of lesser means. Educators could create a classroom related blog dealing with an ongoing project. Students could make postings about their project, posting ideas and concerns.
11. As a teacher or future teacher, what issues or concerns do you have about using blogs in the classroom?
I feel that internet use in the classroom has always been and will always be a double-edged sword. The same goes for blogging. Pop-up advertisements and hackers are a concern. These concerns, however, are trumped by the concerns that I have regarding the posts of the kids themselves. With 25-30 students in every class making multiple posts, I worry that I will not be able to effectively monitor postings for inappropriate material. I also have an issue with blogging taking away from grammatical skills. While there is spellcheck, it is no substitute for knowledge. The same goes for MS Word.
12. How should school administrators, teachers, and/or parents manage and/or respond to the issues or concerns that you identified in the previous question?
The people involved with the children are most responsible for their well-being. Optimally, students would make postings during classtime. As a teacher, I would do what I could to ensure that they made the best effort possible and did not post anything inappropriate. I could float around, look over shoulders, etc. Parents would be given access to the blog site, monitoring the progress of their own children. In addition to monitoring, this would be an excellent way for parents to be involved in classroom activities and provide students with positive feedback. Maybe by making the blog a part of the school website, administrators could easily monitor the progress of students, as well as becoming an active part of the school community.
13. What surprised you about this blogging/mentoring experience? Why?
The thing that surprised me the most about the blogging experience was how involved the whole process was. I spent much more time on posting and comments than I really could. I am currently enrolled in four other classes, and these classes combined did not merit the workload that this blog project did. Another thing that surprised me was how great the mentors were. I felt that they honestly cared about not only the postings we did that were school related, but about what was going on in our lives, as well. The mentors were really wonderful, and I felt that they were the best part of the blogging experience.
14. What did you learn from this blogging and mentoring experience about yourself and about blogs as tools for teaching and learning?
I learned that I do not do as well under pressure as previously thought. I learned that I need to do things the day that they are assigned rather than waiting until the day that they are due to start them. As far as blogging as a tool for teaching and learning, I learned that blogs can be an effective way to enhance communication between students. I also learned that providing a means for reflection and an outlet for frustration is an effective way to control student disruptions in class. I also learned that blogging is more difficult than I previously thought, and I need to help students as much as possible.
