After about two years, I’m finally a part of a blog sharing program (hooray right?). Anyway, we can select from a number of different prompts and then we respond to how it’s going. I chose What is your watch #teachermyth because I think like a lot of us, we have things that don’t work, but we keep around just in case they start to work at some point. The purpose of objects can change, and that can also change our workflow, so, I guess we all need to look a little closer into what’s actually being used effectively in our and our students’ learning.
For me, and I’m not sure how to say this as a digital literacy coach, I’m not sure blogging for students is hitting the same purpose as it was. When it was new and exciting, lots of my classes had exchanges with different schools from all over. Now it seems more like just a reflection exercise. Blogging isn’t just boring (for students anyway) anymore, I think we have lost the point of transformative learning. On the SAMR model, it might just be augmentation, I guess the point of this is that we really have to get to what is it’s current purpose.
I also wonder about most technology being a watch. Are we still using it to redefine and transform education or are we looking for easy substitutes or to fill in time or to make our lives easier?
Regardless I guess, I was excited by the chance to reflect on what I’m doing in class. I think this article made me think of how and what I teach a little differently.
Joe Teft 
Hey Joe! Glad to have you aboard the blogging group. I too have been wondering about blogging and how it can be repurposed in the classroom. I don’t want it to be just a reflection/process writing tool and see that it should be a chance to delve deeper into personal research, higher order thinking in addition to connecting with others outside the school network. We were talking today at my school about how this might work with students having multiple curriculum areas – could it be a place to start connecting thinking and seeing links between curricula content and real-world issues and situations? The blog should not just be in one subject area but serve as a personal diary of their changing thinking as a result of the learning in class – how exciting would that be to tap into their minds and open up fresh ideas and direction?
Thanks for getting me thinking differently!
Nicki
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Hey Nicki,
Glad to be here, I wonder a lot about how to make something meaningful to them, and if blogging is still going to be around. I mean for the most part, what’s the point for them? How do we get it to be transormative or meaningful? How do we tap into something teachers want (reflection) with something they see as useful? I’m not sure it’s blogging, but it’s what I see as important right now.
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Hi Joe,
I totally get that – how do we balance what we want and what they need? We have to put the student’s needs first even if we have to tick a box that says they have reflected or whatever assessment. I also start with the why and ask the students what the reason is for the task – how does it benefit them/what is it for/how can they deepen their learning by it/what are they learning? etc Blogging is such a great way to connect students and teach them about communication – both 21st century skills but if we always take the lead and don’t allow them some choice and autonomy they will struggle to engage. Good luck!
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