Speaking about the use of blogs in the classroom setting, I currently utilize a blog already with my physics students. Please take a look at it during your leisure and it may be found at one of the top tabs on my following course website:
http://web.me.com/sphogan
As you can observe while viewing the blog I am currently only using it for the very basics of its intention as a running diary of all the daily activities in my two physics courses. My students rely on it whenever they are absent for the day to catch up on what was covered for the day, or if they happened to forget to write down the homework assignment, the students may find the posted assignments there if necessary. For that purpose the site is quite useful as my students love an opportunity to connect with the course tasks whenever they happen to be away.
Yet, I currently do not allow my students to participate in a discussion of the events or post to the blog. I attempted to do this with my students during the blog's infancy, but it was common during that time span that high schoolers being the teenagers that they are, loved to post not so appropriate items to the blog. This required a large amount of additional time by myself, monitoring the discussion thread and omitting inappropriate items related to the course material. I might try this once more with the blog on my course website in the future, perhaps when the technology develops where the blog could filter out its own inappropriate content.
Are there difficulties with students that don't have a computer at home? One of the concerns I have is some of my students don't have computers and it may be problematic for them to get to a computer. Any similar problems or do you just say you are responsible to find a computer?
ReplyDeleteWow, good question bharr. I was wondering the same thing.
ReplyDeleteStephen, I do see what you're saying about moderating. But, maybe we should think of blogging as the classroom discussion. We rarely have students check with us to preview what they will say in a class discussion. Perhaps it could somehow be conveyed to the students that blogging is a privilege and they will be penalized for inappropriate comments. Possibly this would help students to take blogging more seriously and you wouldn't have to moderate as often.
P.S. Love the class website :)
Steve, I like the website. My envisioning of a classroom blog is similar. Having a place to see what went on in class and what is due for homework as well as helpful links. I thought it was neat that the blog even says what school day it is. Have you had students submit homework or other assignments online to your blog or a classroom website? For your problem/worry that students would reply with inappropriate comments I believe there is a function that has the blog creator approve every comment before it is posted for everyone to see.
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