1. How might a weblog approach (with students either working on their own weblogs or on a course weblog) work to support learning?
Within the world of technology I have seen huge advancements over the past twenty years, both in the educational, and productivity side of the divide. Despite this technological revolution, it appears to me that the educational system has not embraced many of these tools in a timely manner. I can remember a technology workshop I went to in 2002 at the board office, only to hear a high school teacher talk about how he was teaching typing to his class. This was quite a revelation to me, as I was teaching grade five, using ibooks to support learning at the time. As teachers we may not be as versed as we think we should be with the ability to integrate technology in our educational programs. However, our students our knowledgeable about many digital tools, they frequently use these tools on a daily basis outside of the classroom. If you were to ask them weather they these tools are motivating for them, I think the answer would be a resounding ‘yes’.
Ask any teacher and they will tell you that student motivation closely mirrors the outline of a roller coaster. Always peaking and declining in a manner that can negatively effect even the best-planned unit of study. As Downes (2004) asserts, blogging gives students the opportunity to communicate with others, providing further motivation for students to write more.
Here’s a list of how a weblog approach can support student learning:
i) Student bloggers can interact by exchanging various points of view with others around the world, not just with their immediate peers (Downes, 2004).
ii) No matter what a student’s learning style, or comfort level with communicating within a classroom, the blogging space evens the playing field for all (Downes, 2004).
iii) Student bloggers need not worry about coding and the like, when they post and edit their work. Ease of use with blogging makes learning attractive, and posting to the blog motivating (Downes, 2004).
iv) As a student recently replied, “I pay more attention when I write in my blog (especially my spelling) since I know anybody can read my posts” (Downes, 2004).
v) Blogging can support student writing by helping students develop their critical thinking skills as they reflect on others who have responded to their online writing (Downes, 2004).
vi) Bloggers can attach web links that contain additional information that can help to support their views (Downes, 2004). It’s as if the online community is now at the bloggers disposal, to further enhance linkages, and to help support the student with knowledge creation.
2. As part of the discussion, you might consider whether you see any issues that might come up:
A) In terms of having student work take place in public or private spaces.
I think that an element of uncertainty with respect to the content of feedback is introduced
when students work within public online environments where people unknown to them can access their bog, and comment on their work. This uncertainty can take the form of inappropriate remarks which add nothing to the discourse at hand. Conversely, feedback which is insightful and rich in complexity, can heighten the level of discourse promoting increased knowledge construction.
B) Regarding issues of ownership or responsibility (and how they might shift) in these spaces,
I think that ownership of writing material is in question when students are still in elementary school. Having read an entry on the discussion board for this topic, it would appear that ownership of student created material, while the student is still in elementary school belongs to the school district. Unless parents formally request that their child’s work belongs to them by formalizing the process through legal paper work, then the material is owned by the board. I think where the issue becomes difficult to resolve is what happens if an elementary student creates a piece of work, anywhere, but on school grounds. Does the fact that they still use district property to upload their work, still make their work the property of the district, or does it belong to them because it was created while the student was off district grounds.
Just to illustrate how an organization treats user content. Facebook’s policy states;
“By posting User Content to any part of the Site, you automatically grant… an irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive, transferable, fully paid, worldwide license… to use, copy, publicly perform, publicly display … such User Content for any purpose…”
It would appear that the issue of ownership by individuals who create content is not in their favour. Unless, one want’s to safeguard his or her intellectual property vigorously, institutions that provide the infrastructure to contain the material will have language of ownership that supercedes the creator of such content.
Downes, S. (2004). Educational Blogging. Educause Review. September/October 2004 Accessed online 25 March 2009.
Retrieved July 10, 2009, from Facebook: Statement of Rights and Responsibilities Web site: http://www.facebook.com/terms.php