Using Blogger as a educational tool

In this post, I will be discussing the uses of Blogger in the CAME course:

Challenges we were faced with in the beginning were the lack of resources, netbooks were of a inferior quality, network unreliable and slow. Some of the students were not familiar with Google Apps and we spent a considerable time getting everybody on the same page. The students were quite proficient in accessing the internet, playing online games and watching videos on Youtube.Most of them found using the internet and Web 2.o for educational purposes quite new.We spent almost two weeks to get email  and Blogsite setup.

One the first tasks we gave the learners was a discussion topic around the Treaty of Waitangi. We had them form groups and they had to engage in the discussions/converstions by posting comments on their group blog.One on the benefits of using blogger is that group engagement can be monitored.By inviting other learners into the blog conversations this platform has become medium of sharing ideas and thus becoming a community of practice.The lecturer  also engages in the conversations which make the whole excercise very inclusive.In this way the learners  feel safe and can easily relate to the lecturer. Students also use blogger to host their E-portfolio.This is an electronic accumalation of all their works and is also used as a means of assessment. The works consists of presentions, personal journals , drawings and many other posts relating to inquiries and discussions.

We use the Blogsite http//:[email protected] to monitor blogs, provide teacher/learner feedback,get learner/teacher feedback, post learning packs and teaching notes.

Listed below are a few educational uses for blogs and what value it has from a educational perspective as identified by Fernette and Brock Eide and cited by Will Richardson (2006) in Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful webtools for classroom include the following:

• Can promote critical and analytical thinking.
• Can promote creative, intuitive and associational thinking (creative and associational thinking in relation to to blogs being used as brainstorming tool and also as a resource for interlinking, commenting on interlinked ideas), networking.
• Can promote analogical thinking.
• Potential for increased access and exposure to quality information.
• Combination of solitary and social interaction.

Within the struture of a blog , students can demonstrate critical thinking, take creative risks, and make sophisticated use of language and design elements.In doing so , the students acquire creative,  critical,communicative, and collaborative skills that may be useful to them in both scholarly and professional contexts. The growing popularity of blogs suggests the possibility that some of the work that students need to do in order to read well, respond critically and write vigorously might be accomplished under circumstances dramatically different from those currently utilised in higher education.

Educational uses of blogs.

Within a personal academic perspective a blog can support:

• reflection on teaching experiences.
• categorised descriptions of resources and methodologies for teaching.
• ramblings regarding professional challenges and teaching tips for other academics.
• illustrations of specific technology-related tips for other colleagues.

Within an organisational perspective a blog can support:

• a common online presence for unit- related information such as calenders, events, assignments and resources.
• an online area for students to post contact details and queries relating to assessment.

Within a pedagogical perspective a blog can support:

• comments based on literature readings and students responses.
• a collaborative space for students to act as reviewers of works (peers assessment) for course related materials.
• images and reflections related to industry placements.
• an online gallery space for review of works, writings, etc. in progress, making use especially of the commenting feature.
• teachers encouraging reactions, reflections and ideas commenting on their students blogs.
• development of a students e-porfolio of work.

Reference:

Richardson, W. (2006). Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful webtools for classrooms.

Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.