What a week! And it’s still not over. In between classes and yearbook, I’ve been checking into the ongoing weblog conversations and looking at my own kids work. Started surveying them informally about the blog idea, and most seem to be very receptive. I’m intruigued by the different ways they have used them, which is one good thing about giving license…you never know what you’ll find. The most acute observation is my J2 class weblog where the kids are talking politics in a fairly IM sort of way. Rapid response, which is something I didn’t think would happen and something I’m not sure I like. I don’t think I like the chat room look because it says they are spending too much time on it in class (when most of the posts happen) and they tend to get somewhat brusque (I had to edit out a post yesterday in which one girl made a crude reference to a particular Bill Clinton body part). But I’m willing to let it go for now with some gentle steering toward more helpful, journalistic, well-developed posts in an attempt to nurture a writing community through the blog. Posts like this one.

My J1 kids are doing the opposite. They’re discussing wrestling and music and some really great stuff, almost all in well-thought albeit mistake-laden posts. Still, I think that more kids should be joining the conversation. I need to do more to nurture that as well. Bottom line is that I’m pretty happy with both, and many kids are using their personal spaces well also. (The best news is that my J2 kids are doing some incredible work on their stories, interviewing authors and professors and experts from all over the place. I can’t wait to see the articles!) I’m wondering if any of them have started their own blogs on the side (again…need to immerse them in more examples.)