Kaye Trammell co-authored this article in THE Journal about using Weblogs in education, and it does a pretty good job of grounding the use of Weblogs in educational theory. (Yes, we’re at the point, thank god, where the words Weblog and Vygotsky come in the same paragraph!) A couple of quotes:
In this day and age of constructivist pedagogy – focusing on the students’ meaning making – using technology to deliver content should also be seen as using technology to help students create content. Blogs allow students to take ownership of their learning and publish authentic artifacts containing their thoughts and understandings. Blogs also provide a way for students to individualize their content; thus, help us rethink using technology to deliver content.
And:
The use of blogs increases student interest and ownership in learning. Technology has been cited as a motivating tool because of its newness. Blogs are novel to students not only because they are a newer technology, but also because students are blogging about topics that are important to them. Students direct their own learning while receiving input and feedback from others. They also take ownership of their learning in the blogging activities by actively searching for information.
While I think this is a pretty good description of the potential benefits of Weblogs and blogging for students, I can’t help feeling that it’s different for the K-12 world in terms of what they can and can’t do from personal writing standpoint. I had a lengthy meeting with my superintendent yesterday that I’m letting settle before I write about it, but it’s obvious that there are real concerns about the content students produce in terms of appropriateness and the way it reflects on the school.
Will,
Did you see this at /.
http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=04/02/06/2139205
Even though many have disparaged the effects of IM on schoolchildrens’ prose, some kids are actually becoming better writers by participating in online communities. Henry Jenkins writes in MIT’s Technology Review about how some kids are gaining writing and editorial experience far beyond what their schools can offer by participating in Harry Potter fan fiction forums
Sam D
Had a poor start with my son (playing the Lion in the Wiz) and his IM buddies and hope to find the best place for the following:
Please let me know if this is the wrong place to initiate this.
Found a list of “Coriolanus” questions on the web via search for “body-state metaphor” and have students looking into one question (below) further.
Clopha Deshotel
Instructor in Media Literacy, Bridgeport CT
______
Class on Shakespeare
Response Paper Questions: Coriolanus
Write an informal response to some element of the play, using the question below to prompt your ruminations.
1. The general meaning of Menenius’ fable of the belly (Act 1 Scene 1) is considered clear enough. How does the fable (Belly and the Members) apply more specifically to the relationship between Coriolanus and the Roman republic? Are there other instances of this body-state metaphor?
_________
Thus far Found an interesting article at http://www.findarticles.com/cf_dls/m2242/1603_275/55683940/p1/article.jhtml
And a cute coloring book at http://www.tomoyama.com/preparehope/
Got some good suggestions. One was the body-state metaphor in Frank Baum’s populist allegory (Wizard of Oz giving way to leadership of Lion/Tinman/Strawman; executive/legislative/judicial) and the versions all the way up to the 1970s Wiz. It is also possible that Bill Brown will be coming to Bridgeport CT in March for a local high school production. May be a stretch, but we need to have some fun too, yes? Input has been helpful. Many thanks.