I was thinking more about my journalism class and blogging last night. While many of my students are getting the hang of this, just as many aren’t. I’m sure it’s that some are simply more motivated than others, some feel more comfortable writing for an audience, others are more passionate about their topics, and some are just more confident in their abilities in general. But what those of us using Web logs are trying to articulate now are the strategies that will help students make the most of their blogging efforts while at the same time envision the ways in which they might be included in the curriculum. Here are a few that I’ve collected but not committed to blogemory…nothing earth-shattering I’m sure:
This all assumes, of course, that you believe that Web logging is a genre of writing that is worth teaching for it’s own merits, and that the skills students learn by blogging develops them as writers in other genres as well. (There’s more on this here.) Um, I think that’s what Terry is supposed to find out…;0).
About passion… yes, all writers write best when they are passionate about somethiing. And not all students are passionate about the subject of the course in which they are asked to keep a blog. Anyway, a good collection of thoughts.
Here’s a thought… why not partner with other classes of student bloggers? I think that simply saying, “read someone’s weblog and comment on it” isn’t enough. But perhaps the week that I ask my students, “blog a current event as it unfolds over several days,” someone else could assing, “read the current event blogging on these student websites and evaluate their technique,” or something like that. Just a thought.
That’s a cool idea, Dennis. Kind of like what their doing at Blogs on Blogs. Might be a good idea for my advanced kids.
And you’re right, of course, that not all students are even a little into the courses they take. In my journalism course I can at least give them the chance to follow something they are interested in. It’s a pretty rare opportunity…
Actually Alex Halavais, and I discussed having a “larger than a single classroom” blogging experience this semester. Hopefully we’ll be able to work something out so that it actually happens — you’re more than welcome to participate as well.