Blogging
Do you think the students are interested in blogging with their instructor?
Hi Roshawna
I think it depends on the age of the student that you are teaching. For example, graduate students would be interested in this with a strong topic to discuss. High school students would not be interested in this since they rather blog with their friend or anyone not their teacher at this grade. Community college students are a mixture since you have the younger generation (18-21 yrs. old) mixed with older generations. I am on the fence on this one since it depends is this course often only online or day or evening class at the community college. True online students are much better at blogging with others.
Thanks
Alana
Great point Alana:
blogging is common with those students that are young adults. This is the way that they communicate on a daily basis. Therefore, implementing this in the classroom for a young adult would be beneficial.
Roshawna,
I think you can make it. If blogging is the vehicle for communication it could work. To think that students will just blog just won't happen. You have to make it worth their while.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Yvette,
I also think nontraditional students may find it a way to communicate within the discipline.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Alana,
Great comments. I is up to the instructor. I wouldn't use a blog if there wasn't an outcome that couldn't be measured by it.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
I think so. The ultimate engagement is to put the learner in charge of learning. Create a rich learning environment and a motivation to learn, and the students do all the hard work of learning. I think this is one of the vehicle in achieving that goal.
James,
What a great point. Yes, that is exactly what you want, the learner in charge of learning and we as instructors guiding them. The blog is a great tool for that.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
I believe that blogging for students can be a great opportunity for students to discuss relevant topics. This medium allows other students and the instructor to provided additional comments/messages/questions to create engagement of the relevant topic. I believe that when the student is creating blogs this induces the student to learn how to effectively communicate and be concise with their message to the reader(s). Blogging can also allow students to retain information about the relevant topic too.
Loretta,
It can be an area to create engagement among students and engage others outside of class if wanted.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
I believe that they are. As a matter of fact, one of my former students introduced me to many blogging sites. I think, however, that a more important question is: what are the challenges of students blogging with the instructor? Or: Is blogging with the instructor effective for student outcomes?
Willie ,
What a great point. You are right, it may be more work for the faculty. I do think you have to look at the tools and choose want best facilitates your outcomes. You don't necessarily add on.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
