Journal # 6 - Blogging

A blog is a combination of the words web and log. With the advent of the Internet it has become a popular means of disseminating information, ideas, opinions, forums, etc. This journal posting, for example, was created, and then posted on my blog. So you are reading a blog right now.
I find blogs interesting because they give a voice to the voiceless and make communication, and building community easier. I was curious how I, as a future educator, could incorporate the use of blogs into the classroom. I followed a few threaded discussions on the website Classroom 2.0 to see how educators, and my peers are doing just that.
What I found was that teachers are having their students create blogs for a certain topic, say history, and having students post their work as a blog. Essentially, it’s the same thing as turning in an essay, but other students can comment on their work. Similar to how I am going to be commenting on the work of my peers in this class.
Also, what I liked about the threaded conversations was that if someone posted a question, it was usually answered. People would leave links to their blogs, so if you wanted to see how they were using blogs in the classroom you would have a first – hand look. Many people believe that the Internet is a cesspool of smut, porn, and debauchery, and to a large extent, that may be true. One of the conversationalists in the thread argued that blogs posted by educators add credibility and respect to the Internet. I liked that, because all too often, I think people don’t realize what a great tool the Internet is, as was evidenced in my reading of classroom 2.0.