While there are several blogs that I read on a regular basis, this is only the second time that I have created my own (the other being for a previous education course). While I am still a novice in this field; I am beginning to see some definite benefits of the blog format.
Blogs are a very good way to promote student interaction. While valuable in any classroom setting, communication between learners is especially important in the modern language learning environment. Students will be able to observe and correct each others work in a format that offers more personal and real world relevance than do old-fashion grammar and translation exercises. It is also a great opportunity for students to activate their language learning abilities through reading and writing outside of the classroom. To this end I would include an assignment similar to the one that we are currently accomplishing. Students could be required to post a blog on pop-culture phenomenon of the target language (e.g. a musical artist, a film, a song). The blog would be written entirely in the target language. The students would have the option of replying to the three blogs which they found most interesting. By limiting the subject matter the instructor prompts the learner to incorporate similar structure and vocabulary into their blog, thereby increasing repetitive exposure and offering the less talented students a chance to benefit from the knowledge of the more advanced ones.
Blogs are a good way to expose students to the real-world applications of the subjects which they are studying. Blogs, and other multi-media based learning tools, are great ways to pique student interest in outside applications and subjects that can help them to learn the material at hand. Outside links will be discovered in the course of both creating and reading a blog. Students could be tasked to find a blog which interests them and prepare a report sharing their discovery with their coevals. Students will be exposed to a great number of resources through their own research, and that of their fellow students. Imparting an awareness of the utility of school subjects in prompting personal and intellectual growth beyond an academic setting is one of the primary objectives of a teacher and the use of blogs is a great way to accomplish this.
A final way to use blogs in the classroom is to incorporate a class blog where students are allowed to leave anonymous critiques and suggestions. Undoubtedly one will receive a good number of sarcastic, and even abusive, entries; however these will be easily discernable from the sincere queries and recommendations. Utilizing the anonymity offered by the age of communication is a great way to offer students, who might otherwise be too shy, an opportunity to steer the course of their education.
Blogs are a very good way to promote student interaction. While valuable in any classroom setting, communication between learners is especially important in the modern language learning environment. Students will be able to observe and correct each others work in a format that offers more personal and real world relevance than do old-fashion grammar and translation exercises. It is also a great opportunity for students to activate their language learning abilities through reading and writing outside of the classroom. To this end I would include an assignment similar to the one that we are currently accomplishing. Students could be required to post a blog on pop-culture phenomenon of the target language (e.g. a musical artist, a film, a song). The blog would be written entirely in the target language. The students would have the option of replying to the three blogs which they found most interesting. By limiting the subject matter the instructor prompts the learner to incorporate similar structure and vocabulary into their blog, thereby increasing repetitive exposure and offering the less talented students a chance to benefit from the knowledge of the more advanced ones.
Blogs are a good way to expose students to the real-world applications of the subjects which they are studying. Blogs, and other multi-media based learning tools, are great ways to pique student interest in outside applications and subjects that can help them to learn the material at hand. Outside links will be discovered in the course of both creating and reading a blog. Students could be tasked to find a blog which interests them and prepare a report sharing their discovery with their coevals. Students will be exposed to a great number of resources through their own research, and that of their fellow students. Imparting an awareness of the utility of school subjects in prompting personal and intellectual growth beyond an academic setting is one of the primary objectives of a teacher and the use of blogs is a great way to accomplish this.
A final way to use blogs in the classroom is to incorporate a class blog where students are allowed to leave anonymous critiques and suggestions. Undoubtedly one will receive a good number of sarcastic, and even abusive, entries; however these will be easily discernable from the sincere queries and recommendations. Utilizing the anonymity offered by the age of communication is a great way to offer students, who might otherwise be too shy, an opportunity to steer the course of their education.
6 comments:
Hey Patrick,
I have a question, and I hope it doesn't seem impertinent. You're last idea, of having students leave anonymous suggestions/comments... I was just wondering how you'd work that out? I may be missing something obvious, but wouldn't you know their web handles from the other blog you were using for class?
Thanks,
Lynne
Hi Patrick,
You have some great ideas for using your blog for your class. I especially like your idea about how the less talented students can really benefit from the knowledge of the more advanced students.
judy
Patrick,
You have some good ideas for utilizing blogs in the L2 classroom. However, I would suggest that blogs are not a good place to have students correct each other's grammar, but rather a place for them to communicate. In trying to make their ideas clear and in trying to understand the content of what their classmates write, they will learn some do's and don't of grammar.
I'm not sure if I would agree with your idea of anonymous comments. I certainly think that a good back and forth in the comments section on controversial topics is a great way to motivate students, but I think that allowing sarcastic or abusive comments would cause many students to lose the incentive to post. If you want to create a true "community of practice" within your class, I feel that you should have the students take ownership of both their posts and the comments that they post on others' blogs.
Dr. Burgos
I like the ideas you have about using blogs with your students but I have to agree with a few others on the annonymous comments. If students want to hide their identity in fear of what others would think, it's an excusable idea, but as the teacher, you should know who they are. Their identity can be undisclosed to others, but it shouldn't be to you. If any one posted anything out of the ordinary, violent or insulting in any way, you should be able to know who they are for administrative purposes.
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I believe that an anonymous comment line would be much more beneficial than detrimental. I simply mentioned the eventuality of insincere and untoward comments because I wanted to envision the negatives, as well as the positives, of my idea.
As far as using the blog as a forum for students to correct one another’s grammar, I may have conveyed the wrong idea by my choice of words. I do not intend for learners to leave each other statements such as “you conjugated this verb incorrectly” or “this should be a plural feminine.” Rather, I believe that they can pick up on proper grammar through on-line interaction with their peers.
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