Being asked to complete a blog for a classroom activity leads me to ponder WHY this would need to be done. I was asked to think about the differences between participating in an online classroom discussion forum and working with the blog and pros and cons of blogging as well.
Lets take a look at the first question- the differences. Already with typing this, I feel much more informal than I do on the online class forum. This feels less like an assignment and more like storytelling. I have to provide the back story as to why I am writing this as anyone can come across it, whereas in the classroom, only my classmates will read it. Since they already are aware of the assignment and the questions, I don't need to spend as much time explaining myself. The seclusion of the classroom is another obvious difference- here I feel more exposed and as though I will provide fewer personal examples than what I willing to provide in the smaller and more private classroom setting.
Turning to the pros of blogging, there are many for the adult learner and educator. To begin, blogging provides another technological avenue for the instructor to pursue. It feels more formal than a social media site but less formal than a classroom. Blogs have increased in popularity over the last few years and have become more simple for the average person than they used to be (Carter, 2011). Blogging can also open the doors to more traffic which in turn will allow for more feedback than just those in the classroom, leading to the possibility of more in-depth conversation on the topic, providing the potential for transformative learning (Carter, 2011). For example, a person could come across my blog and have an interest in what I have to say. As we start to converse, I may find that I am teaching someone else what I have learned in my studies, leading to more ownership and confidence in my knowledge. At the same time, I could learn from that person, or get a glimpse at another perspective, which could further my experiences as I interact with others.
A last pro to mention would be the cost of blog. Many blogs operate as free-services, allowing the student to be able to use another technology tool that allow the student to post in a new way using new tools that can make the post look more attractive than common classroom sites allow (Oravec, 2002).
With pros, there are some cons to blogging as well. In addition to the loss of privacy, there is a new tool that must be learned. To get to this point, I have watched some videos and looked at others to see how they work. This is not something I really had to learn in the virtual classroom. I like learning, (I wouldn't be in this class if I did not), but I had some nerves in hoping that I would do this correctly. Additionally, I am a very private person. I am trying to write this and remain (mostly) anonymous but at the same time I don't want to say the wrong thing and have repercussions come from it. Child, Pearson and Petronio (2009) tell a story of a dental student who blogged his honest opinion of his professors. The school viewed this as a public statements and required the student to repeat a semester at his own expense. The privacy of the classroom is no longer there and I feel a bit exposed.
To conclude, blogging is a new experience. It may end up being positive, it may be negative, but overall it will be a learning experience that I can consider for own teaching toolbox for the future.
References
Carter, T. (2011). Blogging as reflective practice in the graduate classroom.
In K. King & T. Cox (Eds.). The professor's guide to taming technology,
(89-104). Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.
Child, J., Pearson, J., & Petronio, S. (2009). Blogging, communication and
privacy management: Developing of the blogging privacy management
measure. Journal for the American Society for Information Science and
Technology, 60(10). 2079-2094.
Oravec, J. (2002). Bookmarking the world: Weblog applications in education.
Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 45(7).
