I think the online blogs are a great idea. It was a great solution to not having in class test and quizzes, as far as time management. It was also a great way to help students connect with one another. The only problem I can think of is privacy issues. Some students may feel that their thoughts on certain issues are personal; having others reading and commenting on their opinion may be difficult to get adjusted to. However, class related blogs are not to be taken that personal. The purpose is to reflect and discuss the things you have read. Calling on the students that don’t talk much will help them open up more. I also think getting the groups together like the last five minutes of class will help everybody get use to talking to each other. By the time it comes down to posting blogs everyone will be more at ease about having other read their material. Every little bit counts and some of the simplest things will have the biggest outcomes.
Using the blog to reflect on the readings before coming to class and participating in discussion could be very beneficial. This gives students who are more on the quite side a chance to express how they feel. Then again, I would still say blogging may play as a disadvantage to these types of students because they need to learn how to discuss things verbally. Being able to openly discuss problems plays a big role in being successful in most jobs today. Blogs should not be seen as a way to avoid public discussions for more quiet students, but should help them develop more self-confidence in expressing themselves. It should help them slowly learn how to translate their thoughts into group discussions when called on in class.
I also think blogs that are structured are probably more helpful than free form ones. Simply asking a student just to say what they think is vague and can be difficult at times. Asking questions and presenting situations help jump start discussions. Another benefit is that a structured blog helps others see how you think without it actually being explained. I think that without clear guidelines, a lot of time is wasted in class because there’s a lot of talking about something completely irrelevant to the topic. Sometimes that can be a good thing because it opens up the floor for more ideas, but too many ideas can be messy. It can cause confusion among others in the class and it can start unnecessary debates.
Blogging introduces a new and different technology; and this kind of exposure is always helpful being that we students are being sent out into a world that is evolving into nothing but technology. More and more people are communicating online and blogs can be used to teach students how to put verbal discussions in a structured online discussion. It allows multiple thoughts to be put together in a structured, professional, organized way. Being that blog is open to our fellow classmates, it helps students write for a larger audience than just the professor, receive feedback from our peers, and gives the student a sense of still being in class, among peers, even though not in the classroom.
Overall, I think the blogs are a great idea and they’re well put together. You gain better writing skills, it gives you a sense of finding out who you are, and its helps you organize your thoughts. Talking about them a little more in class would be something to think about. It saves a huge amount of class and personal time that can be used towards discussing other things. Instructors are human just like their students. Sometimes they’re students themselves as well. It cuts down the amount of time spent grading papers outside of class. It gives instructors more time to answer one-on-one questions. It may even allow more time for in class group discussions. Anything to makes everyone’s life easier is always a positive. Blogging can also be good for those who prefer to write at the comfort of their own home. The environment in which one is writing has a big toll on how they write.
