Educational Blogging
I have read this article. I found blogs are a wonderful tool in terms of education. I actually learned the importance of blogs through this ‘edu blog’. I was not really interested in blogs before I set up my edu blog. However, it has motivated me to write and has connected me to people. I can also learn from my colleagues and can compare/share ideas with them. The idea of ‘publishing’ also makes me think about the contents of my posting carefully. As the article says, blogs are useful not only in terms of posting your diary or essay but teachers can also use it as a part of management (eg: post class times and rules, assignment notifications, suggested readings, and exercises. (Downes, 2004). This is a student centered activity (constructivist idea) so they can create their own ideas and can learn through the process of making their blogs. However, if teachers fail to set up a clear task (or the purpose of making blogs), students might find creating blogs pointless. So it is important for teachers to set a clear purpose and give directions at the beginning. Also, teachers should monitor their progress and give advice and feedback. I think if all students have opportunities to use computers, they should set up their blogs like ‘edu blog’ in the class.
