My Response to the Lore Website Articles
For my Advanced Composition class, I was asked to go to the LORE website (http://www.bedford-stmartins.com/lore/digressions/index.htm) and read two or three articles and write about which articles I found the most interesting. I looked at all of the articles on the site, but there were two that really stood out to me. Strangely enough, they were the first two that I picked. Even the titles got me. I think I picked them because I felt that I could identify with them the most.
I found the article “Having a BALL with Blog-Assisted Language Learning” (http://www.bedford-stmartins.com/lore/digressions/content.htm?dis13)to be very interesting. It talked about using blogs in language learning classrooms. This seemed like a really interesting idea to me because I am a teacher and I am currently pursuing a Master of TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). The idea of using blogs in my classroom is really appealing to me, and though I have used blogs as a student, reading this article was the first time I had ever thought of using them in my own teaching. I think using blogs is a great idea because it would get the students involved and give them a sense of personal ownership of their work. People put more work into what they write when they believe that other people are actually going to read it. Also, blogging is such a creative outlet for expressing oneself. This article gave me lots of great ideas about new ways to use academic blogging.
I liked the article about Knit Blogging (http://www.bedford-stmartins.com/lore/digressions/content.htm?dis04), too. It was interesting to me because I grew up in a very rural area and it can sometimes be hard to find people with similar interests to connect with when there is such a limited number of people around. I like the idea of creating web communities to pursue a particular interest. It probably caught my attention because I like knitting, though I can only do one stitch and I am not very good at that one. Even though I am not a die-hard knitter, I can sympathize with the idea of reaching out to people that have a similar interest. This article opened up my eyes to the possibility of connection of all sorts of people through all sorts of different blogs. My imagination ran wild. There could be blogs about people who are fascinated by penguins, or blogs about people who practice barefoot waterskiing. There really is no end to the ways in which people could connect through a computer blog. I think that is the best thing about blogging: it gives human beings an outlet and allows them to communicate.
I found the article “Having a BALL with Blog-Assisted Language Learning” (http://www.bedford-stmartins.com/lore/digressions/content.htm?dis13)to be very interesting. It talked about using blogs in language learning classrooms. This seemed like a really interesting idea to me because I am a teacher and I am currently pursuing a Master of TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). The idea of using blogs in my classroom is really appealing to me, and though I have used blogs as a student, reading this article was the first time I had ever thought of using them in my own teaching. I think using blogs is a great idea because it would get the students involved and give them a sense of personal ownership of their work. People put more work into what they write when they believe that other people are actually going to read it. Also, blogging is such a creative outlet for expressing oneself. This article gave me lots of great ideas about new ways to use academic blogging.
I liked the article about Knit Blogging (http://www.bedford-stmartins.com/lore/digressions/content.htm?dis04), too. It was interesting to me because I grew up in a very rural area and it can sometimes be hard to find people with similar interests to connect with when there is such a limited number of people around. I like the idea of creating web communities to pursue a particular interest. It probably caught my attention because I like knitting, though I can only do one stitch and I am not very good at that one. Even though I am not a die-hard knitter, I can sympathize with the idea of reaching out to people that have a similar interest. This article opened up my eyes to the possibility of connection of all sorts of people through all sorts of different blogs. My imagination ran wild. There could be blogs about people who are fascinated by penguins, or blogs about people who practice barefoot waterskiing. There really is no end to the ways in which people could connect through a computer blog. I think that is the best thing about blogging: it gives human beings an outlet and allows them to communicate.
posted by mariam5 at 9:44 AM
3 Comments:
Great post -- it makes sense that you would identify with the Having a BALL article since you are a TESOL gal. I do not knit at all (not even one stitch!), but I wholeheartedly agree that blogs have great potential for hooking up people around the world with similar interests. Did you know that you can click on any of the links in your blogger profile and see other blogs that list the same interests?
Good point about students writing better when they think that it will matter in some way. Blogs can definitely give students the opportunity to choose topics that otherwise may be denied due to assignment instructions. It also returns to the general tendency for students do perform poorly in activities that they do not value, which I'm trying to cope with in another class.
I, too, was struck by your point regarding students putting more effort into their writing when it matters. But I am also interested in the space that blogging places between the writer and the reader. I am starting to feel that it could be easier for me to write more freely,i.e. express my ideas more openly, knowing that most of the communication with and feedback from my classmates will not be face to face. This distance makes me feel safe, like I don't need to feel as embarassed when someone doesn't like my work. Also, I can take as long as I want to prepare my stunning defensive comeback when someone criticizes my writing!
Post a Comment
<< Home