As with any technology, there are good and bad things associated with them. Blogging is no exception. A blog is actually a web log. It is a completely online location in which you have the ability to write anything you want including pictures, an article, a poem, personal thoughts, technical writings or even a video. It is a blank slate that you control. This can be a very good thing that can promote creativity. You can pose a question or post a response to well thought out research. In Adult Education, a blog can be a place that opinions can be shared beyond the classroom. The learning doesn’t stop when the class period is over.
Along with the positive comes the negative. Contrary to a discussion board, it is difficult to hold a conversation with other people. A discussion board can be an almost instantaneous exchange of messages. Blogs are also hosted on the internet in which the whole world literally has access to it. There is a lack of privacy which can inhibit some students from truly expressing themselves as they would otherwise.
If used properly, incorporating the use of blogs into the adult education setting could extend the classroom beyond the theoretical “box” and allow a continuance of ideas to be expressed. When students know they have a broader audience than their teacher there is a tendency to put more into their writings. There is a feeling of ownership that helps a student’s creativity as well.
Creativity is a theme that keeps coming up in the posts about blogging. The ability to modify and adapt the blog space seems to have a freeing effect on people. I have always wondered why some people were able to open up more on a blog than an in a conversation or an email. The ability to adapt the environment to their mood has a curious effect on the blogger. At the graduate level this burst of creativity is helpful in stirring conversation but as Ms. Witte found, there are even greater potential uses with younger students.
ReplyDeleteAs I have said before, I have never run or participated in a blog. I have read them as a way to keep up with friends but have always responded via email of telephone when I felt the need to comment. For educational and data sharing purposes there is great potential in using blogs. The drawback that keeps coming up is privacy and the need to be very mindful of what is posted. Even with the ability to modify settings and filters the fact that posts are more available to others requires constant vigilance on the part of the blogger. Privacy concerns can be a limiting factor on the creativity displayed on posts and discussion.
Privacy is definitely a concern. I'm sure things can be written and later you wished you hadn't written it as well. What you write on the internet is there for ever. In some ways this could cause you to be more thoughtful in your post which is good yet could also keep you from opening up and being completely free to speak your mind. It is definitely a delicate balance!
DeleteYou wrote the word "ownership" which has not been previously mentioned by other posts i've read. I think you've made a good description of blogs in general. Many other student bloggers claim they are 'not creative,' but I don't think a blog has to be necessarily creative to display ownership. However, a blog with interesting things to look at and/or read provides interest. Nobody wants to read boring material. Interesting topics keep people coming back for more.
ReplyDeleteA blog should be your personal space really. It is where you express your thoughts and feelings. Most people reflect who they are in how they customize their blog as well. The style and colors are usually reflective of the bloggers personality. However, I don't completely agree with your assessment about boring material. I'm sure there are plenty of engineers that have written some boring material that other engineers would LOVE to read! Lol
DeleteI have to agree that knowing that the whole world might have access and visibility to my blogging, I have put a considerable more amount of time in it than I probably would have otherwise. Plus, I enjoying getting to play around and make changes to the layout. I am still trying to figure out how to change the font color on my comments section though, will have to play with that tomorrow. I would be interested to see how many people are more aware of what they are blogging versus message board posting knowing that someone outside of the intended audience might stumble across it. Especially with regards to copyright, I see a lot of diligence on blogs, do you think it is because it is so public?
ReplyDeleteI think that a blog is by nature more intentional. By that I mean the blog host knows they aren't necessarily engaged in a "conversation" but they are making a statement and make an effort to support that statement or opinion, whatever it may be. On a message board there are more "off the cuff" comments and banter of ideas. I have found that message boards are a more relaxed atmosphere. In answer to your question, I think that the diligence on blogs is in part to them being open to the public but also in large part to the nature of a blog. They, by nature, are more "intentional" and one sided requiring more input and support from the author.
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