Blogs in the Classroom

As a person who has sporadically and unsuccessfully tried blogging in the past, it’s proving so much easier to recount things in a blog with a plan.  I’m quite familiar with how blogs function and ‘blogger is one that after all of my trials, that I always return to. 

Blogger sets out the blog posting in easy to read and presented format and as someone who has trouble with focusing her eyes, I’m yet to find a blogger blog that has been difficult to read.  From a writer’s perspective, the ease of use is definitely a big positive.  There’s no tricky embedding or coding procedures or hard to navigate customising bar, it’s all displayed in easily recognisable icons.  I also personally like that there isn’t a lot of options to choose from in regards to font styles as I find that just editing the layout and style of the posting, can take me longer than actually posting a blog.  I like that blogger subconsciously ‘allows’ me to spend more time on making sure that the writing is good and much less time on what font I’m going to choose.

Blogger also allows the user to embed links within the post.  For example, clicking the word ‘here’ will forward the reader to my weebly site.  Allows links to be embedded opens up a new world in regards to what the writer wants the viewer to see.  I really like this option, as it gives me the option to show my readers more of the blogs and wiki’s and weebly’s and other sites that I have and therefore open up new bridges of connectivism.

Media can also be embedded with a blog posting.  For example, just below this paragraph, I have inserted a YouTube video of a general overview of what blogging is.  Users can also insert images onto the site, which to me just cries out the possibilities of the potential blogging has within the classroom.  

Blogging can open up a lot of doors in regards to connectivism and learning with the classroom.  As myself and my peers are all now bloggers on the same site, we would be able to share our posts and comment on other's writing.  I really like that blogging is like the ultimate form of connectivism.  As my peers and I all have other commitments in our busy lives, blogging could also be another mode of communication in regards to collaborative assignments.  I know that I have a lot of other commitments in my life and blogging to me, would be an immense help on that front.

Blogging and SAMR

At the substitution level, blogging could be used as a submission method for assignments or as a platform for students to participate in class activities.  In that sense, blogging would become no more than a writing tool for students to write and teachers to check that the work has in fact been done. 

At the augmentation level, blogs could be used as a collaborative tool.  Students could talk to one another via their blog platform to share ideas and work as a team.  Students would be able to demonstrate and present their ideas and share it via a platform that they connect with quite easily.  Students in the 21st century are definitely digital natives, however, many sites have the capabilities to do a lot more.

Students would also be able to modify and redefine their learning to totally transform it!  Blogging has proved to not just end at posting a log of writing and students could use the platform to reflect on their work and treat it like a diary (much like I am now) and therefore have something to look back on for future references.  Students could embed links, images and videos and take other students from one website to another and one video to another and present a whole piece in one practical spot, that wouldn't take too much time to load or redirect.

All in all, I like blogs.  Though there would need to be rules and regulations in regards to using blogs, I could envision them being an informative and useful tool within the classroom!