It’s as exciting as it sounds.
I’ve been mulling over ideas for implementing blogs in a classroom the past few days as I’ve been reading through Will Richardson’s book, Blogs, Wikis, and Podcasts. I must say that technology such as this presents a philosophical & moral dilemma for me, as a teacher.
First: as a purist of literature, I feel that in many ways, technology is one of the evils of the world of literacy. This isn’t to say that there isn’t anything good to read on a wiki, or watch on television. It’s just that with technology, the amount of useless spam that bombards our senses on a daily basis far outweighs anything good that might be seeping in between the latest erectile dysfunction commercial, or random facebook advertisement reminding me of how to get a six-pack. Thus, I feel that by encouraging my students to use outlets such as wikis or blogs, that they’ll use my own endorsement of technology as a means to say, “I didn’t have time to read a chapter of my book last night, I was too busy blogging.”
As a purist of literature, I also feel that there is something primordial about simply picking up a book and reading it. Reading is the -first- step in writing, and while I feel that blogs are a great avenue to write and express yourself, they must never take the precedent over reading.
Well, what about reading blogs? A good point, but only if the blog has good, insightful points, and is well written.
I’ve never followed any blogs myself, but a friend of mine directed me to a fairly popular blog in her Boston network: blognigger.
Such a blog is a good read for more advanced students, capable of reading the author’s elevated, sarcastic prose (evident in the title of the blog), as well as the higher level issues he discusses in his posts, such as race, religion, politics, etc.
So, what do I feel about blogging and technology in the classroom after 2 days of studying about it? Skeptical, but warming to the idea of it.
So how do you feel about Kindle?
Zach – Although I think blogs could be well used in a classroom setting, I definitely share some of your hesitation about technology being possibly harmful for literary purists.
For example, I’ve been very concerned with devices like Amazon’s Kindle. I don’t know about you, but I really like the weight of a REAL book in my hands, complete with page-turning and dog-earing. I don’t want to lose that treasure!
I hope we can all reach a happy medium – using technology, but not going to the extreme where we either can’t read books because we’re too used to shorter blurbs (like blogs) or becuase there are not physically there (like Kindle).
-Ashley
I appreciate your arguments about blogging in literature class. I don’t think I consider myself a purist (just more of an old lady, probably), and therefore grumble and complain about anything that takes the focus off of the book. And when I say “book” I mean a bound work of literature that is written on pages and can be put in a back pack. There is something powerful about opening up a book – not just because of the book itself but because of all the places you can take it and read it. Now I know some would argue that you could take your laptop anywhere…true. Anywhere there is an outlet because eventually, you’ll need it.
I also agree that getting online at all opens students up to the bombardment of advertisements and visual stimuli that could (and most likely does) detract them from their purpose of being connected in the first place. Books are simple – well, simple in that there it is and only it if you choose. No TV, no music, no distraction. Just you and it. The only complication you need to concern yourself with is understanding and connecting to it, and that complication is a good one.
My take on blogging? Eh….
Zach, I have to tell you that I’m still of the mindset you describe. There is so much bombarding the minds and eye-gates of middle and high schoolers, I think that more can sometimes mean less in terms of what they actually take in and learn from. Likewise, I think that less can be more in terms of quality of real education.
I saw this and it reminded me of you.
http://gangles.ca/images/ZackAndWiki.jpg
Well, take heart in knowing that technology, web 2.0, and all the rest will never replace the more “industrial” ways of interacting with the world. Ideally there will be some manner of balance in order that the best of both will be available.
I think it was Samuel Johnson who said that he wasn’t interested in reading the work of a person who had written more than he had read. I tend to agree. Blogging, at its best, demands a commitment as a reader…the “random thoughts” approach is fine, but that doesn’t make them those thoughts necessarily worth reading…