Remediation, Genre, and Motivation: Key Concepts for Teaching with Weblogs, discusses how weblogs can be a successful tool used to teach writing. The article considered “developing writers,” and how a blog can be helpful to individuals working on improving writing skills. “Weblogging seems like such a potentially rich set of online writing activities because it is relatively low-tech compared to producing hypertext or websites, and it incorporates familiar writing skills like summary, paraphrases, and the development of voice” (1). I think this is a really crucial point. Weblogs help students find their voice, and develop unique style as a writer. Blogs might not require that students be the most technically and mechanically savvy writes, but blogs help student become comfortable, confident writers. One of the “Key Concepts” of the article is that Blogging is not necessarily a new genre. Students are very familiar with activities like journals responses, and Blogging is just a new, innovative and creative way to participate in the same exercise. This idea is really important to convey to students. It is not that they are doing any extra work by participating in a blog, it is actually quite the contrary, blogging in many ways simplifies things for the students. Students don’t have to worry about handing their assignments in because they are time-date stamped when posted (this helps the teacher as well). The students can read what their classmates have already posted on the topic. Blogs not only simplify things for the students as well as teachers, but they also offer students the opportunity get help from peers and resources without pressure. Students can take advantage of the various resources that blogs provide, if they need help. Blogs afford students the freedom to work on developing their writing in a comfortable, supportive and pressure free environment.
