Works Cited

Works Cited

Brooks, Kevin, Cindy Nichols, and Sybil Priebe. “Remediation, Genre, and Motivation:

Key Concepts for Teaching with Weblogs.” Weblog posting. Into The Blogosphere:

Rhetoric, Community, and Culture of Weblogs. 30 August 2004. 20 April 2007

http://blog.lib.umn.edu/blogosphere/remediation_genre_pf.html

Hartley, James, Michael Howe, and Wilbert McKeachie. “Writing through time:

Longitudinal studies of the effects of new technology on writing.” British Journal of

Educational Technology 32.2 (2001): 141-151.

Lowe, Charles, and Terra Williams. “Moving to the Public: Weblogs in the Writing

Classroom.” Weblog posting. Into The Blogosphere: Rhetoric, Community and

Culture of Weblogs. 13 March 2004. 20 April 2007

http://blog.lib.umn.edu/blogosphere/moving_to_the_public_pf.html

Martindale, Trey, and David A. Wiley. “Using Weblogs in Scholarship and Teaching.”

A. TechTrends: Linking Research & Pratice to Improve Learning 49.2 (2005): 55-61.

Mimirinis, Mike, and Madhumita Bhattacharya. “Design of Virtual Learning

Environments for Deep Learning.” Journal of Interactive Learning Research. 18.1

(2007): 55-64.

On Creating My Own Blog

At first this project seemed like a massive undertaking. After gathering research and outlining my ideas I was ready to set up a blog, and all I could think was, “what have I gotten myself into?” I know nothing about technology, or so I thought. All of the articles said blogging was free and easy, but then again there are plenty of commercials on TV, for perfectly ridiculous items, that say that very same thing. Although my articles were written by scholars, and that endows them with some degree of credibility, I was not sure I entirely believed them, but I figured I would give it “the old college try,” seeing as I am in college. As it turns out they were right, and I don’t know everything, but then again I know a little more then I realize. So I set out to blog.

Sites like this one make it possible for even the most techno-illiterate people, such as me, to successfully post a blog. All you really need to do is sign up, choose a template, and get writing. At first I had a little trouble, because I felt like my blog was really boring and I did not know how to add links or pictures. Slowly but surely I figured out how to change the font and color, add links and edit posts. It was really exciting to see the page come together step by step. The more I added to my blog, the more I wanted to work on it.

My Experience as a Student Blogger

Before starting this project, I had only been exposed to blogging in one of my classes. In Dr. Young’s Victorian Poetry class, the students were required to participate in two different blogs. The first blog was on Blackboard, and only for students in our class. The second blog was a cross-cultural blog, where we wrote to other Clemson students, as well as students at a university in Sweden. To tell the truth, when I first found out we had a blog assignment I was really upset. I barely knew anyone in the class, it was my first semester in graduate school, and I really did not want everyone reading my writing. After that first blog experience I really changed my mind though. I think what really made me comfortable was how friendly everyone was in their letters. We were required to write our entries like letters to our group members, with greetings and goodbyes, and everyone really got into being funny and friendly. I think we actually had a lot of fun with the assignment. Overall it made me more receptive to the idea of blogging. When we had to our second I was much less apprehensive then before.

The cross cultural blog was a really cool experience because it was something I had never done before. We blogged with students from Sweden and it was really interesting to read their perspective on poems that our class for the most part was relatively familiar with. Since English obviously was not their first language, those blogs were unique because they were purely to share ideas. I am really happy when we are presented for opportunities like that because sometimes we forget to just “talk” to one another. There is so much pressure, and so many other factors, however important, they sometimes get in the way of sharing ideas with one another.

Overall I would say that my experience with blogs has been really positive. Even though at first I was really unhappy with the prospect of blogging, and am really glad that I was given the assignment. Had it not bee for Dr. Young’s class, I never would have had a chance to participate in blogging, especially a cross-cultural blog. I am definitely resistant to technology, mostly because I have trouble with it, I lack the skills and understanding so many of my peers have mastered, but I have definitely had a change of heart considering blogs.

Conclusion

When I began this assignment, I wanted to examine blogs in the classroom, specifically to see what effect blogs had on writing. My original assumption was that blogs, being an informal genre, would negatively impact students writing skills. I am surprised to find, although quite convinced by my research, that I was very wrong in my assumption. It seems that blogs are what you make them. Blogs, like any other technology, are nothing more than a tool. Therefore, it is how you use that tool that matters. There are certain factors that will determine how well a blog will work, for example, it is important to establish early on the audience. You need to make it clear who the students are writing to; are they addressing one another, the teacher or is it a personal journal? Once audience and tone are established, the students will be able to generate quality work. Similarly, as my research shows, students often feel more comfortable blogging, and participation (from even the most shy of students) generally tends to increase. Students often develop a greater sense of community in their “Virtual Learning Environment,” then they would have in a standard classroom. Students, who normally would not have taken the time to get to know one another, can easily share ideas. Students can also participate in workshops, critiques and peer reviews in a more pressure free way.

There are so many positive things to say about blogging, and its usefulness as a tool in writing classrooms. Researching this topic has completely changed my opinion of blogging and technology in the classroom. I would definitely consider trying a blog in my ENGL 103 sections next semester. I think it is a fun and easy way for students to develop their skills as effective writers.

"A Time to Heal"

In the aftermath of the Virginia Tech shooting, the press focused on how the Internet played major role in the universities ability to quickly disburse information to students, faculty, and family members. Since blogs were one method students were using to communicate, and the media has been saturated with references to those blogs, I thought I should touch on the topic. I have posted a link to a CNN news article on the topic; it is available in the related links section. As Virginia Tech grieves for their loss, I think blogs will play a distinct role in the healing process. The history of our country has been scared forever by the tragic events of last week, and technology has transformed how we bare these scars, and move forward.

"Weblogs in the Writing Classroom"

Moving to the Public: Weblogs in the Writing Classroom was a really important article in my research on this topic. What I thought was noteworthy about this article was its discussion of peer response and workshops. Sometimes it can be frightening for students to make their writing pubic, especially to their peers. Weblogs create a safe space where students feel comfortable posting their work. In actuality students are publishing their writing online, but it seems as though the weblog takes a lot of pressure off students. Similarly, students who may normally be shy in class, tend to participate more when weblogging.

Another really interesting point this article brings up, is that while teachers often encourage students to experiment with style when writing for a weblog, the student knows that they are ultimately going to be graded by the teacher. So in some cases, assignments generate artificial responses. Yet either way, students do become more comfortable with presenting their writing publicly, and that is a huge hurdle for anyone.

The article states that one of the benefits of a weblog, over student web pages, is that it is not necessary for students to learn HTML when blogging. Thus, students with even limited experience can easily participate in blogs. This is important because students can become overwhelmed by the thought of so much work, and possible criticism. Also as the article states, web page design can be distracting for the students, but when blogging they “spend more time developing their texts” and “these texts likely end up being more rhetorically sensitive” (4).

Because weblogs are similar to journal writing, they lend themselves to a greater stylistic flexibility. Students can write critically as well as reflectively, and they can also engage in a dialogue with one another, if they so choose. Students even reported reading the work of other so they knew what the standard was, or what ideas had been discussed. In this respect having the online space helped the students to work together to make their individual writing better, or more relevant.

This article gave examples of student responses to the blogging exercise, and some of the comments are really moving. They show how the students were really able to develop a strong sense of community through blogging. They even developed friendships and were, in many cases, supportive during times of struggle; caring when their peers were ill or injured. I really liked the aspect of community that this article brought up. As far as the “perks” of weblogs, the article went over the same teaching benefits as other articles but, the sense community that the students develop is a new idea. I think this concept is crucial to the development of writing. Students need to feel comfortable before they are willing to share their writing, because it is a part of who they are. Being able to develop a space online where students are able to publish their work, and feel good about it, is wonderful. Blogs give students the opportunity to share with their peers and they don’t have to worry about being shy. Being a student myself, and often worrying what my peers will think, or how I will be judged by my professor, made this article, and blogs, appeal to me.

Genre and Blogging

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.