Blogging for learning

My parents always told me never to buy the first generation on any new technology. They say there will always be teething problems and that it is wise to let other people figure out the glitches. And so it is with Web 2.0 tools. I like to start slowly, rather than jump in at the deep end. I am cautious of over-loading myself. I enjoy hearing what others are doing with the tools and sharing what I have done.

I started out with a professional blog that I still use as a means of sharing what is going on in our classroom. It is the perfect platform for celebrating the students' shared successes and achievements. Readers are able to leave comments and I have heard that many of our students (whose extended families live in other countries) had shared the site with their distant relatives.

Since I have first graders, there is a considerably diversity amongst those who are fluent readers and those who have yet to recognize their name in print. Being so young they are also more restricted in the use of technology at home and they're awareness/interest in technology is not always as developed as their Upper Elementary peers. Some families still see computer time as an extension of television watching. If I were teaching older students I would certainly involve the students more in decision-making on the content of our blog entries. With more internet/laptop access than we currently have I would spend time having the students post and/or respond to entries.

Below I have attached a video by David Truss who argues that blogging "opens up the walls" of the classroom and allows students to take the learning on for themselves. His dialogue tells of his own journey with educational blogs and how he believes that online journaling creates Personal Learning Spaces for both the educator and the learners.
He ends with a question for us all.