It’s now about three weeks into the semester and my online Art Appreciation class is well into creating their ArtBlogs. This is the first semester I’ve used blogging as a learning tool and I have to say, I’m pretty excited about what I’m seeing. Moving away from the dry and often redundancies of Blackboard’s discussion group is allowing me to get to know my students on a new level, the weekly posts give them opportunities to reflect on their learning and ask specific questions, the images on the sites add personality and character to their thoughts, and the comments left by other students help develop a sense of community. Can this get better? I’m getting convinced very quickly that blogging has tremendous learning potential and should really be explored by more educators. Students, if you’re reading, what do you think?
4 Comments to “A Blogging Good Time”
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I really enjoyed the YouTube video! There were so many valid points in there, as well as some shocking statistics like the fact that 39% of students believe that school will have little to no impact on their success later in life. How sad is that? I could not imagine being in school feeling that my being there was worthless and a waste of time that was going to get me nowhere, but then when you think about the teachers who lack enthusiasm for teaching or passion for the course, it makes learning less fun for the students and harder to want to get involved and learn.
This video provided many more examples to back up the reason why I feel that doing classes the way you have set up our art class makes the class so much more hands-on feeling and so much more interesting and indivisual, as if we were all in a classroom together. We may not be showing off our new school clothes or our designer handbags, but being able to personalize our blogs makes our space a little more ours, enabling us to show each other a litte bit more of who we really are. I am really enjoying everything about this very interactive class so far.
-Nicole Rogers
PS-My internet is back up an running! Our service manager for our area just left my house and has put everything back in place and fixed my problem! YaY! =)
I think the blogging idea is pretty cool becuase your right it is alot better than te blackboard disscusion groups. You make this class very technical with technology but now I know how to do a blog and listen to a podcast.Thank you.
Frankie Harris
I think this blogging idea would be great for any online course, but its especially good for an art class. We are able to be “artists.” I think anonymous discussion boards do provide for more candid answers (as blogs do as well), but I think if one spends time putting their blog together and decorating it and personalizing it, they would be more apt to provide a better response to our questions. I think we are more comfortable to give our well thought out opinions on our own page. Its fun too!
Paul Ponich
i really enjoy the bligging because in blackbored we cant see how classmates, but in the blog you can view them and read what they say and get to know who you share a class with. On blackboard you only see thier names in discussion boards, so I feel the blogs are a lot more effective. It makes me want to actually do my work so i can write a blog