David Huffaker -The Educated Blogger:
I have mixed feelings after reading this article. On one side of me is the technology part that agrees with many of his statements. On the other side is a cautionary feeling that says that MAYBE we are going overboard with this.
His knowledge of the internet (I created my first blog during this course-
) is wide, varied and informative. He, too, is a very passionate promoter of the internet and blogging. It makes me wonder, though. I was under the impression that the new "technological age - we're in it), was supposed to save the trees from extinction. Not according to the amount of paper we get by the truck load shipped to our site. Maybe blogging is a bit like that, a substitute for what we can't do, (read, write, spell, etc.) or even, ( should I use the F word) a fad, maybe?
If students can't read or write, or spell, imagine the state of affairs if they were to invade the internet in droves. If students can't spell or structure a sentence, is the internet or blogging going to cure that? If students can get to the information and still not know how to process it, what does that give us? The basic skills still must be taught in a transferable way. Today, I supplied for an English teacher. We are safe from any of them becoming bloggers. All of them felt that computers are an addiction, a nuisance and totally invasive of their time and space. Interesting. Gaming, now, lot's of interest there. Most of them have cell phones, too. Texting, maybe??
The way to promote literacy is to teach students how to read, write, spell and communicate, verbally, socially and intellectually. It has to start at an early age (basics) in order to prepare the student for a very advancing society (technologically speaking). As much as we'd like to create educational utopia, it's only fodder for the Hollywood bunch. All technology enhances teaching. It does not replace the human factor.
According to Huffaker, this is what the weblogs offers:
Promotes literacy
Storytelling
Keep journals/dairies
Self-expression
Build communties
collaborative learning
Creativity
Crosses academic disciplines (???)
Educational technologies
Links with online communities
Anywhere connected
Unlimited learning
Anyone hear these slogans before? It makes me wonder how we ever taught before blogging came along. It makes me twitch.
Clyde
A
