Thoughts on Blogging

I have thought about the concept of blogging for the past few weeks during this class. I took the class so that I would be forced to explore the concept. What I discovered is that there are some very thoughtful people in the world who can express themselves with the written word very well. I have enjoyed the journey. I now understand the concept of blogging and how it may be more meaningful than say Facebook where you just post short, quick comments on someone's wall. I can see where the interaction between people who care about a topic can be expanded and taken to new depths. Some write, some comment, and some read but in the end all learn something.

I have read a lot, made some comments, and wrote some. This is my natural way of interacting with my environment. I found it difficult to move from my comfort zone and share more than I have. Will I use my blog for anything after this class? That is the question that I have yet to answer.

I think I may try to find a use for it in my teaching. I hope I don't just spend time thinking about this idea because I can see how I could use it for my teaching. It becomes whether I will have the courage to step into the responsibility of making sure I use the tool if I decide to use it. I teach my students that motivation = value * expectation. I see the value and have a high value for the tool. My expectation, however, is low. I am not sure that I will keep up with the posting that would allow my students to benefit from the use of a blog. That means my motivation is low - even though I would like it to be high. So I must spend some time with the idea and decide if I can commit to blogging as a means to update my students on course expectations.

Helpful Blog for Beginning Bloggers!

Today I decided I would look for additional information from other blogs that might give me some ideas on what I could do with a blog. I came across this blog with an imbedded sheet that lists possible uses for a blog. I spent time researching the sites on the sheet and didn't really get any where else.

http://5j2011celine.wordpress.com/2012/01/11/blogs-possible-educational-uses/

I guess I will continue my search tomorrow!

Good, Better, Best!

This week has been long. It was one of those weeks where each day goes by quickly but each day takes a long time to complete the tasks that need to be accomplished. In other words my days started out early and ended late. It's not that any one thing was stressful but the combination of tasks created a feeling that I wanted the week to be over. There were a variety of tasks related to work, personal,  and career development. There was a blend of activities that reflect the good and the better in my life.

I also, for some reason, decided I didn't want to sleep at nights. I even began setting an alarm to make sure I woke up on time. For those who know me, this would say a lot about my state of mind and where I was this past week. I have never used an alarm before in my life! I have always been a person who just wakes up on time. I sleep when my head hits my pillow. I love to sleep and I love to wake up. As the end of the week approached, I had a decision to make. I either had to give into the fatigue and come home and sleep or have my 21 month old granddaughter spend the night. I chose the best. She came and we were able to hang out and enjoy each other. Some how all the things I needed to get done, all the mundane tasks that seemed so important slipped out of my mind. There was nothing better I could have been spending my time on. 

There is nothing as sweet as having a grandchild (my first one) sleeping next to me. The world some how is perfect. Even when she thrashes and keeps me awake late into the night and wakes me early the next morning. It is the best and it made a very long week worth the wait.

My "Sweet Pea"

Today is Picture Day!

My goal today is to get a picture into my blog and comment on it in some way!

This is a quote I created in photoshop and used on the web site I designed for class fall term. It appears in a slide show I created. I think it defines how I feel about technology sometimes. If I become discouraged or frustrated because things are not working the way I think they should, I try to view it as a setback and not as failure. This helps me keep going even when I am not sure what I need to do. Ever searching on the internet for the answer I need to solve my problem!
(I am not including the link to the website because I am still trying to find the time to complete all the pages. Ah summer-a time when we think we will have more time but when we really work on different projects!)

Figuring it out--Slowly

I finally figured out how to subscribe using the RSS feed. I was able to connect to the NACADA Region 8 blog. Since this is a blog I should be following I am excited about the prospect of keeping up with the Region's news without having to find the blog's site. Yes, I do know how to bookmark, but it seems whenever I wanted to look at it I was using a different computer and did not have the site bookmarked.

Now I just have to figure out how I am going to use this information.

Educating the Educator

I am trying not to be negative about this process of discovering blogging. It seems to be like any other discipline-in order to make sense of the simple directions, you must first make sense of the jargon used to explain something. Take RSS feeds. I understand they allow you to subscribe to something and receive a notification when something new has been posted. I can't seem to figure out the entire process of how this all works. I looked at the sites listed by Denvy and still have been unable to understand exactly what it is I need to do.

I am persistent though and so will probably call my 10 year old niece and ask her to explain it all to me! Really, how did I get so far behind on the use of technology? I used to be able to write basic programs and then somewhere along came the internet and I lost interest in this virtual ability to connect with a virtual world. Why would I connect virtually with people when I don't even like to connect face-to-face at a personal level? Looking at technology for professional use is a new adventure for me. I really like what I have been discovering. It will allow me to connect with students - something I am passionate about.

So why will I stick around to figure all this out? Because at some level I realize this can make my life as an educator more effective. I have been looking for a way to create better connections with my classes and this may allow me to do this. It's for the students' who will benefit that I will persist and eventually master RSS feeds - or at least figure out if they would be helpful to my students.

Anybody willing to help me out with RSS feeds? In other words explain it without the jargon?

Still Not There Yet

I have a friend who keeps a family blog. She logs in about once a week, posts pictures, and writes about what is going on in her family. At the end of the year, she sends her entire blog to a site that takes everything and puts it into a nice book. In a sense she is creating a digital record of her family. I think it is great-for her.

As for me-I am still not convinced blogging has a place in my life or career. I am not sure I like the idea that anyone can read what I write for one thing. I suppose I still have not created a purpose for doing this other than as a class assignment. I am glad I am trying it out, but for some reason I am not connecting with this form of communication. I think I would rather create a group email list and send out information via email rather than post it on my blog.

What am I missing here?

Students Preceive Blogging as Helpful

The second article I found was a British study by Daniel Churchill published in the British Journal of  Educational Technology entitled, "Educational Applications of Web 2.0: Using Blogs to Support Teaching
and Learning" (Churchill, 2009). This article focused on one semester where the instructor evaluated the effectiveness of blogs on student learning. The valuable part of this article was two tables. One outlined how blogs were used and the second showed the students perception of the value of  blogs.

The list of activities included tasks covered by the instructors blog, the instructors interacts with the students' blogs, the students' activities/assignments for their blogs, and interactions with other students and the instructor. The extensive list provides a point of reference for those interested in the responsibilities of each interactive group and shows the interactive nature of blogs through the listing of the tasks.

The students rated blogging as being beneficial to their learning in the course and that it helped to create a sense of community. The highest rankings from students came from being able to interact with the instructor through feedback and through the instructors blog.

While Churchill (2009) says learning took place with blogging, I think learning is more effective anytime students receive feedback from instructors and anytime students feel instructors are "going the extra mile". As in all tools for teaching, the instructor needs to have a passion for teaching the way they teach. If their passion shows and the instructor is engaged in the learning process along with their students, learning can be dynamic no matter how high or low tech the instruction.

While the article offered support for blogging, it, like most of the articles I read, stated that the instructor needs to encourage engagement in the activity by being involved in blogging and demonstrating how to use the tool.

Reference:

Churchill, D. (2009). Educational applications of Web 2.0: Using blogs to support teaching and learning. British Journal Of Educational Technology, 40(1), 179-183. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8535.2008.00865.x

Blogging with Caution

The Chronicle of Higher Education article entitled, "Blog Overload", offered both praise and caution for the use of blogs in education (Dawson, 2007).  Dawson, an associate professor of educational technology,  offers practical ideas on how to make blog use successful in education. There were two suggestions that stood out to me. The key to ensuring a quality blogging learning experience for students is to make sure the instructor blogs and demonstrates the process to students. In addition, the author recommends that blogs be one option for sharing knowledge as not all students will flourish in the blogging environment.

I liked the practical side of this article from someone well versed in using technology. The cautions to offer a balance for students so they are not overwhelmed by the blogging experience resonate with me as a learner. When I am asked to demonstrate learning in the same manner over the course of a term, I too tend to not respond as positively at the end of the term as I did in the beginning. I think this holds true no matter what tool we are using to help our students learn whether it be the latest technology or our favorite tried and true method of instruction.

Dawson, K. M. (2007). Blog Overload. Chronicle Of Higher Education, 53(22), C2-C3.

Introduction CSE694

I am in my second term of the Info Tech program at WOU and enjoying myself immensely. I find the more I explore technology the more I discover myself. While I am not afraid of technology I have never really embraced it. I do own a cell phone and have long since eliminated my land line. However, I do not have a smart phone or know how to use the technology that goes along with it. My computer is a lap top because I enjoy the freedom of being able to use my computer where I want to go rather than where the computer needs to sit.

Over the past few years I have wanted to implement more technology in my teaching and in my advising. I teach in smart classrooms and use the doc cam and that is about it. I really think if the university I work at is going to invest in creating smart classrooms, I should learn how to teach with the tools available. Since my career is educating people, I think that technology will help me do this better and help me reach more people.

This is my first introduction to blogging. I have glanced at other people's blogs but have never really looked at, followed, or written comments on one before. I hope to be able to find a use for my blog to reach more students on my campus.