Blogging should not be an add-on, not an isolated project, but should be seen as PEDAGOGY.
Ann Davis shared a definition of Pedagogy beyond a simple “method of teaching” (unfortunately I was not able to find a source of the definition… it seems to be floating around in so many spaces without a common attribution or source.)
The strategies, techniques, and approaches that teachers can use to facilitate learning.
Blogging can support the strategies, techniques and approaches to facilitate the learning in your classroom no matter what grade level, age group and subject area. Blogging supports four primary areas:
- Reading
- Writing
- Reflecting
- Sharing
In each one of these areas, blogging can be a strategy to facilitate learning
- Reading
- in digital spaces support students’ skills in our increasingly digital reading environment
- becomes a personalized content experience versus one size fits all approach
- turns into a collaborative and connected experience
- in digital spaces supports organization via archiving, categorizing and tagging of information
- blogs is the start that continues to deepen with writing on blogging platforms
- is part of research with non- linear platforms
- is an essential component of content curation
- supports content annotation which links to future writing
- Writing
- is about more than text (how do we communicate in a variety of media forms?)
- gives students choices to communicate ideas in different media platforms
- on a blog is writing for an audience
- is about a conversation through commenting
- becomes multi-layered and non-linear by using hyperlinks to connect ideas, concepts and resources
- in digital spaces give students skills for our increasingly digital world
- Reflecting
- can’t be just for reflection sake, but needs to drive improvement
- is the basis of re-evaluating your teaching and practices
- techniques can be supported by Making Thinking Visible Routines
- is part of a meta-cognitive (thinking about your thinking) process
- Sharing
- is part of the feedback loop
- is an integral part of the process of learning
- is how you disseminate your students’ work to a global audience
- as a technique of building and maintaining a digital footprint
- is the foundation of a remix culture
How are you using blogging as a strategy, a technique and an approach to facilitate learning? Let’s make it visible for others contemplating blogging with their students?
Hello, Ms. Tolisano! I enjoyed reading this blog post. I also think blogging should be used more pedagogically than just as a project. The education class I am in currently has us blogging a lot, and I have definitely learned quite a bit just in the couple of weeks we’ve had class. I appreciated how you broke down what it looks like when you use blogging through pedagogy. It definitely helped solidify my thoughts on whether I want to use blogging in my future classroom.
Loved reading this! I’ve been working hard to make my class’ blog meaningful and an integral part of our learning. The main focus so far has been on the writing aspect but I’m really wanting to help my students explore the sides of sharing and reflecting using the blog. I especially loved your swapping 21st Century Learning for “Modern Learning”. Any practical suggestions for how to engage younger students in reflecting using the blog?
http://acps2b.global2.vic.edu.au/
As I viewed this blog, I learned blogging supports reading and writing. The components of blogging connects to digital spaces. The main idea of this blogging pedagogy reflects on writing, sharing,reading the data, concepts, and gaining feedback. The blogging pedagogy explains how reflecting improves reading and writing skills. The audience can visualize cognitive thinking. The writing concepts enable the student to use media forms, and resources. It prepares the audience to connect the feedback to the blogger to facilitate learning.
LOVE your new art form of visual note-taking! This is amazing. I will be using this as part of a session I am doing for faculty as part of post-planning! Your site looks amazing, too.
Hello:
So nice to see a clear case made for the power of blogging. I would also add that it’s something that really needs to be practiced and nurtured to become authentic and a source of learning. I observed a fifth grade class blogging on their American Revolution projects. With guidance, practice and coaching by their outstanding teacher, this class not only wrote deep, detailed entries, but also commented on each others’work in a thoughtful and respectful manner. Just a joy to watch!
Also, small point, but THANK YOU for crossing out “21st century” – that phrase is now 14 years old – one more and it could be classified as an antique! We are talking about MODERN learning!
Nice! It can also a means to viewing and listening skills.
Ms. Tolisano,
Thank you for opening my eyes to the idea of blogging as being pedagogical. Before taking a Micro-computing in Education course, I never considered the use of blogs in the classroom, especially under my speciality (music education). The research I have done in regards to this topic has encouraged me to find ways that I could use this platform with my future students.
Another excellent post Sylvia and just what I needed to contextualize my thinking about the way I have personally approached blogging. I have shared your ideas in a blog post http://socialmedia4us.wordpress.com/2014/10/25/why-you-need-to-consider-blogging-as-a-pedagogy-to-facilitate-learning/
My students blogged and reflected using Google sites. I will for sure be using blogging for reflection this year like you mention; reflection needs to drive improvement and I truly believe in this process. Reflections to the world not just kept within our classroom/parent community is very important. Love how you have shared the strategies and the process of making thinking visible. Thanks for the lead in this authentic learning through blogging.
As someone who took a hiatus from teaching to start a sustainability company , I find your imperative of seeing blogging as core to teaching rather than a “bolt on” solution very similar to discussions about sustainable engineering and design concepts throughout my time in private business. More pertinently, I grew convinced that sustainable considerations in design were so vital that one day the word itself would grow out of fashion. In other words, sound engineering would be by definition sustainable, and the word itself would become redundant. Perhaps blogging will travel the same road in our perception of what authentic teaching is.