Right now the Comment Challenge is in full swing! I have to admit that although I haven't been doing the daily challenges, I have tried to be just a little more active by reading, writing, and commenting on blogs. Thank you to everyone who has commented on my blog lately, especially new commenters on my blog, Sue and Ines.
The issue of commenting came up during the SMiELT session earlier this year when the blogging group considered the value of comments. I posted a message to the forum of the group, in response to some questions. I am going to repost my answers below, adding a bit of context to each of them. If you're a member of SMiELT, you can view the entire thread here.
Do you think commenting is an important part of blogging or not?
As a co-moderator of Blogging4Educators, I was busy making comments on participants blogs. I found that this was a really meaningful way to engage in conversations with others. After I started using coComment, I noticed my comments were showing up on blogs via the coComment widgets, and this seemed to be a powerful way to make connections and to discover new blogs. As a result, I posted my opinion to the discussion forum:
Yes, commenting is an important part of blogging! Blogging is all about making connections and continuing conversations. The interaction through commenting makes blogging really fun! Recently, I started using coComment which allows you to save, track, and tag all of the conversations you are commenting on around the web. Displaying a coComment widget with your current comments may be just one of the ways we can encourage commenting.
If you do, what can we as teachers do to encourage commenting?
With one of my classes, we had one blog where students continued interacting with each other outside of class, and we were often visited by people outside of the class. Through online communities of practice, many teachers and students from around the world dropped by our blog and left comments. This really seemed to pique students' interest and to motivate them to use and to visit the blog. Therefore, I thought that one great way to encourage commenting was to invite people outside the class to get involved too, so I wrote these ideas in the SMiELT discussion forum:
I think Gabriela had a good idea when she said that teachers could ask for other teachers and students with more blogging experience to comment on the blog too. As teachers, we can encourage commenting by modeling the types of comments that we expect from students. If students have been reading blogs, then they will have a better idea about commenting too.
Also, commenting is a skill that students need some guidance on. For instance, as part of this SMiELT course, we watched the video about using comments to start conversations, and then we had a task to practice what we learned from it. Another useful resource about commenting is How to Comment Like a King or Queen by Vicki Davis. Just like anything else, we can’t expect that students already know how to do it; we should provide some information to them.
Assignment ideas:
One way to encourage commenting might be to have a mystery guest on the blog, or a guest who could be interviewed via the blog. Then, students can read the post, and add comments and questions. Here is an example of an interview with a wedding cake designer. Of course the comments could have been deeper, and we could have gotten more into the cultural differences, but we all have to start somewhere!
Thanks for reading my reflections on commenting. Even though comments are important, they aren't everything -- they are just one piece of the blogging puzzle. So, what do you think -- are comments important? If so, how can we encourage commenting? Do you have any ideas on encouraging students to comment?
Showing posts with label blogging4educators. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blogging4educators. Show all posts
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Reflections on why I blog ... sometimes
I haven't blogged lately, so when Carla Arena tagged me to answer the question, "What are YOU blogging for?" I thought it would be the perfect chance to create a post for this blog.
For me, I started this blog in the beginning to continue my learning and professional development. At the beginning, I thought learning to blog was just a set of technical skills; however, I quickly realized that blogging isn't just a technology thing, it is people thing, and it is all about learning, reflecting on learning, and connecting with others who are interested in continuing to learn as well. Especially this year, as I co-moderated Blogging4Educators, I found that commenting and sharing our learning was very powerful, indeed! I commented on participants' blogs, and they commented on mine. By working together and finding connections, we discovered the power of synthesizing our reflections through blogging, tagging, and RSS.
That's why after watching this video, I couldn't agree more with the second speaker, who stated,
"Not only did it [blogging] enable me to comment on their [the students'] learning, which they were reflecting on in their blogs, but they were commenting on my learning, and I thought that was really very powerful."
As for this blog, sometimes I blog a lot, and other times I blog little here. Unfortunately, a lot of posts I only think about, but don't carve out the time to actually write. As a teacher, during the last school year, I blogged with students for the first time, and we ended up making some amazing contacts with people from many countries through our class blog. To be honest though, I have blogged most consistently on my personal blog and this has allowed me the opportunity to deepen connections with friends and family, even though we're miles and miles apart. Blogging lessens the distance somehow. We can see and feel each other's thoughts and that's why I blog -- to feel connected -- both personally and professionally to those I care most about and those who I'm just meeting.
I would like to pass the question on to a few bloggers who I hope will share their thoughts about blogging: AnaMaria, Monica, Jen Verschoor, Illya, and Patricia.
For me, I started this blog in the beginning to continue my learning and professional development. At the beginning, I thought learning to blog was just a set of technical skills; however, I quickly realized that blogging isn't just a technology thing, it is people thing, and it is all about learning, reflecting on learning, and connecting with others who are interested in continuing to learn as well. Especially this year, as I co-moderated Blogging4Educators, I found that commenting and sharing our learning was very powerful, indeed! I commented on participants' blogs, and they commented on mine. By working together and finding connections, we discovered the power of synthesizing our reflections through blogging, tagging, and RSS.
That's why after watching this video, I couldn't agree more with the second speaker, who stated,
"Not only did it [blogging] enable me to comment on their [the students'] learning, which they were reflecting on in their blogs, but they were commenting on my learning, and I thought that was really very powerful."
As for this blog, sometimes I blog a lot, and other times I blog little here. Unfortunately, a lot of posts I only think about, but don't carve out the time to actually write. As a teacher, during the last school year, I blogged with students for the first time, and we ended up making some amazing contacts with people from many countries through our class blog. To be honest though, I have blogged most consistently on my personal blog and this has allowed me the opportunity to deepen connections with friends and family, even though we're miles and miles apart. Blogging lessens the distance somehow. We can see and feel each other's thoughts and that's why I blog -- to feel connected -- both personally and professionally to those I care most about and those who I'm just meeting.
I would like to pass the question on to a few bloggers who I hope will share their thoughts about blogging: AnaMaria, Monica, Jen Verschoor, Illya, and Patricia.
Monday, February 04, 2008
Inspirations and Musings
We've just finished Week Three at Blogging4Educators about RSS and Tagging. What an amazing week learning about how to aggregate feeds, and I finally got Google Reader set up. Then, the sharing continued as we wrote and tagged posts for the Blogging4Educators challenge. I have learned so much this week not only about technology, but also about the people behind the blogs! What struck me most as I read each post this week was the passion for teaching and learning that comes through in each and every blog.
Through the power of RSS and tagging, I found inspirational blog posts:
"RSS Reminds me of how the Brain Works" by Sibel on Unfolding the Black Box. Sibel's great post so clearly explains the concept of RSS, and likens it to the brain. Carla A shared Sibel's post with the group in our Wiziq session tonight. You've got to read it!
"Thank you, Carla" was posted on Natasa's blog. The feeling she describes of realizing her dream of writing was so inspiring. I'll never forget the feeling of "becoming a loud voice in the blogosphere" -- Thanks, Gladys!!
"Tell us your story" was posted on Teacher's Beliefs by Angela. She asked participants in Blogging4Educators to share their stories of how they became teachers. Really inspiring!
And here are three creative and inspiring blogs:
Waterblog A beautiful art blog by Vicky.
Inspirations A tribute to inspirational people by Dennis O.
Life is a Feast Ana Maria's creative use of images and widgets always inspires!
There were many wonderful blog posts this week as part of the Blogging4Educators challenge. My list includes the ones that inspired me this week, and reminded me why I am staying up until past midnight every night to read, reflect, and comment on blogs!! Comments really do make a difference, so stop by our Pageflakes for all the links to the moderators' participants' blogs, and see what they have to say as they venture into the blogging world.
Good night!
Through the power of RSS and tagging, I found inspirational blog posts:
"RSS Reminds me of how the Brain Works" by Sibel on Unfolding the Black Box. Sibel's great post so clearly explains the concept of RSS, and likens it to the brain. Carla A shared Sibel's post with the group in our Wiziq session tonight. You've got to read it!
"Thank you, Carla" was posted on Natasa's blog. The feeling she describes of realizing her dream of writing was so inspiring. I'll never forget the feeling of "becoming a loud voice in the blogosphere" -- Thanks, Gladys!!
"Tell us your story" was posted on Teacher's Beliefs by Angela. She asked participants in Blogging4Educators to share their stories of how they became teachers. Really inspiring!
And here are three creative and inspiring blogs:
Waterblog A beautiful art blog by Vicky.
Inspirations A tribute to inspirational people by Dennis O.
Life is a Feast Ana Maria's creative use of images and widgets always inspires!
There were many wonderful blog posts this week as part of the Blogging4Educators challenge. My list includes the ones that inspired me this week, and reminded me why I am staying up until past midnight every night to read, reflect, and comment on blogs!! Comments really do make a difference, so stop by our Pageflakes for all the links to the moderators' participants' blogs, and see what they have to say as they venture into the blogging world.
Good night!
Friday, February 01, 2008
Blogging4Educators Challenge!
Five things you might not know about me ... (Part of the Blogging 4 Educators challenge!)
1. I came to Japan for the first time about 5 or 6 years ago. I attended the Lions Club International convention in Osaka, and stayed in Japan only for one week. At that time, I was studying for my M.A. TESL, and knew that Japan was the place: interesting culture, people, language, food, and all! I took this picture at a temple in the city I now call home.
2. I grew up on a farm in Ohio. One of my favorite things is to eat Buckeyes; no, of course not the poisonous nut from the state tree, but the delicious dessert made of peanut butter and chocolate! (Like Carla R., I'm a chocoholic!) You can hear me talk about it on my chinswing thread, "What is your favorite sweet and what does it reflect about you?"
3. I have a B.A. in French and wrote my senior seminar paper on Albert Camus' The Fall. I studied for a summer semester in Trois-Rivieres, Quebec and for a summer semester in Nice, France.
4. I'm not good at swimming, and don't like beach vacations or being on boats.
5. I love to read! My favorite authors include Margaret Atwood, JoAnne Harris, and Albert Camus. I have just started to read The Golden Notebook by Doris Lessing, and I have started a list of books that I want to read. If you have any suggestions of good books to read, please leave them for me in the comments!
Looking forward to checking Technorati to see what co-mods and participants will write as part of this challenge!
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Why is RSS important for the classroom?
In Blogging4Educators week three, we are discussing RSS and tagging. So far, a lot of the reflections on the use of RSS have focused on using a feed reader to keep current on updates to students' blogs.
After reading "The Technology of Reading and Writing in a Digital Space: Why RSS is Crucial for a Blogging Classroom" by David Parry, I realized that using RSS in the above-mentioned way allows students to become better writers. According to Parry, when students know their work is being read by not only the teacher, but also their classmates, and when they understand that their writing is linked and connected to other articles online, a new form of "authorship" emerges. I think that when student bloggers realize that others are subscribed to their blog feeds, then they have an audience in mind when they're writing; in turn, the student bloggers realize the responsibility they have for providing links and accurate information for those readers.
However, one concept about RSS that I found even more interesting was the section of Parry's article called "Why it [RSS] Matters for Student Writing". I found myself identifying with the following quote:
How many times have teachers assigned research projects on topics which there are plenty of print and online sources, only to hear that students are having trouble locating sources? It isn't that a lack of sources on the topic exist, but it just may be that students become overwhelmed by the volume of information available to them online, and cannot identify the most important or relevant online sources. Parry explains how RSS can come to the rescue, and help students to develop their reading skills.
Parry's practical suggestion would be a great way to teach students how to identify the related online resources, to subscribe to their RSS feeds, and to evaluate the selected articles for relevance to their research. In this way, I can see how RSS could be useful for the blogging classroom, and the non-blogging classroom as well!
After reading "The Technology of Reading and Writing in a Digital Space: Why RSS is Crucial for a Blogging Classroom" by David Parry, I realized that using RSS in the above-mentioned way allows students to become better writers. According to Parry, when students know their work is being read by not only the teacher, but also their classmates, and when they understand that their writing is linked and connected to other articles online, a new form of "authorship" emerges. I think that when student bloggers realize that others are subscribed to their blog feeds, then they have an audience in mind when they're writing; in turn, the student bloggers realize the responsibility they have for providing links and accurate information for those readers.
However, one concept about RSS that I found even more interesting was the section of Parry's article called "Why it [RSS] Matters for Student Writing". I found myself identifying with the following quote:
The amount of information on the web is overwhelming to say the least. I could spend the rest of my life reading Wikipedia and would probably never finish. While this is also true of a large library (say here at the University at Albany) as well, the tools one uses to navigate the library, a static electronic database easily searchable by author, title, or book, is clearly inadequate for the web.
How many times have teachers assigned research projects on topics which there are plenty of print and online sources, only to hear that students are having trouble locating sources? It isn't that a lack of sources on the topic exist, but it just may be that students become overwhelmed by the volume of information available to them online, and cannot identify the most important or relevant online sources. Parry explains how RSS can come to the rescue, and help students to develop their reading skills.
For example, if you were teaching a class on the Holocaust you could require that students subscribe to feeds that related to the recent trials of Holocaust deniers in Germany, and to the situation in Darfur. In this way students would get regular updates and could read the most relevant content without getting lost in a quagmire of information.
Parry's practical suggestion would be a great way to teach students how to identify the related online resources, to subscribe to their RSS feeds, and to evaluate the selected articles for relevance to their research. In this way, I can see how RSS could be useful for the blogging classroom, and the non-blogging classroom as well!
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Reader, Writer and Read-Write Web
During Week Two of Blogging4Educators, participants are working on choosing a bloghost, Blogger or Edublogs, and getting their new blogs started. It is really interesting to see blogging from a fresh perspective; even though some members feel anxious about their lack of experience blogging, I think it is really interesting to see blogging from a different perspective.
One topic of discussion this week really caught my attention, and that is what kinds of topics to write about on one's blog. The title of our session is Blogging4Educators, so many participants create a blog that has something to do with education. However, there are numerous topics to blog about, including art, sports, culture, travel, family, and other hobbies. What is the important consideration when choosing a topic for a new blog?
In my opinion, blogs should be about topics that interest the blogger. No, not just something interesting to the blogger, but something the blogger is passionate about! For if a blogger blogs about a topic because he or she is "supposed to" the posts will perhaps not reflect the authentic, true voice of the blogger. I have seen this phenomenon in many cases in the classroom. A student writes a paper something like, Well-I have to write a paper about that tells my opinion about ...fill in the blank...
In the same way, when beginning a blog, bloggers should carefully consider what topics are going to inspire them to write, and in turn if that topic and the writer's passion for it will inspire others to read. Writing is two-way communication, yes, but the writer has to have something to say if others are going to be motivated to read and listen. Teachers HAVE to read students' assignments, but other audience's can give up reading and move on to something else that interests them more. Therefore, both the writer and the readers' need to be taken into consideration.
For example, a friend of mine created a blog to practice her Japanese writing. She was really dedicated to improving her language skills and passing the next level of the Japanese Language Proficiency Exam. After she started writing, she invited her Japanese-speaking students to her blog, and they left her comments and gave her feedback on her use of certain Kanji. Although at first the blog may have seemed like it was going to be a blogger writing for herself and her own practice (similar to keeping a journal in another language), in fact, it is read by her students, and perhaps by other language learners too.
There are so many different reasons for writing a blog, so many purposes, and just about every topic has an audience. My advice for new bloggers is to write about what you're passionate about, and the readers and conversations will start to flow! In my case, this blog reflects my deep interest in online professional development and communities of practice. I began it as a place to reflect on these experiences, and I have been so thankful for the comments and conversations that have started here.
How did you choose the topic for your blog? How did the topic, audience, and/or purpose evolve over time?
One topic of discussion this week really caught my attention, and that is what kinds of topics to write about on one's blog. The title of our session is Blogging4Educators, so many participants create a blog that has something to do with education. However, there are numerous topics to blog about, including art, sports, culture, travel, family, and other hobbies. What is the important consideration when choosing a topic for a new blog?
In my opinion, blogs should be about topics that interest the blogger. No, not just something interesting to the blogger, but something the blogger is passionate about! For if a blogger blogs about a topic because he or she is "supposed to" the posts will perhaps not reflect the authentic, true voice of the blogger. I have seen this phenomenon in many cases in the classroom. A student writes a paper something like, Well-I have to write a paper about that tells my opinion about ...fill in the blank...
In the same way, when beginning a blog, bloggers should carefully consider what topics are going to inspire them to write, and in turn if that topic and the writer's passion for it will inspire others to read. Writing is two-way communication, yes, but the writer has to have something to say if others are going to be motivated to read and listen. Teachers HAVE to read students' assignments, but other audience's can give up reading and move on to something else that interests them more. Therefore, both the writer and the readers' need to be taken into consideration.
For example, a friend of mine created a blog to practice her Japanese writing. She was really dedicated to improving her language skills and passing the next level of the Japanese Language Proficiency Exam. After she started writing, she invited her Japanese-speaking students to her blog, and they left her comments and gave her feedback on her use of certain Kanji. Although at first the blog may have seemed like it was going to be a blogger writing for herself and her own practice (similar to keeping a journal in another language), in fact, it is read by her students, and perhaps by other language learners too.
There are so many different reasons for writing a blog, so many purposes, and just about every topic has an audience. My advice for new bloggers is to write about what you're passionate about, and the readers and conversations will start to flow! In my case, this blog reflects my deep interest in online professional development and communities of practice. I began it as a place to reflect on these experiences, and I have been so thankful for the comments and conversations that have started here.
How did you choose the topic for your blog? How did the topic, audience, and/or purpose evolve over time?
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Blogging4Educators: Reflections on Week One
This month, the blogs created during last year's Blogging for Beginners EVO workshop turn one-year-old! After reading a Happy Birthday message to the blogs from Monika, I was really happy to think about all the blogging we've done over the past year! Now that Blogging4Educators is in full-swing, I'm just thinking how many more blogs we'll be able to fete next year at this time.
Before the Blogging4Educators session started, Ana Maria and I were working on creating the Blogging for Educators on Blogger. I was really looking forward to the interaction that would occur there, and did it ever! At the end of week one, there were 37 comments on the post asking participants to share their personal reflections on blogging, and to my surprise, 58 comments from participants explaining the differences between blogs, wikis, and web sites in their own words! Another great thing about hosting these discussions on the blog is there is no need to thread these discussions on the wiki; all the replies can easily be accessed via the blog!
I have learned so many things already through the interaction that is happening in the group. The highlight of Week One for me was attending a live session at Wiziq. Carla A gave a concise and informative presentation on the various tools we are using for the session and their purposes. Then, almost everyone had a chance to speak, although we noticed the moderator has to keep tight control of the mic; if participants in a Wiziq session forget to mute their mics when they're not speaking, there can be a lot of noise. Finally, we all started collaborating on the whiteboard: drawing, writing, and sharing pictures. The possibilities for connecting are just amazing! The live sessions are always my favorite parts of the EVO sessions; to be with people from so many countries is always thrilling.
The Blogging Team worked for 6 months to create this year's session; however, we could never have imagined what the session would become once it got into full swing! Every morning when I check my e-mail, Twitter, RSS feeds, and so on, I am in awe of all the activity. The coming weeks will certainly be a fascinating journey for all of us. Off to bed now... Bee's presentation will start at 6 a.m. tomorrow morning for me! Blog post to follow.
Before the Blogging4Educators session started, Ana Maria and I were working on creating the Blogging for Educators on Blogger. I was really looking forward to the interaction that would occur there, and did it ever! At the end of week one, there were 37 comments on the post asking participants to share their personal reflections on blogging, and to my surprise, 58 comments from participants explaining the differences between blogs, wikis, and web sites in their own words! Another great thing about hosting these discussions on the blog is there is no need to thread these discussions on the wiki; all the replies can easily be accessed via the blog!
I have learned so many things already through the interaction that is happening in the group. The highlight of Week One for me was attending a live session at Wiziq. Carla A gave a concise and informative presentation on the various tools we are using for the session and their purposes. Then, almost everyone had a chance to speak, although we noticed the moderator has to keep tight control of the mic; if participants in a Wiziq session forget to mute their mics when they're not speaking, there can be a lot of noise. Finally, we all started collaborating on the whiteboard: drawing, writing, and sharing pictures. The possibilities for connecting are just amazing! The live sessions are always my favorite parts of the EVO sessions; to be with people from so many countries is always thrilling.
The Blogging Team worked for 6 months to create this year's session; however, we could never have imagined what the session would become once it got into full swing! Every morning when I check my e-mail, Twitter, RSS feeds, and so on, I am in awe of all the activity. The coming weeks will certainly be a fascinating journey for all of us. Off to bed now... Bee's presentation will start at 6 a.m. tomorrow morning for me! Blog post to follow.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Blogging4Educators 2008 EVO Session
It isn't that long until the kick-off event for TESOL's EVO 2008! This year, I am going to co-moderate the session Blogging4Educators with a fabulous group of bloggers: Carla A, Gladys, Erika, Ana Maria, Nina, Carla R, Claudia, Cris, Vance, and Dennis. It is so exciting to share and learn with them. Even though I have never met them face-to-face, we have been working together on a regular basis over the past six months preparing for the session. Their messages greet me every morning, and because we are all in different time zones, it seems like at least one of us is always working on the session!
We are going to explore both Blogger and Wordpress. Since I have been blogging with Blogger, Ana Maria and I have been working on our Blogging4Educators Blogger blog. It is always exciting to create a new blog, knowing that it will soon become a collaborative space for sharing personal reflections and experiences. Carla A and Carla R have been busy creating Blogging4Educators edublog. We are all eagerly awaiting the official start date of the session - January 14.
The next six weeks promise to be exciting, enriching, and undoubtedly exhausting as well. After EVO finishes, some of us will gather at TESOL's Annual Convention in New York, New York! In fact, Carla A and I will give a presentation for the Electronic Village Fair about our Blogging4Educators session.
Hope you will join us online or in New York. Here is an introduction to our session:
This six-week EVO2008 workshop (Jan 14th to Feb 24th, 2008) aims at introducing teachers with no extensive experience in blogging to different ways in which this technique can be integrated into their teaching and professional development.
By the end of the workshop, you will have experimented with creating and enhancing blogs, posting and editing entries, inviting members to your blogs and commenting on others' blogs - using either Blogger or Wordpress platforms. You will also have explored blog comment management, template personalization, tagging (labeling) and RSS (really simple syndication).
You can join us, and follow the session by visiting our Yahoo! Group.
We are going to explore both Blogger and Wordpress. Since I have been blogging with Blogger, Ana Maria and I have been working on our Blogging4Educators Blogger blog. It is always exciting to create a new blog, knowing that it will soon become a collaborative space for sharing personal reflections and experiences. Carla A and Carla R have been busy creating Blogging4Educators edublog. We are all eagerly awaiting the official start date of the session - January 14.
The next six weeks promise to be exciting, enriching, and undoubtedly exhausting as well. After EVO finishes, some of us will gather at TESOL's Annual Convention in New York, New York! In fact, Carla A and I will give a presentation for the Electronic Village Fair about our Blogging4Educators session.
Hope you will join us online or in New York. Here is an introduction to our session:
This six-week EVO2008 workshop (Jan 14th to Feb 24th, 2008) aims at introducing teachers with no extensive experience in blogging to different ways in which this technique can be integrated into their teaching and professional development.
By the end of the workshop, you will have experimented with creating and enhancing blogs, posting and editing entries, inviting members to your blogs and commenting on others' blogs - using either Blogger or Wordpress platforms. You will also have explored blog comment management, template personalization, tagging (labeling) and RSS (really simple syndication).
You can join us, and follow the session by visiting our Yahoo! Group.
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