Blogging

     While reading the article by Denise Johnson “Teaching with Authors’ Blogs: Connections, Collaboration, Creativity,” it really changed my mind about bringing blogs to a classroom. I never realized how much blogs put the reader on a personal level with the text and most times the author. The informality of the blog format makes it more relatable to the readers. It was apparent that a lot of authors love to blog. The authors in the article were quoted saying “ Blogging is my favorite kind of writing, it gives me the freedom to be as silly or as serious as I want. Creatively, blogging is a wonderful outlet”. I have to agree with these ladies. Although I am not much of a blogger, the few blogs I have written and or read have always made me feel in touch with the writer.

     I think blogs can make a great impact in the classroom. Our world is constantly changing and new technologies are produced everyday. It is crucial to introduce these new inventions into the classroom to help the students learn how to use them so when they enter the real world they will have the chance to be successful. Blogs can help students to understand the authors works through a different light. By reading authors blogs, students can see where they got their inspiration and relate that information to how they read the book. This brings a deeper connection with the text itself which can lead to a better and easier reading.

     Not only do blogs create a strong connection with the text, author, and overall classroom community, but blogging requires students to use all aspects of the English cirriculum. It requires writing, speaking, listening, and reading. Blogs are also more “in the time” of the students. Instead of reading textbooks which were written decades ago, blogs are up to date and written at the same time the students are interacting with the text.

     I think blogs are can be very successful in the classroom. Not only will the students find it interesting to use the technology, but they will also benefit from what the blogs bring to the cirriculum. I am interested to see how I can incorporate this technology into my own classroom and how the students will take to it. Overall I think blogs will be around for a very long time.