January “Think-About”

In one of my recent presentations, I asked the questions:

What is so appealing about blogging? Why would a person WANT to blog? What brings readers back to a blog? What would possess a person to post a comment to a blog?

An audience member immediately shouted out, “Because they need to get a life!” But if you are at all familiar with blogging, you know that’s not always true. For every one blogger who never leaves the comfort of his/her ‘cyber lifestyle,’ there are hundreds of bloggers who live very active and productive lives.

So, let’s think about this: what is the draw to blogging? Authentic experiences? A sense of community? Great storytelling?

And the bigger question is: how do we tap into this appeal as educators? Students blogging about assignments, for assignments, etc. are great ideas, but what else is there?

One thought on “January “Think-About”

  1. As someone who already blogs, I’ve been planning on using blogging as a tool in the classroom. One way I think would be obvious is as a way for the teacher to go over what was covered in class that day, reflect upon it, and then ask for students’ input. Some kids may be more apt to post a comment on a blog, rather than comment in class. I’ve read too about the idea of a class reading blogs from other classes, in other cities/states & vice versa, as a learning tool. It would be a great way for students to get firsthand knowledge of life in other places.

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