by Ron Samul
People ask me why I use blogs in the classroom. It would seem that people who are familiar with blogs think they are vanity websites for people who like to show off their hobbies and family vacation pictures. But guess what? You are reading a blog right now. I think blogs work in the classroom because they centralize learning for the students. Here is some information about how I've used blogs at Thames Academy and in other learning environments.
Using blogs in a college classroom can help refine the lessons and the overall outcomes of a writing course, but it can also add in value to the students as they labor under the stress of writing. This articles will discuss some of the elements that are important, and how apps and document sharing can make managing courses in writing, humanities, and other content based classes more effective...
Blogs have expanded from simple list sites of things we want to archive and share, to robust websites that include posts, pages, embedded video, links to articles and websites, apps, polling widgets, test and quiz add-on elements and more. As higher education moves into online course offerings they have developed platforms that are often clumsy, hard to access, and dependent on the college experience to gain access to the content they are looking for. If the college network goes down, so does the content of the courses and what they have to offer.
The College Student
Most college students come to class invested into their education via their electronic devices. Asking students to follow a class wiki (a website that allows collaborative editing of its content) or a blog isn't that complicated. All students have access or use a laptop, tablet, or their phone to connect to their work, their college, and their friends. Using the blog every week has allowed me to "flip" my class from content heavy, lecture based presentations, to lab and writing based experiences. Students struggle with the act of writing and being in the room, collaborating, helping them through difficult elements, or even resolving simple technical issues is made simple by being in the room.
Students are expected to have read the content on the blog before coming to class. Breaking those assignments into different elements helps keep them engaged and focused. A typical week might include:
Formalizing your research topic: This might include a worksheet and some of the writing they have produced in class in the previous session. (writing)
Annotated Bibliographies: this includes a video that introduces the students to how and why these citations are important and relevant to what they are doing. It also outlines the assignment they will be doing in class working the format and style. (video)
Difference between Form and Content: This includes reading an article about what form and content means and why it is critical to know the difference between these two elements. (reading comprehension and writing)
Check In / Out: This element allows students to take a survey or quiz that asks them executive functioning type questions. What should you bring to class? How long did it take you to read the article? What feedback do you have for me? Describe how your research paper is coming along. There answer are recorded in a spreadsheet and everyone should report in before class. (interactive assessment)
While this seems straight forward, students prefer this method because the information is there when they need it. Students who come back to the website a few days after class can review each week, find source documents, articles, assignment sheets, deadlines, and even find ways to contact the instructor.
It is important to emphasize that this blog is the center of the course. If you teach once a week, it is even more imperative as it grounds students who might otherwise drift away from main ideas and topics over the course of a week.
In terms of big picture projects, students can work - step-by-step on research papers and projects, find connections to research and library help, and they can also find skill building elements that will help them work smarter. I also have them create social media related to their research papers. A student who writes about Gun Control also has to work with elements of social media concerning this topic. They can use social media, create a blog, make a video, or interact with other elements. Students have gone so far as to make comics and visual representations of their work to add to their collection of digital media.
For instructors:
- Archive weekly overviews
- Offer expanding videos
- Links to articles
- Links to Campus resources
- Offer tutorials on different topics
- Give surveys and quizzes
- Syllabus, assignment, and instructor contact is always available
- Reinforce deadlines and reminders
- Create mini-lectures that you didn't have time for in class
- Show other innovations and projects
- Offer extra credit work
- Include grading rubrics and how the work in the course
Technical Elements: I am a fan of Google and the power of Blogger, Google Documents, and meeting the needs of the students. All the services that I use in the classroom are free. This allows for inclusion without any special software, special services, or add-on fees to the course load. Even students who don't have access to a personal computer can use the resources of campus computing to get to the course content and be successful in the classroom.
Ron Samul teaches Humanities and Writing at Thames Academy and Mitchell College. He writes for a variety of freelance magazines and journals.
Ron Samul teaches Humanities and Writing at Thames Academy and Mitchell College. He writes for a variety of freelance magazines and journals.
