Week 1 Reading

This study talked about the successful implementation of Blogging in an English as a Second Language (ESL) environment .  The stucture for the input from the teachers and expectations of the learners was very clear.  It really helped me to see how I could consider setting up my Cycle 1 Data for my AR project.  The results confirm the need for a substantial amount of groundwork to first be done by the teacher before this tool can be introduced and used in the learning environment. 

Blogging in the Classroom: A Preliminary Exploration of Student Attitudes and Impact on Comprehension.

This study was  about blogging, but specifically in polled students about the authenticity of assignments and the effect that it had on their level of comprehension.  This study was extremely helpful, because the focus of my project is improving student comprehension as it pertains to Language Arts and their ability to respond to what they read.  The part that I Found to be most interesting was that the students reported that having to read and respond to other’s posts really helped them gain a better understanding of the subject matter.  The students also reported that they felt they needed more advance guidance on how to effectively and appropriately respond and comment on their peers entries. 

Group blogs: Documenting collaborative drama processes

Robyn Philip Charles Darwin University

Jennifer Nicholls Macquarie University

This study focused on group blogging, which is when multiple people own a blog and act as administrators on it.  It examines the effectiveness of using the group blog in a drama/theater setting compared to a traditional pencil and paper journal.  I was especially excited to read about how the blog was used as a team building and communication tool, which made the students class time more productive.

Classroom blogging in the service of student-centered pedagogy: Two high school teachers’ use of blogs

April Luehmann (University of Rochester) Robyn MacBride (Greece Arcadia High School)

This study was the study that really made me think that my project could have seriously positive results and a huge impact on education.. One of the most important things that it discussed, in my opinion, is that the effectiveness of a class blog must be measured based on the methods and intentions of the teacher.  Many teachers use blogs in different ways.  In this study, two different teachers’ blogs were studied, both of who used their blogs for different things within their respective curriculum.  It was very promising and encouraging to read about the success and increase in interaction that took place in the classrooms.

The Prose of Blogging (and a Few Cons, Too)

Author(s):

Ramaswami, Rama

Source:

T.H.E. Journal, v35 n11 p21-25 Nov 2008. 5 pp.

This article discusses the research that is currently out there about educational blogging, both the advantages and the disadvantages.  It made me think about how I would like to contribute more to the body of literature concerning this subject.