Blogging for Literacy

In the 21st century Literacy has taken on a new look!  Gone are the days when kids could only gain reading and writing experience solely from print.  Instead students can now become "netizens" and explore cyberspace and take control of their own learning.

What is blogging?

Blog is short for "weblog" and includes all varieties of personal creations of people that are not usually backed by sponsors or other kinds of public foundations.  They are a space that people can put their ideas out in the world without needing to go through a publishing process.  This can be beneficial and detrimental. The blogs if written by a dedicated blogger who takes pride in writing quality information can continue the movement of the "information reformation."  But because they do not have to go through and editor or publisher can produce a low quality blog, which represents a large portion of the blogs out there.  

• Short for weblog
• So many varieties
• Personal creations
• Can be good or bad depending on the dedication of the blogger both in stamina of blogging and in creating quality information. 

Could you use a blog in the classroom?

YES!!! In fact many trail blazing English teachers are already employing blogs in the classroom. First lets think about secondary students in a class discussion....

What a wonderful dream classroom it would be if we could transfer our literature class discussions to our 7th grade English class, and have the same kind of insight or at least willingness to share ideas.  But honestly these kids have inhibitions and most of them have probably not participated in a discussion about literature in their lives.  BUT that doesn't mean they won't.....

Enter blogs

"When teachers and parents encourage students or children to blog they are furthering young writer's opportunites to tell their stories, to give voice to a full range of their emotions..." (Penrod, 17) 

Some quick things that blogs offer:

1.  There is immediate feedback
2. A balance between challenge and skill
3. There is a focused concentration on topic
4. There are limited distractions
5. There is less fear of failure
6. there is little or no self consciousness
7. There is time distortion (Like what the Flow concept)
8. There is an increase in autotelic behavior.  

WHAT? What is an autotelic experience?  Well folks its this; an autotelic experience is "Having a purpose in and not apart from itself. "  That means the experience or the creation of a piece creates it own purpose, it own meaning to the person.  "When bloggers enjoy the act of blogging, the activity becomes an end to itself... if they find themselves in the zone, they write without having a particular goal in mind other than finding enjoyment in the moment." (Penrod, 9) THAT'S DEEP STUFF!