Saturday, September 16, 2006
Exploring the Blogosphere!
This article which I found on the OLT is great. I am yet to finish but I am finding the way things are discussed is interesting. They justity the use of Blogs in class through Vygotsky's theory (1978) which states that meaning is created through social interaction. THis makes sense the students learn through doing. Theylearn the skills of editing through the self editing required when posting in a blog.
I am not sure that I think that the use of blogs in which you link to the source rather than cite will reduce plagerism. I would haope that the idea their thought are online open to use by anyone may encourage studenets to realise that they should respect the work of others.
They do provide meaningful use of language I think one of the most useful things that Blogs provide is the chance for students to post in both their native language and the language that they are studying. They truely are tools of communication that allow students to communicate with family and friends at home while showcasing their linguistic skills to those who read the blog. If they are communicating with language learners who come from differing cultural backgrounds they gain the benifit of language skills and a cultural perspective from a view different to them.
This article also raises the point that if you are going to be using them in class it is important to monitor the Blogs carefully this way you can eliminate any unsavory content that may appear.
The thing that the authors raise as the most important and the point that I agree with is that students control the imput to the website and they can see the product of their work. They can write for real porposes like expreessing their opinion also because the use of Blogs is relatively simple students are able to spend more time on the technicals difficulties of the writing not the problems of using technology.
I am not sure that I think that the use of blogs in which you link to the source rather than cite will reduce plagerism. I would haope that the idea their thought are online open to use by anyone may encourage studenets to realise that they should respect the work of others.
They do provide meaningful use of language I think one of the most useful things that Blogs provide is the chance for students to post in both their native language and the language that they are studying. They truely are tools of communication that allow students to communicate with family and friends at home while showcasing their linguistic skills to those who read the blog. If they are communicating with language learners who come from differing cultural backgrounds they gain the benifit of language skills and a cultural perspective from a view different to them.
This article also raises the point that if you are going to be using them in class it is important to monitor the Blogs carefully this way you can eliminate any unsavory content that may appear.
The thing that the authors raise as the most important and the point that I agree with is that students control the imput to the website and they can see the product of their work. They can write for real porposes like expreessing their opinion also because the use of Blogs is relatively simple students are able to spend more time on the technicals difficulties of the writing not the problems of using technology.
# posted by kylie @ 10:00 am 
