Hello class!
I personally believe that blogging is worth the risk. After reading the article this week, I found myself aligning with James Maxlow. In particular, his statement that, "We may not be responsible for how others react to our
words, but effective communicators anticipate reactions" really resonated with me.
Bloggers have to be aware of the power that words can have; bloggers need to anticipate reactions and be prepared for them. Teachers with blogs need to be certain that their
student's privacy is protected, that they take care to have pseudonyms for
students or have some system so that parents/students are safe. Part of teaching writing to students includes teaching the responsibility author's have to their writings. Lisa Nielson did not seem as if she had properly anticipated the response of her blog. Furthermore, if she was treated as rudely as she makes it seem, perhaps she should have fought back and stood up for her blog.
Technology is finding a really hard time being accepted in the classroom, which I think Lisa Nielson showed in her writing. However, just because it's challenging does not mean that it shouldn't be integrated into schools. New things often create discontent and administrators might have a hard time adjusting. But, technology needs to be shown responsibly. Teachers that blog can show such responsibility to their students, and students can absorb and use that knowledge in their written work. Blogs and online writings are the things that students will need to know how to write, think critically about, and show caution with; the best teachers to teach this will be the ones that actually participate in that sphere of writing.
I ultimately think that blogging is worth the risk, especially if bloggers think critically about their words.
-Lily
Hello Lily,
ReplyDeleteWhen I read your response I was in agreement with you. The statement you made regarding bloggers having to be aware of the power that words can have is very important. That is not just with bloggers, people in general, need to realize the power of words. If students can learn effective communicating through blogs then this is a stepping stone for their future writing experiences.
Thank you for your outlook,
Conni~
Dear Lily,
DeleteI do wholeheartedly agree with your statement that people should have a blog as long as they think critically of everything that they write. It is always best to be cautious when starting out something new. However, I do disagree about your comments regarding Lisa Nielsen.
I have seen so many examples throughout history which prove that a negative backlash can be quite severe especially in response to drastic new changes. Heated opposition is a very difficult wave to stand alone against. Increased use of technology in the classroom is not a grand noble cause which one would be happy to die for, or, realistically speaking, to lose one's job over. It is such real world considerations, such as student loans and financially supporting one's family, that need to come first before introducing technology in the class room. I personally believe that gradual shifts in increasing technology in school should be used in order to minimize offending sensitive people and to secure the greatest possibility of success. I believe it is this way that we can reach and change more people.
Sincerely,
Ariel Diaz-Nanasca