Sunday, November 18, 2012

Blogging to Enhance Understanding




From a social constructivist point of view, learning is  the development that results from social interaction that affords learners increased access to roles in expert performances.  Following this theory, teachers should have the goal of designing learning experiences that support learners' development of skills and concepts that they could not previously acquire on their own.  This approach suggests that teachers must consider Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development (ZPDs) when designing a learning environment.  To simplify, if teachers want students to learn and interact with others in order to master skills and acquire new knowledge, then social networks, such as blogs or wikis, must be established.

As Anne Bartlett-Brigg notes, before implementing these social networks, teachers must consider the following assumptions that learners:

  • want to communicate and collaborate with others 
  • enjoy sharing their ideas with like-minded people
  • will openly share their experiences
  • look for recommendations and feedback from trusted resources
  • will create their own contextual knowledge by self-publishing
If you are planning for a congregated setting of gifted learners, then you should be able to assume that most of the above are true.  If they are not, then this is something to strive for.  And if you are new to blogging, then I recommend that you read these 20 considerations before establishing class blogs.  And if you are wondering what to use for class blogs, there seems to be more options everyday.  In the past I have used:
Many blog options are similar, you just need to pick one that will work best for your students.

Before I began blogging with the students, I gave the a brief survey about their blogging experience and it revealed that I have a mix of comfort-levels and experiences in my class (from students who have never blogged to those that keep a blog of their own).  However, this did not intimidate the novices, and they performed at a similar rate to those who are "avid bloggers."  The wonderful observation that my intern and I made throughout the blogging experience (from late September to November) is that almost all students experienced growth through their blogging experience (see graphs above for more).

Aside from gathering data through the actual blog, I gave my students a reflection to see how they see themselves progressing.  Not only does this help me assess their progress, it also assists the students in their reflecting practices and become autonomous learners.  And the best part?  Nearly all students experienced growth not only in the mechanics of their writing (spelling, grammar, etc.), but they also in their content and questioning skills (which was the primary objective of this activity).

My recommendation: If you are not already blogging with your students, start now!  This is a part of our reality, and this practice will help them to learn in an authentic audience, collaborate with others, find information, and apply these skills to future situations and problems.

Create!