Ok now I have read those nine pages about weblogs. The author was Jill Walker, a teacher, and he wrote about learning in public, and one method he has used to his students.
I found interesting in the text that there is so much good results when people write blogs. Writing blogs prepare students for a netlocked world, where communication is social and essential and where writing can have consequenses. When writing in Internet, in a public space, their work can have real value.
After you are graduated nobody is intrested about anything else than your grades. Only few students will do work for the joy, others becouse it was required. This is a challenge for teachers. In the text Jill Walker was thinking; "what if we connect the day to day work of studying to the world outside of the university?"
After Jill Walker had required his students to write blogs, he found some of the students liked it and some did it just because it was mandatory. The majority of the students wrote without expressing any particular enthusiasm or distaste.
According to Walker, blogging is about taking control of your own learning, and expressing your own opinions. It is responding to the world around you and listening the responses you get return.
In the text Walker mentioned about Rebecce Blood, one of the most profilic bloggers, who has said that she noticed two side effects she never expected. She discovered her own interests, even she thought she knew what she was interested in. She began to value much more her own point of view. After using her own ideas and perspectives, she realized they were unique and important. I found that very intresting.
It is also important to have audience. When you blog, you know that others will read what you have written. An author of books on science, Steven Johnson, told about his experiences as a blogger, and they were a lot similar as Blood's; blogging is a good way of practising writing and expressing your opinions.
Students are used to that nobody else sees their writings than teacher. After blogging and realizing other students and whoever could read their text, their writing changed.
These were very intresting points, and I couldn't imagine how much great impacts there could be when blogging. It is very useful tool of teaching and learning. It surprised me that so many of the students went on the blog writing. It is important to learn to express own toughts and opinions and it is good that you can get feedback about your writings. It can surprise that there might actually be some people who are reading what you are writing! :)
