What?! My last post was on the 25th of February? How did that happen? I was supposed to be a good role model and try to write at least once a week. I see what you all mean-- life can get busy and writing becomes difficult. But I am going to choose to carve out the next 20-30 minutes and crank out a post. Here we go. Hang on.
You are my inspiration. Reading through my feedly, I am so impressed by the quantity and quality of the posts some of you have been writing. (I may not comment, but I am reading every post.) Despite all your busy lives, some of you have chosen to flex your writing muscles, open up your hearts, take a big risk and blog!
Reading your posts reminds me that we all want to be heard and understood and listened to. I am still convinced that having a space to write and share our ideas, thoughts and feelings is a great way to work our out issues, while also connecting to others. These connections help us understand that we are not alone and many people go through the same things we do.
It may appear that you have little to say or that no one will care, but people do. You matter and so does what you have to say. So anyway.....I have decided to round up a few blogs as examples of what it looks like when you are write consistently and build up your stamina.
The following people are bloggers because they choose to make time in their days to hone their craft and attempt to reach an audience they are not sure exists. This reaching out takes guts and practice so Good On Ya!
Power Bloggers (These people have taken on blogging challenges and/or are writing two or three times a week.They have also begun to comment on each others blogs)
Florence
Seika
Urja
Trisha
Meher
Angelia
Vaasanthi
Sunny
Getting Started (These people have a few posts and are getting their feet wet. Great start. They need our attention and some support!)
Nishta
Devang
Dylan
Alexander
Dhruvi
Karen
Jo Yie
Suk Woo
Not a bad list, but where are the grade 8s? While we haven't spent as much time promoting the blogs in grade eight, there are few die hard writers out there who are writing with some consistency.
Ruth
Aroni
Sumant
Varsha
Come on grade 8s! Let's see some more writing on your blogs.
If you are interested in writing, sharing, blogging and audience than come join the power bloggers. Take the first step and just start writing. If you are stuck and need some ideas take a look at and subscribe to some of the blogs from above. They are sure to inspire you, as they inspire me.
Showing posts with label blogging. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blogging. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Saturday, February 23, 2013
The Dream
We have been thinking. A lot. We have been thinking a lot, Ms. G and I. We have been thinking and reflecting and listening to you and each other. Some of you have started to ask Why? Why blog? Why share? Why all this? I cannot imagine saying it any better at this time than Ms. G. She has written this stunning, honest and insightful post about our dream for you. Take a read. Have a think. Curious what you have to say.
We have a dream for you, which is also something we wish for ourselves. Something we too are working toward as learners. But still, we want it for you. And we are here to help. Model. Push. Listen. Reassure. Learn. Inspire. Wait. And wait patiently.
It's a dream that involves the long view. One that looks at fear in the face today. Not to fight it or deny it. Not to be ruled or be defined by it. Instead, acknowledge its existence and use it to make smart and creative decisions from the parts that make fear healthy. In fact, the dream involves a decision and work toward unlearning the default position of fearing the unknown. To expect it (the fear), deal with it, use it to our advantage. Not be paralyzed by it. In the long view, you/we still take risks and go out on a limb even if you/we are afraid. Because past the fear are epiphanies, redemption, growth, expression, thinking, new learning and perhaps, deeper understanding. Beyond the fear is a chance to get to know the unknown in an intimate, non-threatening, healthy way.
Just like the world wide web.
Yup. The Internet can appear like an intimidating, public black hole of judgment. And it can be mind numbing and scary. But it doesn't have to be that way. I mean, we do need to be careful while we traverse its virtual halls. We need to think about what we say, do and write when we represent ourselves online. We need to have a civilized way of being. We need to know how to create, build, share, love, collaborate and connect and be ourselves as best we can, in the best way we know how. Which is not so different from how we need to work on that in our physical spaces and material lives. Think UWCSEA profile, right? To be the best people we can be on and off line. It's all part of digital citizenship.
All of it is real.
But to NOT engage with the conversations, ideas, connect with others' and see how their thoughts help yours and vice versa, not to be part of this sharing culture because it's scary...well, now, that's scary.
Like I said, we have a dream and visually, through this info-graphic, the dream (long view) looks like this...
the dream
Which brings me to a point...the blogging. :) I know I have been quiet about it for awhile. And I did that on purpose. I wanted you to know how serious I was about letting you take it where you will. That even if I love assigning things for class on it, that it was YOUR space. A space you could define, design and furnish as your possible online home that goes beyond English class. That the stuff we assign there from time to time was just a small part of it.
I know, it's been a complicated process. The creation of the spaces, the encouraging, the building, the things we posted as teachers, to the silence, to the intensity, to the lulls, to the waiting, to the figuring it out. After much reflection, Mr. R and I re-realized that it's really about this dream and not really about the blogging. To us, as your teachers, it is the creation of opportunities for you guys to be part of an education that's active, relevant, real world, effective, hands-on, networked, innovative, personal and transformative. That's it. That's what the blogs are for, in a nutshell, in the big picture, in the final analysis.
Anyway, I noticed (with my classes) and you can also read this post by Mr. R to see what his kids think about writing/sharing for and to a wider audience, that many of you have embraced the space; invested in it like precious real estate, claiming it as a permanent address. I've seen it as your primary go-to url on your Gmail, Instagram and Twitter accounts. I see that you use it because it's a space you are comfortable in. Others are using it as a summer home, occasionally spending time to express this or that when inspiration hits.
Then taking weeks off at a time to do other things like log your reading (just kidding; but not really) or focusing on schoolwork that needs your undivided attention because those tasks are marked and assessed, unlike the blogs. Then there's the bunch of you who want to write or share but don't know where to start or maybe need more structure or prompting from us (nothing wrong with that), some who want to write but don't have time, some who have a gazillion drafts of interesting posts but are too scared to 'put it out there' because of the dark voices in your head that tell you they are not good enough (um, please cast those thoughts away). And then some who will use it and only use it when things are assigned, some who use it to improve writing, refine thinking, share thoughts you weren't able to at the table, some who thought it was supposed to be a certain way (like a space purely for bearing your heart and soul and things that make you vulnerable - um, where did that come from?), some who just want to read others' stuff but are not ready to write, some who hate it, and finally, some who are still figuring it out what it's for.So what do you think? Can you see a clearer picture? Does that graphic make sense? If so how? What questions do you have? Are you more confused? Where do we go next? Get in here people, we are on a journey. We need each other. We need you........
And really, all of that is fine.
Wherever you are in this blogging business/connected learning spectrum, we honor it. Respect it. See it.
We hear you.
We understand that these spaces of trust take time. That the dream, needs to have a long view. That it has to have a lot of people who support it. An authentic community that believes in and won't give up on it. An acceptance that it's a complicated process of pushing and pulling and leaving things alone sometimes. That we are all at different spots and stages in the journey toward connected learning. And whatever spot is an okay spot to be in.
I hope you hear us and believe us too.
So, after all that 'research' and reflecting and reassessing and thinking and talking about it all with Mr. R, we thought it was important to keep on keeping on. To softly encourage some, to leave some people alone, to build trust, to create some structure for others, to read and comment consistently on those blogs that are already permanent homes and well, to continue to provide opportunities for the dream to come true for everyone and in different ways. That's what we can do.
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Blogging Beyond Class
Are you a regular blogger who enjoys reading and writing posts, but feel that you are limited because there are only three or four people in your class who actively blog? Do you wish you knew who the other bloggers are? The ones in other classes? Well then wait no more!
You can now join a larger community of bloggers, by subscribing to Blogging Beyond Class (my classes) bundle or Blogging Begets Blogging. ( Ms. G's classes) Simply click on subscribe and your RSS feed will be full of post from students who take blogging as seriously as you do! I will add a link to the bloggers from Ms. G's class soon.
You do not have to be a blogger yourself to subscribe. Maybe you just want to see what people are sharing.
Wondering how you can be added to the list? Simple:
You can now join a larger community of bloggers, by subscribing to Blogging Beyond Class (my classes) bundle or Blogging Begets Blogging. ( Ms. G's classes) Simply click on subscribe and your RSS feed will be full of post from students who take blogging as seriously as you do! I will add a link to the bloggers from Ms. G's class soon.
You do not have to be a blogger yourself to subscribe. Maybe you just want to see what people are sharing.
Wondering how you can be added to the list? Simple:
Start blogging! Read, write, comment, share, connect!
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
What Do We Think About Blogging?
The great blog debate continues. As it should, between parents, teachers and students, all trying to figure out why we do it? Should we do it? What are the benefits? What are the issues? Should it be graded? Should it be public? and more and more....so many great questions.
As we process the pros and the cons, I wanted to share with you, some of your thoughts. Before the break I posed a statement:
While I would love to share all of the responses, we simply do not have the time or the space to do that. I have chosen to instead to copy and paste direct lines from your posts. They seemed to fall under some clear categories. Maybe we can get a clearer idea of what we value and what we fear.
For the sake of brevity, I have edited out a few words here and there, so the quotes are not verbatim, but I was careful not to change the meaning of your quotes. I have added direct links to the original post for closer reading and continued conversations
Writing:
By posting work on blogs, students can receive feedback and comments in real time not only from teachers, but also from their peers which benefits both the writer and the commenter, as the writer would be able to improve their writing, and the commenter would be able to take examples from their peers and improve their writing as well. Maurius
The more you write the better it will get. It also helps the readers improve their reading and hopefully have a better understanding of who you are. Joshua
Blogging helps students practice writing in a more pressure-free zone rather than having to submit a hundred essays on random topics. It also gives us the opportunity to read what our class-mates or peers have going on in their minds, especially if they don't talk much.
The freedom to express ourselves is important; providing a medium and nurturing the usage of that medium improves our skills as writers and removes some of our inhibitions of writing. Liam K.
It helps our writing improve if we are consistent. A blog is your space for your thoughts. It becomes a new way of communication. Its helps you open up. Ananya
Blogging is a very useful way to connect with others online as well as improve your own writing by either practicing on your blog or looking at the different writing styles of others. Ellen
Blogging is writing, and writing is good. Receiving judgement is a given no matter where we post our blog posts, school blog or personal, but I believe these judgements can make a good impact on our skills. Antara
Blogging is a fun way to write. It can be used for educational purposes and it also helps the student to think when they are writing "who is my audience." Sometimes having students writing on a blog will increase a students motivation to write. India
Blogging can deepen our writing skills as we are writing a small or big amount each day. By blogging something each day and also reading other peoples blog we can find out many things about others. Laura
Blogging is good because it allows students to practice writing with 'their own voice'; they can write in any style or form we wish. It gives us a freedom that we usually do not experience within the classroom, and the best part is that teachers are not the only ones who read them, they are no longer the only ones who can judge you. Maud
People must be able to articulate thoughts clearly and effectively so that people understand the message. When writing university exams, having knowledge about a subject is not enough; people must be able to articulate their thoughts clearly onto paper/online. Pranav
One skill that can be improved through blogging is the structuring of one's own words. Since writing on a blog means anybody can read it, one will be increasingly careful not to make mistakes which will lead to them having a habit of having good structures. Kengo
Blogging allows us to practice and enhance our writing skills The topics are unrestricted giving us the freedom to express ourselves in any way we choose. There are no boundaries, and not limits, removing the pressure of writing about boring subject which we have no deeper connection to. Xander
Blogging is writing an ongoing narrative and by doing this you are improving your basic skills. The more you write, the better you get. Anthony
Set in a digital world, writing has to be shared and no longer in journals. When writing, people now want an audience to read their work. The blog provides the space for anyone to share their thoughts or work and anyone all over the world will be able to access it. James
Feedback can be given in the form of comments, which is a useful tool as it can contribute to not only the progression of a writer's skills, but it can also motivate, encourage, and build on their self esteem. Krya
Grades and Assessments
If people don't enjoy blogging there isn't going to be anything that comes out of it, it won't be useful or have an affect on their english skills or expressing themselves. It is merely a homework task that is not wanted to be done. Emilie
Students can do just fine without having to blog about random subjects. It's been about six months since school started and not many people are active bloggers. Even without blogging often, everyone seems to be doing just fine with their writing skills. Arushi
Blogging is a great way to share thoughts and ideas in an open and productive manner but is not an important part of English class because one big reason is that often, seeing that blogging is currently optional and not homework, kids just don't have time to do things like blog. Homework is also a big interference in the time kids would have to blog because after coming home late from an activity and having over an hour of work to do, blogging is just not possible. Miles
I have been blogging for months now and on various different topics. My English grades have also improved, because in my blog posts I described,narrated and debated as well. Ruchir
Students seem to get more out of reading and writing stories rather than blogging. Rogan
English is a class where you study about literature and reading, it is not a class about expressing yourselves and discussions. Nanami
The problem with making a blogger think that it has to be a piece of good writing is that it becomes an essay, school work, something that is not relaxing but instead tiring. Kengo
If a class chooses to focus on pure academics and wants to keep social writing separate, students can develop in both ways based on their motivation to write. Aditi P.
Blogging is something that you should do willingly, not because it is part of your English class. I agree that it could be helpful but for people who don't like writing than often it just becomes something they have to do. Anu
Blogging is not graded. Blogging does not help improve one’s writing. It simply helps one get rid of mundane theories and postulations that get under one’s skin. Kavya
"It's so useless" is a common statement said by many students for various reasons who would rather do "real work" instead. Krya
Self & Voice
Blogging helps students to reflect on what they did on that day and helps them to think and let their feelings out. Jayden
I find that it in many ways it help you gain confidence for your voice to be heard in the world. It is often hard to get your exact thoughts and feelings in words. Aditi M.
Blogging is useful. No scratch that out, Blogging is necessary. With teenagers [us] being young minds full of innovative ideas, thoughts and views, our generation needs to share them to audience and blogging enables us to do that. Pavitra
Online confidence can turn a kids life around. When a kid cannot be accepted into a certain type of environment or cannot express himself to anyone. He turns to online writing. Brendan
Any opportunity to share is always a good one. Blogging is a platform where anyone can be comfortable to write. I, personally, am uncomfortable to speak during class but am full of opinions. Blogging is a place for me to share those ideas and not be judged. Meghan
I am not brave enough to write how I feel and what think. But I hope that can change, I want to improve my writing skills. I feel that blogging about the things we learned is essential because it can improve our understanding and we can always look back at what we did.
We can use almost our full potential on the blogs, allowing us to say what we wouldn't normally say in a loud and clear voice where many can read it. Zac
The people that are able to write in a blog naturally are able to use good English or don't care if they make a fool of themselves or has something that they have something passionate about which they want to share their opinions. A blog is somewhere you can find what you are really passionate about and that passion will connect to one honing their English skills. Kengo
It assists in developing voice in one's writing. Michelle
Blogging has helped me to share their ideas and thoughts about the stuff that we talk about in class. Blogging has helped me open up and it can prove useful when attempting to brush up your language and use a different writing style as blogging connects you with other 'blogs' Himaja
People who don't really show themselves in school may have very interesting personality that they want to share with everyone but is too shy to say it. Then this person writes about them and others will then know what kind of a person he/she is. Joshua
Blogging is enjoyable because it gives bloggers the chance to put their views and opinions online, about anything they want, and for their writing pieces to be uncontested as to why they have written them, due to the fact that blogging is what YOU want to share. Rohan
Through writing in larger quantities, students will develop a more concise, more eloquent writing voice. James
When you blog, you are improving yourself. If you are lucky other people out there are feeling the same thing or have experienced it and could help you out. Anthony
Anti-social
People should express themselves more in class. George
Our classroom is a very open area and everyone shares there thoughts and we discusses many things, however blogging outside of the classroom is less inviting and harder to develop things to write about. I find it hard to express my thoughts online because I don't feel as comfortable compared to when I am at the round table, where I feel much ore comfortable. Pierce
I personally think it is a waste of time, you already share what you have done in class with your friends, talking about if it was boring or confusing. So why go write about it? Gaspard
I don't feel it is important because some people may want to keep their thoughts to themselves. I don't feel like it is important for other people to know how I feel and what I write about because they see me at school so they know how I feel. Walther
You are going to have to learn how to express yourself talking face to face. Anna
Privacy
Although blogging is a great way for some people to use, for others that don't want to blog or are not very open about themselves to others, is can be both a new opportunity that is helpful or something they feel uncomfortable and uneasy doing. Farshed
I feel that people will judge me based on what I say, or that what I say will set people against me. When I think about the potential number of people who can see this blog (which is pretty much anyone with an internet connection) I feel really uneasy. Yasmin
I think some people are a bit shy about the whole "blogging" idea. To let anyone read your posts, if I had to write a blog post for homework I would do it. But it was optional I would not do it as I said above. Gaspard
Some people don't like having their personal thoughts online because it is a public space. Anna
The traditional English classroom hosts space for reading and writing to an enclosed audience. Though students may be told that blogging does not ensure a large audience online, some may feel more secure with sharing work within the circle that is their own English class. Michelle
A lot of students are very social in real life but they can be invisible on the internet, not wanting to post their opinions online. Emilie
The notion of writing online to a worldwide audience was not quite thrilling. Audrey
Not everyone is comfortable with sharing their thoughts or work online, as much of it can be personal. Krya
Community
Having a personal online page to share ideas, is a must for global empathy. Tzur
I have read numerous blog posts by my peers that have made me have an epiphany of sorts. My peers, who I sometimes misjudge, can be insightful and thoughtful and incredibly smart. Their blog posts help me discover a whole new side to them, to a whole new side of me. Meghan
I feel that by blogging about the things we are learning in class helps us get a deeper insight and improves our understanding on the topic. Sana
Blogging allows us to connect with our peers through the way we write and the topics we write about. At our age, we like to write about certain themes, or certain activities we have participated in recently, in a more factual way. Xander
It enables you to build trust. People are skeptical. People are skeptical about the various strangers on the Internet. Writing an interesting and well written blog can enable you to form the distrust to trust.
Ruchir
A great way for students to articulate their thoughts and express their feelings, in a space where both students and teachers can give feedback or comments. Which allows your teachers and classmates to know each other better. Wendy
Blogging gives us a chance to tell people what you think about different matters in a less direct and personal way. By writing blog posts, people can also come to understand you and get to know you better. Eline
Comments are a great way to start conversations and to see what you might have in common with other people.
It brings ideas out to the public - a lot of people have some pretty unique perspectives. Now, we all get a chance to hear those ideas and explore them. Sarah
By having a blog and writing posts in it, it provides a chance for teachers and peers to see your ability to write about things you feel passionate about and how we can communicate 'online'
What you write on your blog can be shared with anyone. Having a blog has made people share their personal thoughts and has started a lot of discussion between people in our school. Niharika
It helps us express our ourselves and gain perspective. One my friends once posted about his experiences in Chiang Mai and what he felt through this trip. It was completely new to me and I had a totally different experience. It made me reevaluate my experiences in relation to me and the people around me. I actually enjoy reading blogs more than writing the blogs. Ninad
In some of my posts I have expressed opinions of mine that vary to the opinions of others and because of this people have commented with their opinions and thoughts. I think that this is a good thing because It teaches us to see different perspectives and be more open minded. Hamza
Students can visit other student blogs and comment. Some blog post can trigger some very good and deep conversations. A blog is a good space to share good ideas. India
I wrote a poem about leaving my best friend which I was proud of.I decided that I wanted others to see it, so along with an explanation, I posted it. I felt as if I was expressing myself without having to stand up in front of a group of people and read a poem that was personal to me. It was giving me a chance to think about how I really felt, which I hadn't done beforehand. Bethany
Blogging shows your classroom and teacher a new side of you. Your teacher is able to understand you better and so is your class, and you get to know them better. It's always important to me to know your peers, and I think because of these blogs we get to know each other better. Vani
Due to the immense increase of the online users who post their blogs which encourages and influences other individuals to start off their own blogs. Having an online page to share with the world in the 21st century where technology is overpowering is the key to share, connect and interact with people. Raj
I have seen how people are colorful, more truthful on their blog compared to being in class. Students from all different classes, have been sharing, artworks, videos, sharing new songs and giving their empathetic in sights. Tzur
Anything we post, is instantly shared with our peers. It can tell them what kind of writing we are doing, what we are doing and what we are like. Zak
By just writing for yourself, you are not going to get better at writing. When we blog we can get opinions of other's about our post, why they agree or disagree with it, or they could even suggest some constructive criticism. Aditi M.
Getting to know people's different perspective is a great way to learn. Different people in this world has different ways of viewing things, some might be positive, yet some might be negative. However, just imagine this world not knowing how other people see things, just knowing what you think about things. Takaya
Not only is it important for you to use blogs to share your ideas, but you can also read about other's ideas. Commenting is a great way to start a thoughtful conversation and you can express your thoughts while commenting as well. Pavitra
Students are afraid to write because they feel they cannot be themselves or they will be criticized. The blog then proves useful for it provides students a space where they can be as expressive as they want. James
Reading and watching videos or posts allow us to connect to the person even if we haven't met them. Who knows, anyone could feel that way. Another thing I observed was that a lot of students in my class that rarely participate in discussions have been blogging away and even talking about the most bizarre stuff.
Many blog posts have sparked insightful class discussions. They are not only a way to come up with interesting topics to talk about, but a way to connect with our fellow peers. Liam K.
It will strengthen the bonds between friends, have more things to talk about. Joshua
I wrote a blog post about how kids cannot be accepted into different groups these days because of their looks and not for their personality. Kids can feel that it is right to express themselves on online blogging. They feel like it is their space to say something without a kid criticizing it right up to the their face. Branden
In a teacher's perspective, blogging may be the best way to get to know the student better in terms of their personality and style of writing. Jayden
From what I have seen, majority of our class do blog quite frequently and do come up with some rather intriguing points or statements. Shahu
It is one of many ways to share our learning with both our teachers and peers. It lets us share our learning with our English teachers - many people who may not speak up in class have written on their blogs, showing their learning. This allows our teachers to understand our ability, skills, and style of writing. Liam K.
Not only should people be viewing things differently, but also willing to show how they view things to others. Different perspectives can change how others view things, wether its good or bad. By changing other people's perspective into theirs can change the world into a more one hearted place. Therefore, different perspectives are meant to be shared wether its online or offline. Takaya
Blogging could also improve one's relationship with another person.When you blog and others read it, they could find out much more about your personality which would strengthen your relationship with classmates and peers. Anthony
Rejection & Judgement
Blogging isn't only about writing about your deepest, darkest secrets, but even for the least complex post, the audience is viewing it, judging it. Vaidehi
Expecting a bunch of insecure teenagers who aren't quite sure who they can trust in the constantly moving sands of social media to write about whatever comes to their mind is asking for a lot. Audrey
Peer pressure may come into play and the thoughts that their ideas are stupid wander through the mind and causes children to divert from posting blogs. It has always been said that the classroom is open to all ideas and no one's ideas will be made fun of. But these statements are not true, because no one can be assured that their bad blog post will not be made fun of by other kids in the class. Because no matter how many times the teacher says that inside the classroom, things are a lot different outside that door. Miles
Some people may feel insecure about sharing their writing on such a space where almost everyone in the grade can see.Wendy
Unfortunately, at the end of the day, the readers of this blog are our peers. And being 13/14-year-old Grade 8 students, we cannot read a single piece of text without judging, forming sometimes irrational opinions and criticizing the text immediately. Antara
Nobody knows exactly how people react when they read your posts and sometimes this can stop somebody from publishing what they are writing because of peer pressure. George
A blog is said to just write whatever you want, your hobbies and what you enjoy, if your not sure what your hobbies are you wouldn't have anything to post. If you don't know who you are or haven't found it yet it wouldn't make your posts powerful. Emilie
Children can feel pressured to form opinions and worry about the worth of theirs. There may also be social pressure acting on them which may hold them back.They should be given the option to begin sharing their ideas with their peers online when they feel mature enough. Aditi P.
Maybe not many people will read it and therefore you will feel as if no one cares about your piece and that can be quite demoralizing. Anna
The chance that a perfect stranger would come and hate on whatever you write, even the most mundane observation; was, and is terrifying. Audrey
Sometimes when you post something you don't know how people will react so it is sometimes like taking a gamble. You realize that nobody bothered to read your paragraph. When nobody comments or likes or gives bad and insulting feedback-- people stop you from posting. Daniel
Time
Sometimes people are not able to get the time to read the blog posts with all the homework we are currently getting. George
At the start of the school year, I wasn't into blogging and I thought I never could be. Over the course of the winter break, I was bored, parents were out, no friends were around and sister was away. So I decided to write a blog post. Soon after that, I blogged nearly every day. Shahu
The limitation of time, as work from other subjects might be overwhelming at times, leaving little time to blog. Maurius
It seems quite time-consuming trying to blog under all the stress of school. Aditi M.
At first it is a burden because you are unsure of what do say. But after a while, it becomes you, you learn and teach through it with your personal reflection and from others. An online space for yourself is somethings that is a must for everyone to understand one another. Tzur
Getting into a habit of blogging is difficult. Students are involved in large amounts of after school sports or activities don't have enough time to finish the homework. Blogging is also difficult to get in a habit because its not engaging and fun to do. It's boring to blog. Jayden
Perfected Writing & Pressure
The whole process of finding something interesting to write about, then making it engaging enough that people would bother to read it seems too artificial. Vaidehi
It can also be hard to come up with ideas to write about and then you don’t know what people will think about it after. George
I do not blog very much myself, this is because I don’t really have any ideas of what to post or I’m not so sure if what I want to post will be right. Laura
I never actually blog. The simple reason for this is that I can never think of anything to write. I don't blog because I don't want my blog to look like a bunch of repetitive, unoriginal thoughts. Maud
Another reason why I don't like blogging is that I just don't have anything to say at all. The life of an 8th grader isn't very interesting at all. Yasmin
I struggle to come up with unique and original ideas for blogging. If there was one aspect of blogging that could be redefined, it would be more focus on how we can come up with good topics for blogging that we are interested in but that have not already been done. Rohan
Students may feel pressured to produce a piece of writing that is up to their teacher's expectations, or a piece of writing that touches one's heart deep enough for a valid response. Michelle
Blogging is a tool for the undiscovered writer to mince the English language into shreds of unforgivable spelling and obscure observations of metaphors. Most blogposts are exact copies of the drafts sitting in many a publisher’s dustbin. Kavya
It is very hard to think of new ideas and strong ideas that I am capable of writing about in a blog post. Having this freedom of writing, for me it makes it a lot harder to blog, because I never know what subject to blog about. Pierce
A lot of the time people feel at loss for what to write and don't want to write anything that comes to their mind because they think its not good enough. Anu
English class is not just about the language of English, but also the skill of being able to use it to ones own needs. Blogging supplies both of these. Kengo
Creativity
Sometimes, blogging is my quick escape to a different world, a world that makes sense. Aditi M.
Blogging also helps you to 'exercise your creativity'. Creativity is always and important factor in the English classroom when it comes to writing and the use of descriptive language. Sarah
This one girl has shared chapter by chapter of a book she is writing. The blog has let people be free, say what they feel and think, to the world. Though some may disagree, let them. It is in the will of the person that makes it fun and creative, as I have learnt. Tzur
Being a school blog- there are somethings I feel very strongly about but can't mention due to the teachers high involvement in commenting and being proactive. Antara
Some people express themselves with art, drama, music; others by writing. When you blog, you can share and do anything. You can share a piece of art that you're proud of. You can post a video of a play you were in. You can share a song you love, or a song you wrote. Bethany
You should write about what you are passionate about and what you believe in, this is also easier than having to write an essay about a subject you have no interest it. Eline
Blogging is more than a million and one ways to express your thoughts, secrets, hopes, desires, fears, ambitions and opinions. It is like a Venus Flytrap. There are lots of ideas floating around like flies and you can trap one or many of them and gulp them down like the flytrap and publish for the world to see. Raj
What we post on the blog is completely up to us, only limited by text, image and video. With just those three elements, we can do practically anything. Think of something you like, anything. You can share everything it. Zac
So there you have it! The good, the bad and the ugly. Thank you very much. This was a very eye-opening experience for me. I need some time to think about and reflect on what you said, so I can synthesize the basic messages that are being shared here, but that post will be coming soon.
I hope I was true to the gist of your post. I would love any additional feedback in the comments below. I am sure that I will share these thoughts with parents and teachers both at our school and around the world, as we all try to figure out if student blogging plays an important role in the classroom.
As we process the pros and the cons, I wanted to share with you, some of your thoughts. Before the break I posed a statement:
Blogging is an important part of an English classroomI asked you to write a paragraph agreeing or disagreeing with this statement. I know we have a range of ideas across the classes, so I was curious what you all think of this little experiment of ours. I was pleasantly surprised by not only the range of ideas presented, but also by the clear way you were able to articulate your understanding of online publishing.
While I would love to share all of the responses, we simply do not have the time or the space to do that. I have chosen to instead to copy and paste direct lines from your posts. They seemed to fall under some clear categories. Maybe we can get a clearer idea of what we value and what we fear.
For the sake of brevity, I have edited out a few words here and there, so the quotes are not verbatim, but I was careful not to change the meaning of your quotes. I have added direct links to the original post for closer reading and continued conversations
Writing:
By posting work on blogs, students can receive feedback and comments in real time not only from teachers, but also from their peers which benefits both the writer and the commenter, as the writer would be able to improve their writing, and the commenter would be able to take examples from their peers and improve their writing as well. Maurius
The more you write the better it will get. It also helps the readers improve their reading and hopefully have a better understanding of who you are. Joshua
Blogging helps students practice writing in a more pressure-free zone rather than having to submit a hundred essays on random topics. It also gives us the opportunity to read what our class-mates or peers have going on in their minds, especially if they don't talk much.
The freedom to express ourselves is important; providing a medium and nurturing the usage of that medium improves our skills as writers and removes some of our inhibitions of writing. Liam K.
It helps our writing improve if we are consistent. A blog is your space for your thoughts. It becomes a new way of communication. Its helps you open up. Ananya
Blogging is a very useful way to connect with others online as well as improve your own writing by either practicing on your blog or looking at the different writing styles of others. Ellen
Blogging is writing, and writing is good. Receiving judgement is a given no matter where we post our blog posts, school blog or personal, but I believe these judgements can make a good impact on our skills. Antara
Blogging is a fun way to write. It can be used for educational purposes and it also helps the student to think when they are writing "who is my audience." Sometimes having students writing on a blog will increase a students motivation to write. India
Blogging can deepen our writing skills as we are writing a small or big amount each day. By blogging something each day and also reading other peoples blog we can find out many things about others. Laura
Blogging is good because it allows students to practice writing with 'their own voice'; they can write in any style or form we wish. It gives us a freedom that we usually do not experience within the classroom, and the best part is that teachers are not the only ones who read them, they are no longer the only ones who can judge you. Maud
People must be able to articulate thoughts clearly and effectively so that people understand the message. When writing university exams, having knowledge about a subject is not enough; people must be able to articulate their thoughts clearly onto paper/online. Pranav
One skill that can be improved through blogging is the structuring of one's own words. Since writing on a blog means anybody can read it, one will be increasingly careful not to make mistakes which will lead to them having a habit of having good structures. Kengo
Blogging allows us to practice and enhance our writing skills The topics are unrestricted giving us the freedom to express ourselves in any way we choose. There are no boundaries, and not limits, removing the pressure of writing about boring subject which we have no deeper connection to. Xander
Blogging is writing an ongoing narrative and by doing this you are improving your basic skills. The more you write, the better you get. Anthony
Set in a digital world, writing has to be shared and no longer in journals. When writing, people now want an audience to read their work. The blog provides the space for anyone to share their thoughts or work and anyone all over the world will be able to access it. James
Feedback can be given in the form of comments, which is a useful tool as it can contribute to not only the progression of a writer's skills, but it can also motivate, encourage, and build on their self esteem. Krya
Grades and Assessments
If people don't enjoy blogging there isn't going to be anything that comes out of it, it won't be useful or have an affect on their english skills or expressing themselves. It is merely a homework task that is not wanted to be done. Emilie
Students can do just fine without having to blog about random subjects. It's been about six months since school started and not many people are active bloggers. Even without blogging often, everyone seems to be doing just fine with their writing skills. Arushi
Blogging is a great way to share thoughts and ideas in an open and productive manner but is not an important part of English class because one big reason is that often, seeing that blogging is currently optional and not homework, kids just don't have time to do things like blog. Homework is also a big interference in the time kids would have to blog because after coming home late from an activity and having over an hour of work to do, blogging is just not possible. Miles
I have been blogging for months now and on various different topics. My English grades have also improved, because in my blog posts I described,narrated and debated as well. Ruchir
Students seem to get more out of reading and writing stories rather than blogging. Rogan
English is a class where you study about literature and reading, it is not a class about expressing yourselves and discussions. Nanami
The problem with making a blogger think that it has to be a piece of good writing is that it becomes an essay, school work, something that is not relaxing but instead tiring. Kengo
If a class chooses to focus on pure academics and wants to keep social writing separate, students can develop in both ways based on their motivation to write. Aditi P.
Blogging is something that you should do willingly, not because it is part of your English class. I agree that it could be helpful but for people who don't like writing than often it just becomes something they have to do. Anu
Blogging is not graded. Blogging does not help improve one’s writing. It simply helps one get rid of mundane theories and postulations that get under one’s skin. Kavya
"It's so useless" is a common statement said by many students for various reasons who would rather do "real work" instead. Krya
Self & Voice
Blogging helps students to reflect on what they did on that day and helps them to think and let their feelings out. Jayden
I find that it in many ways it help you gain confidence for your voice to be heard in the world. It is often hard to get your exact thoughts and feelings in words. Aditi M.
Blogging is useful. No scratch that out, Blogging is necessary. With teenagers [us] being young minds full of innovative ideas, thoughts and views, our generation needs to share them to audience and blogging enables us to do that. Pavitra
Online confidence can turn a kids life around. When a kid cannot be accepted into a certain type of environment or cannot express himself to anyone. He turns to online writing. Brendan
Any opportunity to share is always a good one. Blogging is a platform where anyone can be comfortable to write. I, personally, am uncomfortable to speak during class but am full of opinions. Blogging is a place for me to share those ideas and not be judged. Meghan
I am not brave enough to write how I feel and what think. But I hope that can change, I want to improve my writing skills. I feel that blogging about the things we learned is essential because it can improve our understanding and we can always look back at what we did.
We can use almost our full potential on the blogs, allowing us to say what we wouldn't normally say in a loud and clear voice where many can read it. Zac
The people that are able to write in a blog naturally are able to use good English or don't care if they make a fool of themselves or has something that they have something passionate about which they want to share their opinions. A blog is somewhere you can find what you are really passionate about and that passion will connect to one honing their English skills. Kengo
It assists in developing voice in one's writing. Michelle
Blogging has helped me to share their ideas and thoughts about the stuff that we talk about in class. Blogging has helped me open up and it can prove useful when attempting to brush up your language and use a different writing style as blogging connects you with other 'blogs' Himaja
People who don't really show themselves in school may have very interesting personality that they want to share with everyone but is too shy to say it. Then this person writes about them and others will then know what kind of a person he/she is. Joshua
Blogging is enjoyable because it gives bloggers the chance to put their views and opinions online, about anything they want, and for their writing pieces to be uncontested as to why they have written them, due to the fact that blogging is what YOU want to share. Rohan
Through writing in larger quantities, students will develop a more concise, more eloquent writing voice. James
When you blog, you are improving yourself. If you are lucky other people out there are feeling the same thing or have experienced it and could help you out. Anthony
Anti-social
People should express themselves more in class. George
Our classroom is a very open area and everyone shares there thoughts and we discusses many things, however blogging outside of the classroom is less inviting and harder to develop things to write about. I find it hard to express my thoughts online because I don't feel as comfortable compared to when I am at the round table, where I feel much ore comfortable. Pierce
I personally think it is a waste of time, you already share what you have done in class with your friends, talking about if it was boring or confusing. So why go write about it? Gaspard
I don't feel it is important because some people may want to keep their thoughts to themselves. I don't feel like it is important for other people to know how I feel and what I write about because they see me at school so they know how I feel. Walther
You are going to have to learn how to express yourself talking face to face. Anna
Privacy
Although blogging is a great way for some people to use, for others that don't want to blog or are not very open about themselves to others, is can be both a new opportunity that is helpful or something they feel uncomfortable and uneasy doing. Farshed
I feel that people will judge me based on what I say, or that what I say will set people against me. When I think about the potential number of people who can see this blog (which is pretty much anyone with an internet connection) I feel really uneasy. Yasmin
I think some people are a bit shy about the whole "blogging" idea. To let anyone read your posts, if I had to write a blog post for homework I would do it. But it was optional I would not do it as I said above. Gaspard
Some people don't like having their personal thoughts online because it is a public space. Anna
The traditional English classroom hosts space for reading and writing to an enclosed audience. Though students may be told that blogging does not ensure a large audience online, some may feel more secure with sharing work within the circle that is their own English class. Michelle
A lot of students are very social in real life but they can be invisible on the internet, not wanting to post their opinions online. Emilie
The notion of writing online to a worldwide audience was not quite thrilling. Audrey
Not everyone is comfortable with sharing their thoughts or work online, as much of it can be personal. Krya
Community
Having a personal online page to share ideas, is a must for global empathy. Tzur
I have read numerous blog posts by my peers that have made me have an epiphany of sorts. My peers, who I sometimes misjudge, can be insightful and thoughtful and incredibly smart. Their blog posts help me discover a whole new side to them, to a whole new side of me. Meghan
I feel that by blogging about the things we are learning in class helps us get a deeper insight and improves our understanding on the topic. Sana
Blogging allows us to connect with our peers through the way we write and the topics we write about. At our age, we like to write about certain themes, or certain activities we have participated in recently, in a more factual way. Xander
It enables you to build trust. People are skeptical. People are skeptical about the various strangers on the Internet. Writing an interesting and well written blog can enable you to form the distrust to trust.
Ruchir
A great way for students to articulate their thoughts and express their feelings, in a space where both students and teachers can give feedback or comments. Which allows your teachers and classmates to know each other better. Wendy
Blogging gives us a chance to tell people what you think about different matters in a less direct and personal way. By writing blog posts, people can also come to understand you and get to know you better. Eline
Comments are a great way to start conversations and to see what you might have in common with other people.
It brings ideas out to the public - a lot of people have some pretty unique perspectives. Now, we all get a chance to hear those ideas and explore them. Sarah
By having a blog and writing posts in it, it provides a chance for teachers and peers to see your ability to write about things you feel passionate about and how we can communicate 'online'
What you write on your blog can be shared with anyone. Having a blog has made people share their personal thoughts and has started a lot of discussion between people in our school. Niharika
It helps us express our ourselves and gain perspective. One my friends once posted about his experiences in Chiang Mai and what he felt through this trip. It was completely new to me and I had a totally different experience. It made me reevaluate my experiences in relation to me and the people around me. I actually enjoy reading blogs more than writing the blogs. Ninad
In some of my posts I have expressed opinions of mine that vary to the opinions of others and because of this people have commented with their opinions and thoughts. I think that this is a good thing because It teaches us to see different perspectives and be more open minded. Hamza
Students can visit other student blogs and comment. Some blog post can trigger some very good and deep conversations. A blog is a good space to share good ideas. India
I wrote a poem about leaving my best friend which I was proud of.I decided that I wanted others to see it, so along with an explanation, I posted it. I felt as if I was expressing myself without having to stand up in front of a group of people and read a poem that was personal to me. It was giving me a chance to think about how I really felt, which I hadn't done beforehand. Bethany
Blogging shows your classroom and teacher a new side of you. Your teacher is able to understand you better and so is your class, and you get to know them better. It's always important to me to know your peers, and I think because of these blogs we get to know each other better. Vani
Due to the immense increase of the online users who post their blogs which encourages and influences other individuals to start off their own blogs. Having an online page to share with the world in the 21st century where technology is overpowering is the key to share, connect and interact with people. Raj
I have seen how people are colorful, more truthful on their blog compared to being in class. Students from all different classes, have been sharing, artworks, videos, sharing new songs and giving their empathetic in sights. Tzur
Anything we post, is instantly shared with our peers. It can tell them what kind of writing we are doing, what we are doing and what we are like. Zak
By just writing for yourself, you are not going to get better at writing. When we blog we can get opinions of other's about our post, why they agree or disagree with it, or they could even suggest some constructive criticism. Aditi M.
Getting to know people's different perspective is a great way to learn. Different people in this world has different ways of viewing things, some might be positive, yet some might be negative. However, just imagine this world not knowing how other people see things, just knowing what you think about things. Takaya
Not only is it important for you to use blogs to share your ideas, but you can also read about other's ideas. Commenting is a great way to start a thoughtful conversation and you can express your thoughts while commenting as well. Pavitra
Students are afraid to write because they feel they cannot be themselves or they will be criticized. The blog then proves useful for it provides students a space where they can be as expressive as they want. James
Reading and watching videos or posts allow us to connect to the person even if we haven't met them. Who knows, anyone could feel that way. Another thing I observed was that a lot of students in my class that rarely participate in discussions have been blogging away and even talking about the most bizarre stuff.
Many blog posts have sparked insightful class discussions. They are not only a way to come up with interesting topics to talk about, but a way to connect with our fellow peers. Liam K.
It will strengthen the bonds between friends, have more things to talk about. Joshua
I wrote a blog post about how kids cannot be accepted into different groups these days because of their looks and not for their personality. Kids can feel that it is right to express themselves on online blogging. They feel like it is their space to say something without a kid criticizing it right up to the their face. Branden
In a teacher's perspective, blogging may be the best way to get to know the student better in terms of their personality and style of writing. Jayden
From what I have seen, majority of our class do blog quite frequently and do come up with some rather intriguing points or statements. Shahu
It is one of many ways to share our learning with both our teachers and peers. It lets us share our learning with our English teachers - many people who may not speak up in class have written on their blogs, showing their learning. This allows our teachers to understand our ability, skills, and style of writing. Liam K.
Not only should people be viewing things differently, but also willing to show how they view things to others. Different perspectives can change how others view things, wether its good or bad. By changing other people's perspective into theirs can change the world into a more one hearted place. Therefore, different perspectives are meant to be shared wether its online or offline. Takaya
Blogging could also improve one's relationship with another person.When you blog and others read it, they could find out much more about your personality which would strengthen your relationship with classmates and peers. Anthony
Rejection & Judgement
Blogging isn't only about writing about your deepest, darkest secrets, but even for the least complex post, the audience is viewing it, judging it. Vaidehi
Expecting a bunch of insecure teenagers who aren't quite sure who they can trust in the constantly moving sands of social media to write about whatever comes to their mind is asking for a lot. Audrey
Peer pressure may come into play and the thoughts that their ideas are stupid wander through the mind and causes children to divert from posting blogs. It has always been said that the classroom is open to all ideas and no one's ideas will be made fun of. But these statements are not true, because no one can be assured that their bad blog post will not be made fun of by other kids in the class. Because no matter how many times the teacher says that inside the classroom, things are a lot different outside that door. Miles
Some people may feel insecure about sharing their writing on such a space where almost everyone in the grade can see.Wendy
Unfortunately, at the end of the day, the readers of this blog are our peers. And being 13/14-year-old Grade 8 students, we cannot read a single piece of text without judging, forming sometimes irrational opinions and criticizing the text immediately. Antara
Nobody knows exactly how people react when they read your posts and sometimes this can stop somebody from publishing what they are writing because of peer pressure. George
A blog is said to just write whatever you want, your hobbies and what you enjoy, if your not sure what your hobbies are you wouldn't have anything to post. If you don't know who you are or haven't found it yet it wouldn't make your posts powerful. Emilie
Children can feel pressured to form opinions and worry about the worth of theirs. There may also be social pressure acting on them which may hold them back.They should be given the option to begin sharing their ideas with their peers online when they feel mature enough. Aditi P.
Maybe not many people will read it and therefore you will feel as if no one cares about your piece and that can be quite demoralizing. Anna
The chance that a perfect stranger would come and hate on whatever you write, even the most mundane observation; was, and is terrifying. Audrey
Sometimes when you post something you don't know how people will react so it is sometimes like taking a gamble. You realize that nobody bothered to read your paragraph. When nobody comments or likes or gives bad and insulting feedback-- people stop you from posting. Daniel
Time
Sometimes people are not able to get the time to read the blog posts with all the homework we are currently getting. George
At the start of the school year, I wasn't into blogging and I thought I never could be. Over the course of the winter break, I was bored, parents were out, no friends were around and sister was away. So I decided to write a blog post. Soon after that, I blogged nearly every day. Shahu
The limitation of time, as work from other subjects might be overwhelming at times, leaving little time to blog. Maurius
It seems quite time-consuming trying to blog under all the stress of school. Aditi M.
At first it is a burden because you are unsure of what do say. But after a while, it becomes you, you learn and teach through it with your personal reflection and from others. An online space for yourself is somethings that is a must for everyone to understand one another. Tzur
Getting into a habit of blogging is difficult. Students are involved in large amounts of after school sports or activities don't have enough time to finish the homework. Blogging is also difficult to get in a habit because its not engaging and fun to do. It's boring to blog. Jayden
Perfected Writing & Pressure
The whole process of finding something interesting to write about, then making it engaging enough that people would bother to read it seems too artificial. Vaidehi
It can also be hard to come up with ideas to write about and then you don’t know what people will think about it after. George
I do not blog very much myself, this is because I don’t really have any ideas of what to post or I’m not so sure if what I want to post will be right. Laura
I never actually blog. The simple reason for this is that I can never think of anything to write. I don't blog because I don't want my blog to look like a bunch of repetitive, unoriginal thoughts. Maud
Another reason why I don't like blogging is that I just don't have anything to say at all. The life of an 8th grader isn't very interesting at all. Yasmin
I struggle to come up with unique and original ideas for blogging. If there was one aspect of blogging that could be redefined, it would be more focus on how we can come up with good topics for blogging that we are interested in but that have not already been done. Rohan
Students may feel pressured to produce a piece of writing that is up to their teacher's expectations, or a piece of writing that touches one's heart deep enough for a valid response. Michelle
Blogging is a tool for the undiscovered writer to mince the English language into shreds of unforgivable spelling and obscure observations of metaphors. Most blogposts are exact copies of the drafts sitting in many a publisher’s dustbin. Kavya
It is very hard to think of new ideas and strong ideas that I am capable of writing about in a blog post. Having this freedom of writing, for me it makes it a lot harder to blog, because I never know what subject to blog about. Pierce
A lot of the time people feel at loss for what to write and don't want to write anything that comes to their mind because they think its not good enough. Anu
English class is not just about the language of English, but also the skill of being able to use it to ones own needs. Blogging supplies both of these. Kengo
Creativity
Sometimes, blogging is my quick escape to a different world, a world that makes sense. Aditi M.
Blogging also helps you to 'exercise your creativity'. Creativity is always and important factor in the English classroom when it comes to writing and the use of descriptive language. Sarah
This one girl has shared chapter by chapter of a book she is writing. The blog has let people be free, say what they feel and think, to the world. Though some may disagree, let them. It is in the will of the person that makes it fun and creative, as I have learnt. Tzur
Being a school blog- there are somethings I feel very strongly about but can't mention due to the teachers high involvement in commenting and being proactive. Antara
Some people express themselves with art, drama, music; others by writing. When you blog, you can share and do anything. You can share a piece of art that you're proud of. You can post a video of a play you were in. You can share a song you love, or a song you wrote. Bethany
You should write about what you are passionate about and what you believe in, this is also easier than having to write an essay about a subject you have no interest it. Eline
Blogging is more than a million and one ways to express your thoughts, secrets, hopes, desires, fears, ambitions and opinions. It is like a Venus Flytrap. There are lots of ideas floating around like flies and you can trap one or many of them and gulp them down like the flytrap and publish for the world to see. Raj
What we post on the blog is completely up to us, only limited by text, image and video. With just those three elements, we can do practically anything. Think of something you like, anything. You can share everything it. Zac
So there you have it! The good, the bad and the ugly. Thank you very much. This was a very eye-opening experience for me. I need some time to think about and reflect on what you said, so I can synthesize the basic messages that are being shared here, but that post will be coming soon.
I hope I was true to the gist of your post. I would love any additional feedback in the comments below. I am sure that I will share these thoughts with parents and teachers both at our school and around the world, as we all try to figure out if student blogging plays an important role in the classroom.
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Survivor
I know we talk a lot about blogging. What? Why? How? We feel that some of us share too much, some of not enough? We are all finding our way right?
This morning I woke to this news:
It is a good reminder, that we are lucky to live in a place where we are free to own a space on the internet where we can be heard. We might not know what to say, and that is okay, but it is important to remember for some people, just the right to speak can get you killed.
Humbled by the bravery and tenacity of this amazing young woman. Makes me proud to be a blogger.
We see and hear you too Malala. We see and hear you too. What would you say to her if you had the chance?
This morning I woke to this news:
Speaking on camera for the first time since she survived an assassination attempt by the Pakistani Taliban last year, the young activist Malala Yousafzai began with the words, “Today you can see that I’m alive.” The 15-year-old, who was shot in the head as she left school in Pakistan’s Swat Valley four months ago, promised that she would continue to be an outspoken advocate of the right for “every girl, every child, to be educated.”
Full story here.
It is a good reminder, that we are lucky to live in a place where we are free to own a space on the internet where we can be heard. We might not know what to say, and that is okay, but it is important to remember for some people, just the right to speak can get you killed.
Humbled by the bravery and tenacity of this amazing young woman. Makes me proud to be a blogger.
We see and hear you too Malala. We see and hear you too. What would you say to her if you had the chance?
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Soul Baring
I recently came back from a conference in Hong Kong where I presented two workshops. One on digital storytelling and another on blogging. I am very proud of the work some (many) of you are producing and I wanted to celebrate your voices.
Since my return, I have had several conversations about concerns members of our school community-- parents, students, teachers and administrators-- might be having about our blogs and what we share on them. There seems to be this underlying notion that only blogs that are vulnerable and open gain attention and thus have value. I have been told that perhaps I am only promoting blogs that seem to "bare their soul" so to speak, that I am only sharing the voices that reveal personal thoughts and feelings.
I hope this isn't the case. I hope that no one feels that the only writing worth sharing is what keeps you up at night. I hope that you all see that I am not intentionally, if at all, promoting only the posts that tend to reveal what is hidden and tender. There is no doubt that these posts, resonate with me, but highlighting only vulnerability has never been my intention.
The goal, if I were to state it simply is to give you a voice. I want you to be heard. I want you to have a space that feels safe and comfortable to be heard. What you say, or if you say anything at all is your choice.
Over the last ten years of working with young people I have noticed that teenagers grapple with several issues: identity, expression and community. These three concepts drive my teaching. People are criticizing the value of teenagers exposing themselves so publicly.
The purpose of blogging is not to bare your soul in some kind of open online diary or journal. The purpose of blogging is to share your voice with a community. My job as I see it is to help you understand how to navigate, understand and employ identity, expression and community. We use these spaces and the conversations that happen on them as learning spaces.
We have not taken advantage of these comments spaces, so if you are reading this post, please take the time to share your thoughts.
Since my return, I have had several conversations about concerns members of our school community-- parents, students, teachers and administrators-- might be having about our blogs and what we share on them. There seems to be this underlying notion that only blogs that are vulnerable and open gain attention and thus have value. I have been told that perhaps I am only promoting blogs that seem to "bare their soul" so to speak, that I am only sharing the voices that reveal personal thoughts and feelings.
I hope this isn't the case. I hope that no one feels that the only writing worth sharing is what keeps you up at night. I hope that you all see that I am not intentionally, if at all, promoting only the posts that tend to reveal what is hidden and tender. There is no doubt that these posts, resonate with me, but highlighting only vulnerability has never been my intention.
The goal, if I were to state it simply is to give you a voice. I want you to be heard. I want you to have a space that feels safe and comfortable to be heard. What you say, or if you say anything at all is your choice.
Over the last ten years of working with young people I have noticed that teenagers grapple with several issues: identity, expression and community. These three concepts drive my teaching. People are criticizing the value of teenagers exposing themselves so publicly.
The purpose of blogging is not to bare your soul in some kind of open online diary or journal. The purpose of blogging is to share your voice with a community. My job as I see it is to help you understand how to navigate, understand and employ identity, expression and community. We use these spaces and the conversations that happen on them as learning spaces.
I want you to feel confident about who you are through critical and artistic exploration of your identity. I want you to learn how to clearly articulate your voice in a variety of media in order to find a network of like-minded people in order to create a community of learners that will help you learn during and beyond school.What do you think? Does there seem to be pressure to only share the vulnerable? Do you feel that I only share promote, or highlight this type of voice? I would love to hear what you have to say. There are many of you who write regularly about a variety of topics, what do you think?
We have not taken advantage of these comments spaces, so if you are reading this post, please take the time to share your thoughts.
Sunday, November 25, 2012
i am proud
My brain is on fire. The only way I can think to put it out is to write. Sad you say, perhaps, but someday I hope that you will feel the heat of this disease. There is nothing quite as exciting as having a blaze of thoughts burn through your mind, your body, your soul--leaving a smear of ash and smoke on the page. The world is too much with us, so we write to try and help lighten the load.
I am proud. I am proud of you. I am proud of myself. I am proud of our peers and fellow teachers. I am proud of the community we are building and the work we are doing and the thoughts we are thinking and the conversations we are having and the art we are creating and the writing we are doing and, and, and .....I am proud. I am proud of those of you choosing to open up and share and express yourselves and I am proud of those of you choosing to sit still a while longer.
Sometimes, we want it all and we want it now, but life takes time. Communities take time. Trust takes time, but when the sparks begins to spread the slow fire burns. Perhaps it was Solal's piece that ignite this blaze, but ever since it feels like our blogs are burning up. After a quick share about Vulnerability and Introverts, we heard from Michelle, Sana, Pranav, Lina, Pavitra, Chloe and Rohan.
As a community, we have been lucky to hear from Ms. G and her class: Mizuki. Eric. Sid. Aroni. Ethan. We even got some criticism and push back about our work to which Michele and Liam have responded beautifully. (See the comments) Honestly there is too much to share in one post. This is good. This is great. I am proud. Your teachers are modeling this work by sharing their poetry here and here. ( I know, I know, mine is coming soon)
Not everyone is baring their soul to the universe, however, and this is more than okay. No one ever said that your blog must be a public diary. It can be anything you want to share. People are writing about Diwali/Deepavali, strange memories, Slender Man, and even Rigor and Mother Theresa! There is advice on blogging and so much more. Everyday, brings a new list of posts that I get to read. please dive in and interact. Reading your blogs is my favorite thing to do, because I get to know you so well. The problem is that I simply cannot comment on each post, as there are too many, but I am reading them all. Now is the time for you to begin commenting with each other.
Do you see what is happening? Our community has begun to sprout. We are growing. Our roots are finding their way. Our pots are becoming too small. It is getting bigger than anyone one of us. It includes all of us. You could spend several hours following these links. Then a few hours more thinking, then a few hours more writing and responding. Reading, thinking, writing? Music to my ears. This is what blogging is all about and you are understanding that.
Thank you. Thank you very much. I am proud of you. I am proud. Can you hear me? Can you feel the heat, the buzz, the excitement? All from some words on a page. Burned there by you, your ideas, and your voice. What do you think? What do you want people to know about what we are doing? Leave your thoughts in the comments below...
I am proud. I am proud of you. I am proud of myself. I am proud of our peers and fellow teachers. I am proud of the community we are building and the work we are doing and the thoughts we are thinking and the conversations we are having and the art we are creating and the writing we are doing and, and, and .....I am proud. I am proud of those of you choosing to open up and share and express yourselves and I am proud of those of you choosing to sit still a while longer.
Sometimes, we want it all and we want it now, but life takes time. Communities take time. Trust takes time, but when the sparks begins to spread the slow fire burns. Perhaps it was Solal's piece that ignite this blaze, but ever since it feels like our blogs are burning up. After a quick share about Vulnerability and Introverts, we heard from Michelle, Sana, Pranav, Lina, Pavitra, Chloe and Rohan.
As a community, we have been lucky to hear from Ms. G and her class: Mizuki. Eric. Sid. Aroni. Ethan. We even got some criticism and push back about our work to which Michele and Liam have responded beautifully. (See the comments) Honestly there is too much to share in one post. This is good. This is great. I am proud. Your teachers are modeling this work by sharing their poetry here and here. ( I know, I know, mine is coming soon)
Not everyone is baring their soul to the universe, however, and this is more than okay. No one ever said that your blog must be a public diary. It can be anything you want to share. People are writing about Diwali/Deepavali, strange memories, Slender Man, and even Rigor and Mother Theresa! There is advice on blogging and so much more. Everyday, brings a new list of posts that I get to read. please dive in and interact. Reading your blogs is my favorite thing to do, because I get to know you so well. The problem is that I simply cannot comment on each post, as there are too many, but I am reading them all. Now is the time for you to begin commenting with each other.
Do you see what is happening? Our community has begun to sprout. We are growing. Our roots are finding their way. Our pots are becoming too small. It is getting bigger than anyone one of us. It includes all of us. You could spend several hours following these links. Then a few hours more thinking, then a few hours more writing and responding. Reading, thinking, writing? Music to my ears. This is what blogging is all about and you are understanding that.
Thank you. Thank you very much. I am proud of you. I am proud. Can you hear me? Can you feel the heat, the buzz, the excitement? All from some words on a page. Burned there by you, your ideas, and your voice. What do you think? What do you want people to know about what we are doing? Leave your thoughts in the comments below...
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
I Believe
Wow! I cannot believe it is November 8th. Time is flying; feels like yesterday that we began the year together--so many new faces and awkward conversations. The Sea of Teal is how I saw you, but things are changing. The sea is ebbing and flowing, and I am recognizing you and your voices more and more as clear distinct waves crashing everyday at: The Table, on your blogs, during activities, out of school trips, and in casual hallway conversations.
As we approach the midyear mark, it is important to think about where we started and where we are headed in terms of building community. Concerns have been raised by parents, teachers and students about online sharing. I have spoken to you all in class about why and how I would like you to share, but I wanted to write my way through it as well. This post was born from the statement below, which came to me on a ride home from school. I was on my bike when it hit me:
I loved this analogy. I was actually thinking about it the other night when I was here at school marking your final assessments, because I knew that I would ask you to post your final assessments on your blogs. I knew this would cause many of you anxiety? I knew that asking you to post your writing didn't feel much like an invitation, but a rather strong push. Let me explain myself.
I understand what it feels like to be judged and mocked. I understand what it feels like when you cannot do anything right. I understand wanting more than anything to fit in, to be popular, to be liked and accepted, being alone at lunch, or on a Saturday night when you imagine everyone else at parties-- smiling laughing and having fun, while you sit alone wondering how they do it-- make friends, be accepted, have boy friends or girl friends. It seems so easy in life and TV, but I understand that it is not.
You must be asking, if I understand all of this, why would I ask you to share pieces of yourself online, in public where they can all see it? See you and judge and mock you. If I understand how vicious and petty and mean and vindictive teenagers can be, why would I ask you to expose yourself to their wrath. We can hear them now muttering, gossiping, and judging you to your face, behind your back, online and off. Why would I ask you to share your writing with people like this? Especially if you feel that your writing isn't "good?"
I believe in you. I believe in your voice and your writing. What you write and how you write, right now in your life is you. For better or for worse it is true. If you wait until you are writing is perfect or good or accepted you will be waiting forever. If you wait to be yourself and stand behind your ideas you will wait forever. Confidence is about being happy with who you are and where you are in terms of skills. Confidence isn’t about measuring up to other people's expectations. I don't believe in good or bad or ranks or judgements or comparing or anxiety. I believe in confidence through risk and self-esteem through vulnerability. I believe in trust. I believe in communities.
If we believe in trust, we have to trust people. Even when they could let us down. Even when they might betray us. If we believe in trust, we must be trustful people. To do this we must feel comfortable with vulnerability. It is hard to trust people when we are hidden or protected by walls. It is hard to trust people if we do not give them an opportunity to prove that they are trustworthy. Don't get me wrong, they will let us down. They will take our trust for granted. They may attack us. They may hurt us, but if we believe in trust as a concept, we must continue to trust others.
Experience has taught me that people, in general are good, they are to be trusted. When we are open, they will more often than not, prove to be kind and loving. The only way to find out is to give them a chance to prove it.
I am not pushing any of you through the door by asking you to share your writing online. I am simply standing on the other side and telling you that it is fine. I am here. I will take your hand and help you if you fall. I will help you across and show you the way once you are here, but you have to trust me. (Please speak to me one-on-one if you still have reservations and do not want to share your final piece)
Take a look at this:
What do you think? What are your fears? What are the benefits of building online communities of writers? How can sharing your work and your ideas help? Hurt? What can we tell parents who are nervous? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.
As we approach the midyear mark, it is important to think about where we started and where we are headed in terms of building community. Concerns have been raised by parents, teachers and students about online sharing. I have spoken to you all in class about why and how I would like you to share, but I wanted to write my way through it as well. This post was born from the statement below, which came to me on a ride home from school. I was on my bike when it hit me:
You cannot have trust without vulnerability. You cannot have risk without fear. You cannot have success without failure, and you cannot learn without community.Last Monday, a group of students met with teachers and parents in the library to discuss this notion of public sharing and disclosure. Why share online? How does it feel? What are the risks? When asked if she felt pressure to share writing online, or if she was being pushed too hard to share when perhaps she wasn't ready, one girl responded by saying that she didn't feel pushed, so much as invited to a door and asked to walk through.
I loved this analogy. I was actually thinking about it the other night when I was here at school marking your final assessments, because I knew that I would ask you to post your final assessments on your blogs. I knew this would cause many of you anxiety? I knew that asking you to post your writing didn't feel much like an invitation, but a rather strong push. Let me explain myself.
I understand what it feels like to be judged and mocked. I understand what it feels like when you cannot do anything right. I understand wanting more than anything to fit in, to be popular, to be liked and accepted, being alone at lunch, or on a Saturday night when you imagine everyone else at parties-- smiling laughing and having fun, while you sit alone wondering how they do it-- make friends, be accepted, have boy friends or girl friends. It seems so easy in life and TV, but I understand that it is not.
You must be asking, if I understand all of this, why would I ask you to share pieces of yourself online, in public where they can all see it? See you and judge and mock you. If I understand how vicious and petty and mean and vindictive teenagers can be, why would I ask you to expose yourself to their wrath. We can hear them now muttering, gossiping, and judging you to your face, behind your back, online and off. Why would I ask you to share your writing with people like this? Especially if you feel that your writing isn't "good?"
I believe in you. I believe in your voice and your writing. What you write and how you write, right now in your life is you. For better or for worse it is true. If you wait until you are writing is perfect or good or accepted you will be waiting forever. If you wait to be yourself and stand behind your ideas you will wait forever. Confidence is about being happy with who you are and where you are in terms of skills. Confidence isn’t about measuring up to other people's expectations. I don't believe in good or bad or ranks or judgements or comparing or anxiety. I believe in confidence through risk and self-esteem through vulnerability. I believe in trust. I believe in communities.
If we believe in trust, we have to trust people. Even when they could let us down. Even when they might betray us. If we believe in trust, we must be trustful people. To do this we must feel comfortable with vulnerability. It is hard to trust people when we are hidden or protected by walls. It is hard to trust people if we do not give them an opportunity to prove that they are trustworthy. Don't get me wrong, they will let us down. They will take our trust for granted. They may attack us. They may hurt us, but if we believe in trust as a concept, we must continue to trust others.
Experience has taught me that people, in general are good, they are to be trusted. When we are open, they will more often than not, prove to be kind and loving. The only way to find out is to give them a chance to prove it.
I am not pushing any of you through the door by asking you to share your writing online. I am simply standing on the other side and telling you that it is fine. I am here. I will take your hand and help you if you fall. I will help you across and show you the way once you are here, but you have to trust me. (Please speak to me one-on-one if you still have reservations and do not want to share your final piece)
Take a look at this:
What do you think? What are your fears? What are the benefits of building online communities of writers? How can sharing your work and your ideas help? Hurt? What can we tell parents who are nervous? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Another Round Up
Here is another batch of great posts:
Home- a poem by Myra
Blogging is Like Minecraft- by Kaymin
Illustrations- by Wendy
Japanese History- by Keito
F1 Fever- by Ananya
Focus Africa- by Max
Slam Poetry and another one on Imagination - by Aditi M
What Am I Doing With My Life- by Aditi P.
Basketball- by Glen
Music is My Life- by India
Sharks- by Pavitra
Mad Dogs (Book Review)- by Shashu
Food Questions- by Rohan
I am so proud of you guys. You are ROCKING this blogging things. Keep it up. Write, read, comment, share, connect.
Home- a poem by Myra
Blogging is Like Minecraft- by Kaymin
Illustrations- by Wendy
Japanese History- by Keito
F1 Fever- by Ananya
Focus Africa- by Max
Slam Poetry and another one on Imagination - by Aditi M
What Am I Doing With My Life- by Aditi P.
Basketball- by Glen
Music is My Life- by India
Sharks- by Pavitra
Mad Dogs (Book Review)- by Shashu
Food Questions- by Rohan
I am so proud of you guys. You are ROCKING this blogging things. Keep it up. Write, read, comment, share, connect.
Infinte
This blog from Kaymin in Ms. Guinto's class came to my attention and I am blown away by his thinking. Take a look at this post and get involved in the conversation.
Sunday, September 2, 2012
no try
Welcome young writers, young thinkers, young bloggers. Welcome to your voice, your space, your blog. Welcome to the blogosphere. At the end of 2011 there were 70 million blogs on Wordpress alone. 39 Million more on Tumblr. Many of you have already been tinkering around the internet, sharing photos, status updates, re-blogging animated .gifs, sharing your favorite songs and movie clips.
So why am I grandstanding this introduction to a classblog? Because this year, I am feeling a buzz and excitement, I haven’t felt in years of student blogging. I feel like you get it. You get the need to write and share and explore and inquire and design and draw and sing and question and connect and be heard. I feel you get the need to carve out your space and demand to be noticed. You get the need to create and re-create who you are and demand to be understood. You get the need to prove you matter, that you have ideas that are not being prepared for life, but matter now. You get that poor writing is ignored and poorly designed spaces are abandoned. You get that I am here to guide you and help you and not to evaluate or judge you. You understand the power of a blog. Your blog and you are ready to occupy your space online. You are ready to use your voice to demand change, to add to the global conversation, to create art that exposes injustice, awakens empathy, and challenges thinking.
I am excited to see what you create. Who you choose to become. What you decide to share. In the clip below, Yoda challenges Luke not to give up when a task appears to be impossible.
“Do or do not do. There is no try.”
What will you use your blog to do? How will you take ownership of your tiny space on the internet? How will you use your words, your images, your ideas to dig a bit of depth for your online identity?
So why am I grandstanding this introduction to a classblog? Because this year, I am feeling a buzz and excitement, I haven’t felt in years of student blogging. I feel like you get it. You get the need to write and share and explore and inquire and design and draw and sing and question and connect and be heard. I feel you get the need to carve out your space and demand to be noticed. You get the need to create and re-create who you are and demand to be understood. You get the need to prove you matter, that you have ideas that are not being prepared for life, but matter now. You get that poor writing is ignored and poorly designed spaces are abandoned. You get that I am here to guide you and help you and not to evaluate or judge you. You understand the power of a blog. Your blog and you are ready to occupy your space online. You are ready to use your voice to demand change, to add to the global conversation, to create art that exposes injustice, awakens empathy, and challenges thinking.
I am excited to see what you create. Who you choose to become. What you decide to share. In the clip below, Yoda challenges Luke not to give up when a task appears to be impossible.
“Do or do not do. There is no try.”
What will you use your blog to do? How will you take ownership of your tiny space on the internet? How will you use your words, your images, your ideas to dig a bit of depth for your online identity?
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