BLOG REFLECTION

I created the above SWOT analysis to analyse the use of blogs and the potential benefits and weaknesses it may have. 

When I first started this course I really had no idea what a blog was and could not understand how a blog could assist students in learning. Now in my fourth week of this course and I can really see the benefits as I am using my blog. As seen in the SWOT analysis above, the strengths outweigh the weaknesses. Although there are many threats there are also as many opportunities and I believe through teacher guidance and discipline these threats can be overcome or dealt with. 

Blog's are a great example of constructivist learning as students are socially interacting within a learning community. Students are allowing others to comment on their learning and reflections and are learning from each other. As stated by Good & Brophy (1990), 'learners construct their own reality or at least interpret it based upon their perceptions of experiences, so an individuals knowledge is a function of one's prior experiences, mental structures and beliefs that are used to interpret objects and events.' Blog's are a great tool in gaining insight into students thinking. Using blogs in a classroom allows teachers to visibly see what students are thinking, what their understandings are on a topic and can guide students onto the right path using various scaffolding strategies, to support those that are struggling. As identified in the SWOT analysis, blogs only have a single user which means each students blog is their own work of art and any comments posted by others are just feedback, which can be valuable to a student as it can allow students to learn from each other. Students can gain valuable feedback from professionals, teachers or students from around the world and is not just limited to their teacher or class. As stated by Winch & Holliday (2010), students as 'bloggers', are 'sharing their musings and experiences with a worldwide audience.' An example of one way of using a blog in the classroom is creating a blog on multiculturalism. Students as a group are given an opportunity to showcase a variety of cultural information from different cultures, such as photos of clothing, food, festivals and facts about cultural identity. They can embed google maps indicating where the country is. Students from other international schools can also engage in this activity by commenting on the information presented and can answer questions that students may have. This activity allows students to develop their cultural awareness in a fun and creative way and can also stimulate discussion forums. Blog's can be used individually by students or as a group, like in the example I have given, but I believe   that the group blog is more of a group reflection and doesn't really focus on individual development and learning. Individual blog's however, allow students to personalise their learning experience.

I can definitely see myself using blog's in the classroom, whether as an assessment task or project, a lesson summary for students or parents to view, or as a notice board for students, reminding them of assessments, upcoming events, homework, lesson outlines etc.

Although the use of the internet has so many benefits to both the teachers and school community, there are also threats that we cannot ignore. As mentioned in the SWOT analysis, privacy and security is an issue that teachers need to be very cautious about. Without proper guidance students can expose themselves to complete strangers who may use the blog as a source to gain information on a child, for example, what school they go to, where and when they will be going to excursion, can see photos of them and can engage in conversations with them through the post comments. As teachers it is our duty to educate and guide students on what they can and can't do on blogs, and closely monitor their blogs.

Overall I believe blogs are a great way of allowing students to be constructivist learners and to engage in their learning. There is much that students can gain from using blogs if used properly in a controlled and safe environment.

References:

Good, T. L., Brophy, J. E. (1990). Educational psychology: A realistic approach. (4th ed.).White Plains, NY: Longman

Winch, G., Johnston, R.R., March, P., Ljungdahl, L, & Holliday, M. (2010). Literacy:Reading, Writing and Children's Literature. (4th ed.). Oxford University Press, Australia