I am no longer, as of October 2008 working as a class teacher at Sandaig, so have moved this blog to another server. If you want to comment on this post, pleas search for it there.

16 11 05 What is blogging?

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I've been testing edublogs so end up reading James Farmer in the wordpress dashboard. Mr Farmer is one of the leading lights in the Educational blog world, the edublogs set up must be one of the most encouraging things for teachers thinking about blogging. So I was depressed to read You blog alone… that’s the point! where he states group blogs suck in education.
As a few group blogs are all I can manage to run in my class/school, this and associated posts are depressing to read.
Then I read Ewan I feel it's essential to respect the 'real worldness' of the blog: open comments, open posting, with post-moderation of posts. Pre-moderation does not encourage responsible blogging, merely responsible policing by the teacher and state. and felt even lower.
I of course agree with both these sentiments, so where does this leave my efforts at blogging in Sandaig. I not only pre-moderate (spell grammar and sense check) but I suggest the direction and content of the posts. A fair amount of time we blog as a group all together on the whiteboard.
Well I guess it is a start, excuses include only have access to 2 internet connected PCs, I not only teaching blogging, the children are learning all sorts of other stuff at the same time etc. Also I feel for us blogs are an extension of the wall display and class assembly both activities I would often help with preparation and presentation by 10 year olds.
So I feel our use of blogging is justified and worth it, even though it doesn't fit with an ideal. hopefully I can manage with a light enough touch that the children gain a sense of ownership and conversation.
We only been blogging for two years here and I feel it is early day to judge and evaluate, but even missing the ideal, I think it is worth going on. The is also a sense of open source/free in blogging and a blog maybe is whatever we want it to be. My most must read blog Daring Fireball (not edu) doesn't even seem to have comment, though it is pretty much one voice. Anyway I'll keep the expert words in mind and we will go our own way. (post petering out but I am still thinking)

Don’t get too stressed… with edublogs.org and learnerblogs.org everyone can have their own blog ;)

Seriously though, there are ways to use the tool in different environments, with 10 year olds with presentation tasks… I’d probably be checking them too (although I tend to believe in a culture of forgiveness rather than permission and check them after!)
James (Email) (URL) - 16 11 05 - 22:33

Not to stressed, just mumbling and grumbling;-)
I could give everyone in my class a blog here too, but they would not use them much due to the limited hardware and I guess my classroom organisation.
At this time very few of my class could post from home. If I am every in a position to give the children more than occasional access to the net I’d certainly try to organise individual blogs.
I’d go for forgiveness too, but pre flight check is probably quicker.
John (Email) (URL) - 17 11 05 - 06:42

I started off a huge rant here in response to your “mumblings”. I eventually decided to turn it into a blog entry of my own. The summarised version follows:

My answer to your question “What is blogging?” is who cares! What you are doing in Sandaig is brilliant. It works and the pupils get loads out of it. I don’t think you have “missed the ideal”. At the risk of sounding patronising, keep up the brilliant work!
:-)
David Muir (Email) (URL) - 17 11 05 - 11:58



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I am no longer, as of October 2008 working as a class teacher at Sandaig, so have moved this blog to another server. If you want to comment on this post, pleas search for it at: http://www.johnjohnston.info/blog.