Week 3 - Engagement Activity 1

Blog Reflection

What is a blog? A blog is a website that allows individuals to post regular content to be viewed by the public. It provides a range of new ways of engaging students.  This youtube clip explores ten interesting reasons for using blogs in the classroom.


Using the PMI matrix below, a range of other pluses, minuses and interests have been examined.

Pluses	Minus	Interests
·         Allows students to express their opinions ·         Allows to students to comment on other student’s blogs (collaborative learning) ·         Can be accessed outside the classrooms and for distance leaner’s – global learning ·         Makes education participant-centred ·         Encourages students to be active and engage throughout the semester in an interactive way ·         Assists learners improve their writing and literacy skills. Students would also get better at writing reflections. ·         Students can update their work. ·         Allows the teacher and student to see changes in a learner’s opinions and ability over time. ·         Creates an informal learning atmosphere that engage learners. ·         Saves paper and reduces costs ·         Assists multi-learner types	·         In researching for assignments, blog information is not always correct or reliable. It could also be biased. ·         It cannot be edited by other students, and thus it is not really utilising collaborative learning (contrast with a wikispace for instance.) ·         Some learners dislike the scope that is given to them in creating a blog. ·         Constant/regular engagement on a blog may be difficult for students with other commitments. ·         No privacy if teachers and students are giving feedback on a blog. ·         Potential for cyber bullying. ·         In individualist cultures some people are less inclined to share knowledge.	·         Gives people opportunities to engage in ICTs ·         Opportunities to create and share information with others around the world

 The use of a blog in the classroom creates an informal learning dialogue that can encourage students to be active and engage throughout the semester. As a future home economics teacher, I would utilize the use of this ICT into a weekly assessment regime in my junior classes. After the cooking class each week, students would be asked to create a blog about the dishes that they made. Students would be required to post the recipe (ingredients and method) as well as a photograph of the dish that they made. Students would then reflect in the blog on dish they created and suggest things they could improve on for next time. They would also be encouraged to positively engage and comment on other student’s blogs.

For a senior hospitality class, I would require the students to publish a ‘food critic’ blog. Students would be asked to go to a couple of restaurants over the course of the semester. Students would be required in their blog to review the service, cleanliness, taste and appearance of the food, the dress and friendliness of the staff and give an overall rating for the establishment. Students would be required to conduct such a blog in a positive manner with praise and/or constructive criticism.

Overall, the goal of the blogs would be to engage students in the learning process. Initially students would engage independently in posting their blog and then collaborate with other students by commenting on their peer’s blogs.