Thing #4

Well this "Thing" has been a little more time consuming, but very enjoyable. I got alot out of each of the blogs that I visited. I am very impressed with the fact that many teachers are successfully using classroom blogs..and it seems they've been doing it for a long while. I feel a little behind the times...but catching up!

So the first blog I checked out was "Why I don't assign homework". I found it very interesting in that I realized that I agreed with most of the teacher's ideas. I didn't think that I would...I thought I believed in homework! But after listening to his very logical and intelligent arguments I had a paradigm shift. I also enjoyed many of the comments left by the readers.

The second blog was my favorite site that I visited for this assignment. Mrs. Edmison's Class Wow! I only wish I would have had a grade school teacher like Mrs. Edmison! She has literally put the world at the fingertips of her class by introducing them to the author of their favorite book and opening up a dialogue! How exciting and wonderful. The possibilities are endless! You're learning about space? Let's see if we can get an astronaut to answer some of our questions online...you want to know about what's on the ocean floor...let's talk to this marine biologist. Politics? our senator, our governor, or mayor...endless possibilities! Loved her creativity.

My least favorite was "Spies like us" it left me a little paranoid and fearful. So I choose not to dwell on the negative possibilities of technology. Next was "Teaching Brevity", and I really liked that. Brevity is something I should concentrate on more. I loved the idea that we should assign an essay not on the length, for example 5oo words, but on the brevity of perhaps one paragraph. So that each word is packed with meaning...it takes infinitely more thought. We'd have to choose our words much more carefully if we knew we only could use 50 words to describe and entire book.

Last I chose Duck with a Blog, and I thought this was adorable. How fun for parents to check out their childrens comments, with all the misspellings intact. I really marvel at the teacher's bravery and ingenuity.

I enjoy blog reading very much. It opens up a whole new world of conversations that you wouldn't normally have...it is uninterrupted thought recorded for any and all to see. I find it enlightening and mind expanding. I also think an important part of the experience is reading other readers' comments. They sometimes give opposite opinions or expand on the author's original idea and take it to the next level. Lastly, most of the blogs I read, illuminated the fact that blogs really work for your class. It was pretty much..."If you build it, they will come"! haha!
Loved this assignment.