Unit One- Paper #1: Weblogs: What's the Use?
∑ Assigned Sept. 5. Due Oct. 3.
Situation: Teachers are always teaching students skills
they were not taught, and teach how to use tools they did not/have not
used.
For this assignment, the whole class will test, read about, and make
an evaluation of and recommendations for using (or not using) one possible
tool for teaching and learning in the 21st century: the weblog.
Audience/Purpose: Teachers will want to know the following
things- so answer some/all of the following questions:
Reflecting on the usefulness of blogging. Did it further brainstorming?
Did it aid in clarifying the material being read and discussed in class?
Did it foster collaboration? Did encourage sharing ideas or did it inhibit
writing and thinking because of the public nature of the writing? Are
weblogs something that shouldn't be "assigned"- do they lose
their appeal and become just another school task? Filter-blogs are similar
to keeping note-cards- is this style more appropriate for school than
journal-style? Are students motivated to write in weblogs? Do they become
more confident as writers? Are students motivated to read when weblogs
are assigned as the course reading material? Do students become better
writers?
Product: Take the material you read about blogs, your
experience as a reader of blogs, and your experience writing them and
write an essay in which you A) evaluate the potential of weblogs for
education, B) recommend to me (someone interested in weblogging) specific
uses (or non-specific uses) for weblogging.
Do not, however, limit yourself to thinking about the uses just for
this class- a composition class. Try using your blog or various blogs
for other classes, and consider the general potential for blogs in education.
Imagine future uses of them.