The Best Blog Post Yet...What To Do?
Sometimes a picture really is worth a thousand words...These pictures illustrate a conversation I had this morning. The first is picture is of Rodin's statue entitled "The Thinker," and it is famous enough that many people would recognize it with no label. The second picture, however, has an interesting addition that brings us to the 21st century and the topic of my conversation! What do you think?
This morning before school I met with my fellow English teachers, and I found myself talking about blogging...I accidentally said something that I thought truly summed up why I see blogging as a great avenue for teaching. Let's see if I can remember it........
........I believe that we are ALL learners: students and teachers, adults and teens alike. I don't want to insult anyone - ever - by telling them what they should think. Likewise, I don't want anyone to insult me by telling me what to think. The blog allows us the liberty to write about our thoughts, our views, our opinions, and to share (summarize and link) the information that led us to form those conclusions. Readers get to see why I think the way I do. In other words, I could write about UFO's (just as an example) and instead of simply telling my readers whether or not I thought they were real, I could link my readers to the outside reliable sources that led me to my opinions. You may not really care about the way I think, but you might be interested in knowing how I formed my opinion! This might or might not influence your opinion, but will allow you a glimpse of my view.
Real blogging is making those connections with each other, the texts we read, and the world beyond us all. In today's world, we are so influenced by the media that surrounds us that I think it's important to be able to evaluate our sources, understand our differences, and examine how and why we believe the things we do!
The other beauty about blogging is the ability to share ideas through commenting. It's, of course, nice to get validation from fellow bloggers who agree with our thoughts, but it's also a great opportunity to ask the right questions and explore a topic more deeply...This doesn't mean flaming about hot issues, but does mean reading other viewpoints and finding an understanding of how others came to think the way they do.
We'll be taking the citywide benchmark tests today and tomorrow, but Friday we'll return to classroom reading workshop time and blogging. Be thinking about the most profound reading you've done this year. Be thinking about a book that changed the way you see things, or a book that was entertaining, or a book that challenged you. Be thinking about how you might blog about that experience, about how you might research or link us to enrichment or other related material. As you are reading through our blog, please connect with other bloggers by looking for potential discussions you can participate in. This will also give you a chance to build your summer reading list!
posted by Ms. James @ 11:38 AM
16 comments
16 Comments:
It was really unreal. I thought it was some crazy teen driver, not some really drunk guy!
When is the final post due?
I completely agree Ms. J. It is a wonderful thing to be able to learn about others' viewpoints and what has influenced them (whether that is their culture, something that they have read, etc.). It always makes me happy to see people post and comment in an effort to learn from and understand one another.
Peace & Much Love.
I agree with art can produce a thousand words.
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I am starting to understand what it means to blog. I should get with the times and do more of it on my own. My myspace page is about as far as I get when it comes to blogging. The best part of blogging would be the opportunity to see a variety of viewpoints.
You write:
Real blogging is making those connections with each other, the texts we read, and the world beyond us all.
I believe the anonymity of the internet allows us to make tenuous intellectual connections because people feel safe. As I write this, I'm in class, but most bloggers are at home, in their underwear drinking a Killian's Irish Red, and scratching themselves. In other words, they are in a safe place. Thus, my opinion can be freely expressed because I am safe and I am not giving my opinion directly to you.
Have I read anything challenging? Everything I read feels challenging right now. :) I can't even remember what I read anymore.
So what I'm liking about this blog spot is the fact that almost every post begins with a photo of some kind. I found myself scrolling through each post looking at the pictures.
I wasn't sure what to respond to, because there are so many interesting photos that piqued my curiousity. Of course, this pic of Rodin's "The Thinker" always makes me stop and, of course, think! :)
I'm signing off so I can help others in your presentation! I can't wait for you to finish so I can get some GREAT ideas! You are an awesome teacher and the classroom is going to miss you!!!
I am not a blogger and don't really understand all the rage, but I guess it is a way to keep annonimity [sic] for people who want to "talk", but don't want to do so in a person to person way. It is insulated and "safe."
Back in my younger days, I remember thinking how wonderful it would be to get secure in my teaching and settle in to the work. But do we ever really settle in? In fact, the best lesson I ever taught was when I stepped outside my comfort zone. I think this is one of those occassions, and I am thrilled.
I have never blogged before, but I am very interested in finding out more about it. I'd love any help you can give, and your blogspot is just fabulous!
I love your ideas expressed here about not telling others what to think. So much of "doing school" is about "what." What's the capital of Yugoslavia? Does Yugoslavia even exist today? Here's a great example of how the "what" matters so much less than the why and how. Why do I need to ask if Yugoslavia exists today? How am I going to find out? With today's technology, the "what's" are so easily accessible that our greatest duty lies in questioning rather than knowing and in guiding our students to do the same.
Art can produce a thousand words, but a thousand words can produce something that art never could.
Nice pictures!
You write, "You may not really care about the way I think, but you might be interested in knowing how I formed my opinion!" Is this unlike process? I don't think so. It is not necessarily what we arrive at as much as it is how we arrive. The journey is the key as learners, students and teachers alike, discover the paths and rivers we traverse in finding out a new way to look at something or create a new piece of knowledge from what we thought we knew, what we know and the knowledge of others. How cool! Last night, while struggling with where I am as a teacher, I expressed that it is no longer important to change the lives of my students through my teaching but what I am looking for is a way to show students how to change themselves through discovering, writing, exploring, listening, talking, and learning. That would be the greatest gift I could give - the ability to recognize where we come from, where we want to be, how to get there. Along with this the ability to recognize and understand who we are and whether or not we like who we are - having the ability to say "hey, I want change, I want knowledge."
Blogging? I am currently jumping through hoops (not like a groomed poodle with puffs around my ankles, more like a Humane's Society dog--tongue lolling) for the administration in the building where I teach. Blogging, like Kickapoo? I describe my experience at the National conference where so many people were relating blogging class activities and nodding sagely while I futily scribbled notes.
Maybe you've hit on how to explain to my students the difference between argument and opinion. I really like what you were saying about showing how you formed your thoughts. That is what I am more interested in why they think what they think than in what they actually think.
They seem to struggle with the idea that I have said it that should be enough, right? Moving them beyond the opinion into why they hold the opinion, into discussing the thoughts that helped them form that opinion, is so hard sometimes.
You've given me a great idea!
Thanks.
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