Blogging this year has been interesting. I usually enjoy going through the thought/writing process, even though it sometimes has felt forced and tedious. Reflecting and thinking about what we've learned in class outside probably has helped me internalized some of the information better, although on occasion the given prompt has been in the wrong direction given the project at hand. When I've gone to start writing my blogs, I've found that the first 2-3 paragraphs that fall out of my head suit the purpose, but it would be nice to have to rustle around the attic if not for a little longer than in a different place. This may have to do with the way I approach the prompts; a duty or a conversation starter. I feel like too often, despite the best intentions this homework assignment has seemed like the former, and I don't think it has to. Giving prompts similar to the "do you mind" questions we've been faced with in class, or even reverting to the prompt "answer a do you mind question" would let students focus on a subject that currently piques their interest. To keep it centered on the curriculum, the assignment itself could say connect the answer/insight arrived at from answering the do you mind question to X aspect (project or discussion) of class. I was pleasantly surprised by the utility of blogging, and I think going through a similar process mentally for more of my other classes should be useful in the future.
Blogs seem like they should be written when the blogger has something to blog about. Unless you used to be called journalist.
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3 comments:
Hey Mitch,
I saw the comment above mine and thought, that just about sums up our blogging experience- being forced to write up a few paragraphs on a topic that has little context for the outside reader, and sometimes little for us, either. Sometimes our prompts make for good posts, but not always.
Mitch,
I agree with your post, though I think it would be almost impossible to have a prompt that is simultaneously interesting and pertinent to class. These two things tend to be polar opposites. Whenever we do something for school, whether it be reading a book (even a good one), or writing blog posts, it sucks all the fun out of it. That being said, just because writing blogs wasn't fun doesn't mean that it wasn't worthwhile and valuable, which apparently both you and I think it was.
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