Thing #4 -  Blogging Begins with Reading

What I noticed about the genre of blog writing in general is that the range of learning was apparent.  Classroom learning tools reflect on cognitive processing from elementary school to high school.

Blog reading differs from other types of reading because the reader makes a personal connection with the blogger.  In the world of blogging, the reader can read the thoughts of the blogger and also comment back to the blogger making blogging an interactive reading experience. Yet it is similar to traditional reading in that the reader absorbs the story.

Blog writing is also different from other types of writing in that it is more of a diary or journal that the blogger shares with his readers.  Blogging invites readers to make comments, criticisms, ask questions and gives a more definite, well-rounded perspective to its subject.  But it is still similar to traditional writing because it’s still written from the blogger’s perspective, just like an author writes a book from his own perspective.

As I noted above, commenting contributes to the writing and meaning-making because there is an interaction between like-minded persons, giving the blog a more well-rounded open perspective on the subject of the blog. 

As an interactive tool, blogs assist a teacher in areas of instructional time and provide equity in the subject lessons. I have used “Teachershare” (an interactive tool we use in our district) to help me facilitate my classroom objectives and goals. “Teachershare” is a type of blog and I use it almost religiously.  This tool allows me to incorporate effective strategies I might not have though of on my own to give my lessons the rigor that is desired to engage or stimulate a student’s interest in the assignment.

The blog “14 Steps to Meaningful Student Blogging” interested me because the middle school students I teach do not have a true understanding of why students should blog. Reading the blog has given me tools to help me inform the students, giving them a better understanding of the comment in meaning-making.  

There is definitely a blogging literacy.  As we become more familiar with blogging, we learn how to use blogging more effectively; therefore we become more literate in the use of blogging. 

Blogging affects the way we read and write.  As we become more comfortable with blogging, we tend to put our thoughts and ideas out for others to read and comment upon.  It helps me share my ideas with others, while they give help me expound on my ideas as well.