Laura Blankenship, Bryn Mawr College A Class Blogs How to connect students to each other and beyond

Laura Blankenship, Bryn Mawr College Principles behind using blogs Connectivism-having students create “learning networks” Cognitive theories of writing-writing as thinking Writing as a craft-practice, practice, practice Creating a wider audience for student writing Feedback

Laura Blankenship, Bryn Mawr College Connectivism The integration of cognition and emotions in meaning-making is important. Learning is a process of connecting specialized nodes or information sources. The capacity to know more is more critical that what is currently known. Learning and knowledge rest in diversity of opinions. Learning happens in many different ways. Learning is a knowledge creation process...not only knowledge consumption.

Laura Blankenship, Bryn Mawr College Read. Think. Blog. Repeat Blogging is as much about reading and reflecting as writing We require students to read and comment on other blogs—both at WOI and elsewhere Comments often become a topic of discussion in class Then we send them back to blog again

Laura Blankenship, Bryn Mawr College Practice Students blog at least twice/week 30 pieces of writing 4-5 more developed pieces Portfolio which collects, revises and reflects on writing

Laura Blankenship, Bryn Mawr College Don’t write for the teacher Public blogging provides a much wider audience We encourage creating connections/links to our blog Making students aware of how their writing is viewed

Laura Blankenship, Bryn Mawr College Feedback We use comments to guide and reflect on the arguments Others comment—professors, parents, other students Commenting anonymously—the freedom to remove yourself from the “professor” role Example: We got a comment from one of the authors of a paper we readcomment

Laura Blankenship, Bryn Mawr College Some observations Idea/topic formation—very difficult from some students Conversations are created; students learn to hone their arguments. Example: conversation about Bill Bennett’s comments.conversation Blogging vs. “English Paper” They’re blogging over fall break with no specific assignment to do so.

Laura Blankenship, Bryn Mawr College Outside the writing classroom Blogging a particular topic Inviting experts in to comment Using a blog to generate in-class discussion Ex: Social Psychology BlogSocial Psychology Blog