Comments on: ClassBlogging http://www.gordsellar.com/2006/05/23/classblogging/ Fri, 12 Mar 2010 03:10:29 +0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: gordsellar http://www.gordsellar.com/2006/05/23/classblogging/comment-page-1/#comment-2917 gordsellar Tue, 30 May 2006 14:15:04 +0000 http://www.gordsellar.com/2006/05/23/classblogging/#comment-2917 Yeah, I gave a lot of prompts in class. This was a "Learning to write in English" course, ie. an EFL (language) course, so we often discussed specific techniques or structures (organizational, rhetorical, grammatical) and the students were asked to use those structures or techniques on the blog. For example, sometimes I'd ask them to post on whatever subject they wished, but to use three compound sentences with the conjunctions <i>and, but,</i> and <i>or. On other occasions, I asked them to write something on theme, related to the readings section of the textbook for that week. And finally, a number of the blog posts would be on subjects of their own choosing, merely for the sheer simple purpose of (a) practicing writing and (b) learning to generate interesting topics and reflect on them in interesting ways. I found there was less discussion than I had originally hoped, and that it was relatively simple discussion -- mainly posts, with a little feedback sometimes -- but then again, I can't say that's a bad thing. Comment sections tend to be a great place to unwind and discuss things, but they also aren't particularly given to careful, clear writing in an academic style, so I don't mind that people did less commenting and more posting. In some ways, I actually prefer it. Next semester, I'll be teaching two Intermediate writing courses, and I have a feeling I'm going to have a single classblog set up for all the students to use. It'll be a lot easier to track, a lot more interesting (since curiosity about the other class may arise), and I think it'll give more of a "blog" experience, where you're reading the writing of people you may or may not actually know in real life. The drawback is that people will either (a) complain when one class is assigned some piece of blog homework that the other class isn't assigned, or (b) get bored when the blog homework is too similar in both classes. It'll take some careful thought to prevent either case from arising... Yeah, I gave a lot of prompts in class. This was a “Learning to write in English” course, ie. an EFL (language) course, so we often discussed specific techniques or structures (organizational, rhetorical, grammatical) and the students were asked to use those structures or techniques on the blog. For example, sometimes I’d ask them to post on whatever subject they wished, but to use three compound sentences with the conjunctions and, but, and or.

On other occasions, I asked them to write something on theme, related to the readings section of the textbook for that week.

And finally, a number of the blog posts would be on subjects of their own choosing, merely for the sheer simple purpose of (a) practicing writing and (b) learning to generate interesting topics and reflect on them in interesting ways.

I found there was less discussion than I had originally hoped, and that it was relatively simple discussion — mainly posts, with a little feedback sometimes — but then again, I can’t say that’s a bad thing. Comment sections tend to be a great place to unwind and discuss things, but they also aren’t particularly given to careful, clear writing in an academic style, so I don’t mind that people did less commenting and more posting. In some ways, I actually prefer it.

Next semester, I’ll be teaching two Intermediate writing courses, and I have a feeling I’m going to have a single classblog set up for all the students to use. It’ll be a lot easier to track, a lot more interesting (since curiosity about the other class may arise), and I think it’ll give more of a “blog” experience, where you’re reading the writing of people you may or may not actually know in real life. The drawback is that people will either (a) complain when one class is assigned some piece of blog homework that the other class isn’t assigned, or (b) get bored when the blog homework is too similar in both classes. It’ll take some careful thought to prevent either case from arising…

]]> By: Emily http://www.gordsellar.com/2006/05/23/classblogging/comment-page-1/#comment-2916 Emily Tue, 30 May 2006 05:47:06 +0000 http://www.gordsellar.com/2006/05/23/classblogging/#comment-2916 What sorts of things were discussed on the class blog? Just anything related to class? Did you give them specific prompts? Oh, sorry - I just noticed that you mentioned paragraph assignments and diary entries. Was this the main sort of thing they were posting? What sorts of things were discussed on the class blog? Just anything related to class? Did you give them specific prompts?
Oh, sorry – I just noticed that you mentioned paragraph assignments and diary entries. Was this the main sort of thing they were posting?

]]> By: gordsellar http://www.gordsellar.com/2006/05/23/classblogging/comment-page-1/#comment-2895 gordsellar Tue, 23 May 2006 15:34:32 +0000 http://www.gordsellar.com/2006/05/23/classblogging/#comment-2895 I don't know what made them work. My best guess is that someone changed something in the ISP's setup. *shrug* Um, yay? I don’t know what made them work. My best guess is that someone changed something in the ISP’s setup. *shrug* Um, yay?

]]> By: EFL Geek http://www.gordsellar.com/2006/05/23/classblogging/comment-page-1/#comment-2894 EFL Geek Tue, 23 May 2006 06:32:09 +0000 http://www.gordsellar.com/2006/05/23/classblogging/#comment-2894 Wow, you got trackbacks working finally! Wow, you got trackbacks working finally!

]]> By: EFL Geek: ESL & EFL in Korea http://www.gordsellar.com/2006/05/23/classblogging/comment-page-1/#comment-2893 EFL Geek: ESL & EFL in Korea Tue, 23 May 2006 06:29:30 +0000 http://www.gordsellar.com/2006/05/23/classblogging/#comment-2893 <strong>Class Blogging</strong> Gord has written a lengthy post about his experience with class blogging and recommendations for the future. It well worth the read and reflects some of my experience using blogs with my advanced class this semester as well. go read ClassBlogging. Class Blogging

Gord has written a lengthy post about his experience with class blogging and recommendations for the future. It well worth the read and reflects some of my experience using blogs with my advanced class this semester as well. go read ClassBlogging.

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