BLOGging is collaborative?

Does blogging allow students to enjoy learning and reflecting with others? (Nelson, 2001)

Does blogging give students opportunities to work with other students both in class and over the Internet on collaborative projects and activities? (Nelson, 2001)

“Essentially we are social beings and our brains grow in a social environment. Because we often forge meaning through socializing, the whole role of student-to-student discussion is vastly underused. When used properly, cooperative learning is highly brain compatible. Talking, sharing, and discussing are critical; we are biologically wired for language and communicating with one another” (Jensen, 1998, p.92).

“Social opportunities also affect motivation. Feeling that one is contributing something to others appears to be especially motivating” (National Research Council, 2000, p. 61).

Collaboration affects motivation, feedback, rehearsal, attention….stuff that good learning is made of!!

What blogging articles say about collaboration:

"...[E]dublogs offer students the opportunity to surface their ideas in a social plane. The ability to comment on these ideas enables individuals to participate in social construction of knowledge and meaning making."
-from Huann, T., John, O., & Yuen, J. (2005). Weblogs in education. IT Literature Review. http://edublog.net/astinus/mt/archives/2005/09/weblogs_in_
educ.html. (this link is too long...it was putting my side panel at the bottom of the page)

"...[B]logs become a vehicle through which learners can express their ideas in a state of virtual proximity, creating and refining their ideas through dialogue with other learners and guidance by the teacher."
-from Wang, M., Fix, R. & Bock, L. (2004). Blogs: Useful Tool or Vain Indulgence? E-Learn 2005: World Conference on E-Learning, Oct. 24-28.

"If one thinks of blogs as being essentially on-line journals, it may not be evident how they could be used in collaborative ways.... Writers typically make rich use of hypertext to connect to what others have written on a topic or to resources on the Web. Blog entries are normally followed by a comment button, allowing readers to write a reaction, which is created and managed by individuals, group blogs are also possible."
-from Godwin-Jones, R. (2003). Emerging technologies (Blogs and wikis: Environments for on-line collaboration). Language Learning & Technology, 7(2), p. 12- 16. http://11t.msu.edu/vol7num2/emerging/.

"Blogs provide an immediate audience."
-from Brooks-Young, S. (2005). Writing for an audience: Use blogs to expand your students’ horizons. Today’s Catholic Teacher, 39(2), p. 10f.

Blogs can even be used by parents.
-from Weiler, G. (2003). Using weblogs in the classroom. English Journal, 92(5), p. 73f.

"It is likely that someone outside of a class will happen across student blogs or a classroom collaborative blog. As such, blogging can help extend the classroom from teh physical constraints of those who fit in the room and are registered to a limitless international sutdent body."
-from Trammell, K. & Ferdig, R. (2004). Pedagogical implications of classroom blogging. Exchange Quarterly, 8(4), p. 60f.

"Practical constraints of time and space prevent students from sharing ideas as they occur in classroom discussions. Blogs provide a communication tool in which each student can participate in that learning community, posting, connecting seeing, reading, thinking, and responding in a contagious rhythm that leads to greater participation within the thinking space of the classroom."
-from Kajder, S. & Bull, G. (2004). Scaffolding for struggling students: Reading and writing with blogs. Learning and Leading with Technology, 31(2), p. 32f.

"Writing in blogs can lead to sharing ideas and work within communities, something students appeared hungry for within their posts."
-from Kajder, S. & Bull, G. (2004). A space for “writing without writing”. Learning and Leading with Technology, 31(6), p. 32f.

"The process of reading online, engaging a community, and reflecting it online is a process of bringing life into learning."
- from Downes, S. (2004). Educational Blogging. EDUCAUSE Review, 39(5), p. 14f.

"Weblogs have enormous potential to create learning spaces that are social and student-owned."
-Oravec, J. (2003). Blending by blogging: weblogs in blended learning initiatives. Journal of Educational Media, 28(2/3), p. 225f.

Initial Sources:

Jensen, E. (1998). Teaching with the brain in mind. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Jensen, E. (2000). Brain-based learning: A reality check. Educational Leadership, 57(7), p. 76f.

National Research Council. (2000). How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school (Ex. ed.). Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

Nelson, K. (2001). Teaching in the Cyberage. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, Inc..

Choice?

Do students perceive that have more choices (more control over their own learning) when they are blogging?

Adequate processing time provided by blogging

Does blogging allow students the time needed to process learning?

Students need periods of purposeful processing time for learning to incubate. (Jensen, 1998; Prigge, 2002)

“Students carry out initial and secondary rehearsal at different rates of speed and in different ways, depending on the type of information in the new learning and their learning styles” (Sousa, 2001, p. 86).

“Because the rate of learning the rate of retrieval are independent, individuals can be fast or slow learners, fast or slow retrievers, and every combination in between” (Sousa, 2001, p.108).

“Provide sufficient time for learning to begin with. Make sure you plan time for review and reflection, as well. These are requirements for authentic learning” (Jensen, 2000, p. 320).

Blogging comments:

"Blogging allows everyone in the class to share their opinion, not just the loudest or most outspoken student" (Caitlin Nunberg in article cited below).

"[Some] students prefer to blog after school, even in the middle of the nights."
- from Borja, R. (2005). 'Blogs catching on as a tool for instruction". Education Week, 25(15), p. 1f.

"The time constraints of the classroom limit both the scope of and participation in discussions. Blogs provide a forum in which everyone can participate equally, and new discussions can easily branch out from established topics."
- from Weiler, G. (2003). Using weblogs in the classroom. English Journal, 92(5), p. 73f.

References:

Jensen, E. (1998). Teaching with the brain in mind. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Jensen, E. (2000). Brain-based learning: A reality check. Educational Leadership, 57(7), p. 76f.

Prigge, D. (2002). Twenty ways to promote brain-based teaching and learning. Intervention in School and Clinic, 37(40), p. 237f.

Sousa, D. (1998). Brain research can help principals reform secondary schools. Bulletin, 82(588), p. 21f.

Aaarghhh!

Does blogging have an emotional impact on students without being strong enough to cause students to shut down or be distracted?

Learning, Emotions, & BLOGging

Does blogging allow for the expression of emotions?

Why are these questions significant?

“How students feel is critical to the decision to learn, the quality of learning, and the ability to recall the learning” (Jensen, 2000, p. 321). “The old model of learning separated mind, body, and emotions. We now know differently. Emotions are a critical part of a learner’s ability to think rationally and experience meaning” (Jensen, 2000, p. 283).

“Today, neuroscientists might tell you to engage emotions appropriately at every chance you get. Engage emotions as a part of the learning, not as an add-on” (Jensen, 1998, p.80).

Some of the ways that teaching can support the emotions is by providing more personally meaningful projects and more individual choice, by ensuring that the resources necessary for success are available to every learner, by creating multi-status groups of learners supported by peer review and feedback, by using self-assessment tools for non-threatening feedback, and by assigning large group-oriented projects that require learners to learn to work with others and problem solve for the greater good.

Does blogging:

_____ 1. provide personally meaningful projects?
_____ 2. provide more individual choice?
_____ 3. ensure that the resources necessary for success are available to every learner?
_____ 4. create multi-status groups?
_____ 5. provide for peer review and feedback?
_____ 6. use self-assessment tools?
_____ 7. provide large group-oriented projects?
_____ 8. require problem solving?

Hmmm. Which of these would you check off?

References:

Jensen, E. (1998). Teaching with the brain in mind. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Jensen, E. (2000). Brain-based learning: A reality check. Educational Leadership, 57(7), p. 76f.

Prigge, D. (2002). Twenty ways to promote brain-based teaching and learning.
Intervention in School and Clinic, 37(40), p. 237f.

Meaning and Relevance

Does blogging provide meaning and relevance?

First of all, why should we even ask this question?

The brain is designed to seek meaning in the content, the process, or the product of the lesson (Nelson, 2001; Jensen, 2000; National Research Council, 2000). Meaning is complex and involves the need for relevance, emotional connections, transfer and pattern making (Jensen, 2000). “All meaning has at least one of these three ingredients, but the reverse is not true” (Jensen, 1998, p.92).

“Authentic, meaningful learning requires the student to process information in his/her own way, along his/her own timeline, and in relation to his/her own perceptual maps. Sorting, analyzing, and drawing conclusions in the context of one’s own life is the only learning that sticks” (Jensen, 2000, p. 279). Blogging!

“Relevance actually happens on a cellular level. An already-existing neuron simply ‘connects’ with a nearby neuron to make a connection. If the content is irrelevant (lacks understanding or emotional valence), it’s unlikely a connection will be made” (Jensen, 2000, p. 281). In other words, if the information is personal to us, if we feel deeply about it, and if it makes sense, chances are pretty good we’ll find it meaningful” (Jensen, 2000, p. 281). Hey, blogging, again!

"We should remember that what was meaningful for us as children may not be necessarily meaningful for children today” (Sousa, 2001, p. 49). Right! Blogging is meaningful to students even if teachers don't think it matters.

References:

Jensen, E. (1998). Teaching with the brain in mind. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Jensen, E. (2000). Brain-based learning: A reality check. Educational Leadership, 57(7), p. 76f.

National Research Council. (2000). How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school (Ex. ed.). Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

Nelson, K. (2001). Teaching in the Cyberage. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, Inc..

Sousa, D. (2001). How the brain learns (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, Inc..

Telling before writing = not writing (?)

During my undergraduate studies, I took a creative writing class. We discussed the saying, "If you tell people about the book you are going to write, you will never write it." In telling the story before it is written, the "author" has already gained an audience and has lost a lot of the motivation to write.

I've considered this many times as I've written posts for this blog. I have avoided writing the really "meaty" stuff that relates blogging to how kids learn because I need to still feel motivated to write the thesis. I had come to my own conclusion that I would write the most important connections between neuroscientific research and blogging AFTER I completed my research.

I wonder about this. I read on other people's blogs this summer that blogging really helped them develop their dissertations. I wonder if they talked "around" the subject or directly addressed the real issues they were pursuing. How did they resolve this issue?

Feedback?