Writing Less Stagnant, Writing More Interactive, Blogging!

As Meg and I prepare to teach our first class at the university level, we have been engaged in a lot of conversation about blogging.  This morning, as I sat with my cat perched atop the text we've asked our students to read for class, I began to think about how I've used blogging in my own classroom.  I've come to the conclusion that I need to blog more frequently with my middle school students. Though I've read this book in the past, I love when I am blessed with time to revisit a text and can become more enlightened.  Re-reading the second chapter of the book Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms by Will Richardson has reminded me of the enormous potential blogging possess for educators.  
Richardson has reminded me that a good blog is reflective and conversational.  It is a place for both writer and reader to think and respond.  A blog that is well done in Richardson’s words, “demands interaction”.  It begs for the reader to make a  comment. This makes blogging a more fluid type of writing with no real end. I love this!  While I have used blogging in my middle school classroom, I have found myself  losing sight of the collaborative part of blogging.  I find that I am good about allotting time for students to blog, but I am not as good about building in the time for students to read and comment on the blogging done by their peers.  Big mistake!  I need to correct this!  The idea that blogs are a collaborative space needs to stay in the forefront of my mind.  

In my opinion, this book is a wonderful resource for educators.  It is full of practical ideas and advice to help teachers navigate the sometimes overwhelming road to using technology in the classroom.  I look forward to further re-reading, and hope my graduate students, as well as others, will find this book useful.