Welcome to my first blog post! Blogs can be used as a means
to share ideas and information to anyone all over the world on any number of
topics. Readers can go to blog to find the latest breaking news, see what’s new
in technology, celebrity gossip, or even cute cat pictures! From the Adult
Learner perspective, blogs can serve as a place to find information on whatever
subject they happen to be studying and also use them as a resource to connect
with other learners. They can also face some inherent challenges because many
users don’t identify as being very “technical” and may encounter issues right
away. One of the best ways to deal with this as described by Cox & King is
to throw some of these learners together in a community environment with other
bloggers who have some varying degree of experience so that they can then learn
from each other (2011).
This week, we are also focusing on the differences between
blogging and using a discussion board that you would normally find in a
learning management system or managed message board. The biggest contrast is
shown through the amount of freedom someone has with a blog. The author is able
to post anything and everything that they are thinking for all the world to see
whereas most discussion boards are moderated to some degree by either an
administrator or faculty member who can remove posts at any time. The number of
users who could possibly read these posts and provide their own input is
severely limited. One of the other positive aspects of this approach to
learning, according to Santos, is the familiarity aspect that readers and
authors may have already with the use of similar sites like Facebook and other
online sites (2011). I look forward to continued discussion on this topic!
Cox, T.D & King,
K. P. (2011). The professor’s guide to
taming technology. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing, Inc.
Santos, Arnold
Nicholas E. (2011). Blogs as a learning space: creating text of talks. Contemporary Issues in Education Research,
4, 6, pg 15-16.
I noticed that you wrote more like a conversation. I wrote mine like a discussion board post--very boring and no voice--ha! King & Cox (2011) state "expectations for content, quality, and "voice" are specific to the genre" (p. 92). Being a novice blog writer I have yet to write as if I am speaking to the public. It is different than writing for a class post. I didn't think it would be different.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment. I wasn't necessarily aiming to make this post look like a conversation, but I definitely agree with you now that you have pointed it out to me. I feel that blogs should be a place where people can basically talk to each other and provide the back and forth that discussion boards may miss out on. In the end, since this page is open to the entire world, we are inviting anyone and everyone to participate in the conversation and contribute opinions.
DeleteI agree with your comment on collaborative social learning (Merriam, Caffarella, and Baumgartner, 2007) between peers with blogging activity. It addresses the “digital divide” as Levin, Arafeh, Lenhart, and Rainie (2002, p.24) has pointed out. There is a gap between the learners who are technically savvy and those who are not. Taking steps to narrow the gap between those two learners is important, particularly for an aspect of promoting social equality thru adult education. Welton (as cited in Merriam et al., 2007) argues that every learning institution should enable learners to unlock their potentials with their routine interactions, and this makes the institution a genuine emancipatory learning community. Collective Blogging with peers is one way to building an authentic learning network.
ReplyDeleteReferences
Levin, D., Arafeh, S., Lenhart, A., & Rainie, L. (2002). The Digital Disconnect: The Widening Gap Between Internet-Savvy Students and Their Schools. Washington, DC: Pew Internet & American Life Project, August 14, 2002.Report, 67, 20.
Merriam, S., Caffarella, R., & Baumgartner, L. (2007). Learning in adulthood : A comprehensive guide (3rd ed., Jossey-Bass higher and adult education series). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
I had not thought of the self-policing you mentioned in regards to the editing of Wiki content. It is an interesting point to consider. I think this would be especially true in Wikis that are targeted to specific topics or groups such as History educators or such.
ReplyDeleteWith Wikis I wonder if they would help to overcome the fear/dislike that many have with group work. They seem to be more open in regards to expectations and easier to coordinate with fellow group members. The few times I have worked with them have been in a group project setting and my experience has been more favorable with these than other group project platforms.