Comments on: How NOT to use blogs in education http://www.blogsavvy.net/education/how-not-to-use-blogs-in-education-50/ Blogging: 100's of free tips on how to make money blogging Wed, 25 Nov 2009 23:00:53 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Peter J. Vitale http://www.blogsavvy.net/education/how-not-to-use-blogs-in-education-50/comment-page-2/#comment-264 Peter J. Vitale Sat, 18 Mar 2006 16:46:35 +0000 http://blogsavvy.net/?p=54#comment-264 I am currently in a graduate adolescent education class centered around incorporating technology into instruction. We are researching different ways of communicating using the internet. I don't ever use blogs but I found the views expressed by educators to be hypocritical. Either they are beneficial for education or they are not. No gray area here. I am not yet an educator but I feel that anything that can appeal to students, especially at the high school level, in terms of a communication bridge is a positive tool. I am currently in a graduate adolescent education class centered around incorporating technology into instruction. We are researching different ways of communicating using the internet. I don’t ever use blogs but I found the views expressed by educators to be hypocritical. Either they are beneficial for education or they are not. No gray area here. I am not yet an educator but I feel that anything that can appeal to students, especially at the high school level, in terms of a communication bridge is a positive tool.

]]> By: my weblog - new » Blog Archive » Abject Learning: Small pieces more loosely joined… musings from the fog http://www.blogsavvy.net/education/how-not-to-use-blogs-in-education-50/comment-page-2/#comment-263 my weblog - new » Blog Archive » Abject Learning: Small pieces more loosely joined… musings from the fog Tue, 07 Mar 2006 14:24:12 +0000 http://blogsavvy.net/?p=54#comment-263 [...] One of the things I’ve been batting around in my so-called mind is a framework for ripping, mixing and feeding collections of weblogs and resources for courses… This fall we launched a set of weblog-based courses linked up with aggRSSive. So far, based on the feedback we’ve gotten, I’d say these were successful efforts. We do break most of Farmer’s dictums, but that doesn’t bug me much. [...] [...] One of the things I’ve been batting around in my so-called mind is a framework for ripping, mixing and feeding collections of weblogs and resources for courses… This fall we launched a set of weblog-based courses linked up with aggRSSive. So far, based on the feedback we’ve gotten, I’d say these were successful efforts. We do break most of Farmer’s dictums, but that doesn’t bug me much. [...]

]]> By: my weblog » Abject Learning: Small pieces more loosely joined… musings from the fog http://www.blogsavvy.net/education/how-not-to-use-blogs-in-education-50/comment-page-2/#comment-262 my weblog » Abject Learning: Small pieces more loosely joined… musings from the fog Wed, 15 Feb 2006 19:14:04 +0000 http://blogsavvy.net/?p=54#comment-262 [...] One of the things I’ve been batting around in my so-called mind is a framework for ripping, mixing and feeding collections of weblogs and resources for courses… This fall we launched a set of weblog-based courses linked up with aggRSSive. So far, based on the feedback we’ve gotten, I’d say these were successful efforts. We do break most of Farmer’s dictums, but that doesn’t bug me much. Rules are made to be broken, especially with this kind of stuff. None of the instructors had any familiarity with weblogs before we launched, and each had a set of requirements (privacy, etc…) that led to fairly tight integration of our networks. In a sense these are hybrids between weblogs and traditional course management — which is something of a cop-out, but I’m a believer in going where the users are, and for better or for worse these projects reflect that. [...] [...] One of the things I’ve been batting around in my so-called mind is a framework for ripping, mixing and feeding collections of weblogs and resources for courses… This fall we launched a set of weblog-based courses linked up with aggRSSive. So far, based on the feedback we’ve gotten, I’d say these were successful efforts. We do break most of Farmer’s dictums, but that doesn’t bug me much. Rules are made to be broken, especially with this kind of stuff. None of the instructors had any familiarity with weblogs before we launched, and each had a set of requirements (privacy, etc…) that led to fairly tight integration of our networks. In a sense these are hybrids between weblogs and traditional course management — which is something of a cop-out, but I’m a believer in going where the users are, and for better or for worse these projects reflect that. [...]

]]> By: Uses of Weblogs in Adult Education » Weblogs in Education: Reader http://www.blogsavvy.net/education/how-not-to-use-blogs-in-education-50/comment-page-1/#comment-261 Uses of Weblogs in Adult Education » Weblogs in Education: Reader Sat, 14 Jan 2006 15:27:42 +0000 http://blogsavvy.net/?p=54#comment-261 [...] Selected Readings Some Uses of Blogs in Education - Edtechpost How you should use blogs in education - Blogsavvy How not use blogs in education - Blogsavvy Blogging and RSS — The “What’s It?” and “How To” of Powerful New Web Tools for Educators - Will Richardson Weblogs in Education - Interview with Will Richardson Blogs in Teaching and Learning - The Educational Potential of Weblogs - elarningeuropa.info Blogs @ Anywhere: High fidelity online communication - incorporated subversion [...] [...] Selected Readings Some Uses of Blogs in Education – Edtechpost How you should use blogs in education – Blogsavvy How not use blogs in education – Blogsavvy Blogging and RSS — The “What’s It?” and “How To” of Powerful New Web Tools for Educators – Will Richardson Weblogs in Education – Interview with Will Richardson Blogs in Teaching and Learning – The Educational Potential of Weblogs – elarningeuropa.info Blogs @ Anywhere: High fidelity online communication – incorporated subversion [...]

]]> By: Ruminate » Blog Archive » How to Use Blogs in Education (or Not) http://www.blogsavvy.net/education/how-not-to-use-blogs-in-education-50/comment-page-1/#comment-260 Ruminate » Blog Archive » How to Use Blogs in Education (or Not) Tue, 10 Jan 2006 21:26:05 +0000 http://blogsavvy.net/?p=54#comment-260 [...] James Farmer has now posted his thoughts on “how not to use blogs as an education tool”:http://blogsavvy.net/how-not-to-use-blogs-in-education as well as “how they should be used”:http://blogsavvy.net/how-you-should-use-blogs-in-education. [...] [...] James Farmer has now posted his thoughts on “how not to use blogs as an education tool”:http://blogsavvy.net/how-not-to-use-blogs-in-education as well as “how they should be used”:http://blogsavvy.net/how-you-should-use-blogs-in-education. [...]

]]> By: MrBelshaw.co.uk/ Teaching » News from other blogs (26/12/05) http://www.blogsavvy.net/education/how-not-to-use-blogs-in-education-50/comment-page-1/#comment-259 MrBelshaw.co.uk/ Teaching » News from other blogs (26/12/05) Mon, 26 Dec 2005 18:47:41 +0000 http://blogsavvy.net/?p=54#comment-259 [...] The rather amusing (albeit bizarre) OLE! Tango blog has a post on Orchestrating a Learning Ecology which links to an elearnspace article on Learning Ecologies, Communities, and Networks. The best summary comes from the latter article itself: An ecology is an environment that fosters and supports the creation of communities. The definition applied to gardening applies well to learning communities: "“Ecological gardening is about gardening with nature, not against it.” A learning ecology is an environment that is consistent with (not antagonistic to) how learners learn. Blogsavvy has two complementary posts on How you SHOULD use blogs in education and  How NOT to use blogs in education. The overview is simple: use blogs for what they’re good for and don’t expect miracles! [...] [...] The rather amusing (albeit bizarre) OLE! Tango blog has a post on Orchestrating a Learning Ecology which links to an elearnspace article on Learning Ecologies, Communities, and Networks. The best summary comes from the latter article itself: An ecology is an environment that fosters and supports the creation of communities. The definition applied to gardening applies well to learning communities: "“Ecological gardening is about gardening with nature, not against it.” A learning ecology is an environment that is consistent with (not antagonistic to) how learners learn. Blogsavvy has two complementary posts on How you SHOULD use blogs in education and  How NOT to use blogs in education. The overview is simple: use blogs for what they’re good for and don’t expect miracles! [...]

]]> By: MrBelshaw.co.uk/ Teaching http://www.blogsavvy.net/education/how-not-to-use-blogs-in-education-50/comment-page-1/#comment-258 MrBelshaw.co.uk/ Teaching Mon, 26 Dec 2005 18:27:33 +0000 http://blogsavvy.net/?p=54#comment-258 <strong>News from other blogs (26/12/05)</strong> You’ll not be surprised to learn that this isn’t the only education-related blog on the Internet. There are a multitude of other blogs - most, admittedly, HE-focused - which give much pause for thought. Here’s some I’ve come a... News from other blogs (26/12/05)

You’ll not be surprised to learn that this isn’t the only education-related blog on the Internet. There are a multitude of other blogs – most, admittedly, HE-focused – which give much pause for thought. Here’s some I’ve come a…

]]> By: James http://www.blogsavvy.net/education/how-not-to-use-blogs-in-education-50/comment-page-1/#comment-257 James Mon, 12 Dec 2005 02:21:09 +0000 http://blogsavvy.net/?p=54#comment-257 If you read the paper it's not blanket, just hammering nails with a saw. Too late re: presentation though ;) I don't understand what you're getting at to be honest, yes blogs have grown in use but that doesn't prove whether group blogs work or not and the site you referenced is cute but a. isn't for educational purposes (it's for communicating with parents) & b. isn't much of a blog (it's really a website published by multiple users using a blogging tool). Tim's a great thinker & writer and may or may not agree with what I'm saying here, but I doubt he'd claim that that site refutes my claims. Didn't realise I was on-high either... but I guess it's just a matter of perspective. If you read the paper it’s not blanket, just hammering nails with a saw.

Too late re: presentation though ;)

I don’t understand what you’re getting at to be honest, yes blogs have grown in use but that doesn’t prove whether group blogs work or not and the site you referenced is cute but a. isn’t for educational purposes (it’s for communicating with parents) & b. isn’t much of a blog (it’s really a website published by multiple users using a blogging tool).

Tim’s a great thinker & writer and may or may not agree with what I’m saying here, but I doubt he’d claim that that site refutes my claims.

Didn’t realise I was on-high either… but I guess it’s just a matter of perspective.

]]> By: Scott Lankford http://www.blogsavvy.net/education/how-not-to-use-blogs-in-education-50/comment-page-1/#comment-256 Scott Lankford Sat, 10 Dec 2005 20:59:22 +0000 http://blogsavvy.net/?p=54#comment-256 Like many others, I'm confused and a bit dismayed by your blanket dismissal of group blogs -- and I strongly suggest you rethink it (or at least do some honest research) before presenting your paper. Witness the many, many previous posts questioning your judgment on precisely this point. But since I'm a big fan of your advice in general, and always open to finding something better, I did do a very carefully read-through of the DRUPAL user's manual, just as you suggested. Obviously it's a wonderful opensource tool! However, I also have to say it's still far, far too complex for me to consider setting one up for my students (or even for myself for that matter). Remember, this is a proud low-tech type English professor speaking here: someone who believes that the very best thing about blogs -- and the whole secret to their explosive growth-- is that almost anyone can learn to build a basic one in under five mintues. The proof is in the cyber-pudding: millions and millions of new bloggers already. Including many of my own students, most of whom have set up their own blogs long before I ever assigned one as part of my course. And that's where your blanket prohibition against group blogs just falls flat -- at least for me. I just think experts (like yourself) get so accustomed to your hyper-high-tech cyberspeak that you lose focus on the needs of ordinary dumb-dumb lowend users, such as myself. But if you're gonna call yourself a consultant, you should (re)consider our needs before issuing blanket prohibitions from On High! As for examples of successful group blogs in education, check out Lewis Elementary School's "Classroom Notes" as a useful example. it's low-tech, user-friendly, and working just fine, thank you. http://lewiselementary.org/notes/ Like many others, I’m confused and a bit dismayed by your blanket dismissal of group blogs — and I strongly suggest you rethink it (or at least do some honest research) before presenting your paper. Witness the many, many previous posts questioning your judgment on precisely this point. But since I’m a big fan of your advice in general, and always open to finding something better, I did do a very carefully read-through of the DRUPAL user’s manual, just as you suggested. Obviously it’s a wonderful opensource tool! However, I also have to say it’s still far, far too complex for me to consider setting one up for my students (or even for myself for that matter). Remember, this is a proud low-tech type English professor speaking here: someone who believes that the very best thing about blogs — and the whole secret to their explosive growth– is that almost anyone can learn to build a basic one in under five mintues. The proof is in the cyber-pudding: millions and millions of new bloggers already. Including many of my own students, most of whom have set up their own blogs long before I ever assigned one as part of my course. And that’s where your blanket prohibition against group blogs just falls flat — at least for me. I just think experts (like yourself) get so accustomed to your hyper-high-tech cyberspeak that you lose focus on the needs of ordinary dumb-dumb lowend users, such as myself. But if you’re gonna call yourself a consultant, you should (re)consider our needs before issuing blanket prohibitions from On High!

As for examples of successful group blogs in education, check out Lewis Elementary School’s “Classroom Notes” as a useful example. it’s low-tech, user-friendly, and working just fine, thank you. http://lewiselementary.org/notes/

]]> By: Ed. Tech 250 » Blog Archive » Poor choices for blogging in education http://www.blogsavvy.net/education/how-not-to-use-blogs-in-education-50/comment-page-1/#comment-255 Ed. Tech 250 » Blog Archive » Poor choices for blogging in education Thu, 10 Nov 2005 02:47:41 +0000 http://blogsavvy.net/?p=54#comment-255 [...] IF you want to incorporate blogging into education, there are several do’s and don’t’s.  The link includes four examples of things to avoid in educational blogging.  For instance, do not do group blogs.  They may work in some settings, but they don’t work in education.  http://blogsavvy.net/how-not-to-use-blogs-in-educationThom Mahler [...] [...] IF you want to incorporate blogging into education, there are several do’s and don’t’s.  The link includes four examples of things to avoid in educational blogging.  For instance, do not do group blogs.  They may work in some settings, but they don’t work in education.  http://blogsavvy.net/how-not-to-use-blogs-in-educationThom Mahler [...]

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