The Dilemma

A Delicate Balance

The Following is a response for a course I took on Blogging for Teaching and Learning – we were asked to respond to the following:  

 “And herein lies the dilemma for educators. What happens when a free-flowing medium such as blogging interacts with the more restrictive domains of the educational system? What happens when the necessary rules and boundaries of the system are imposed on students who are writing blogs, when grades are assigned in order to get students to write at all, and when posts are monitored to ensure that they don’t say the wrong things?” Stephen Downes, Educational Blogging

           As an educator, I have a responsibility to my students. To the best of my ability I intend to provide meaningful learning experiences. Sometimes those experiences come by way of new strategies becoming popular in the education world. It can be hard to resist the “bandwagon” when a new strategy is gaining momentum as the surefire way to promote student achievement. As a result, in some circles there appears to be pessimism or at least a bit of skepticism when examining the merits of new approaches. The use of blogging for teaching and learning is no exception to the rule. Downes’ raises several good questions regarding this topic. 

          While blogging is indeed a free-flowing medium, as educators we have a responsibility to teach students how to use this freedom responsibly when in a school setti. Moreover during the time they are in school, I believe we are morally obligated to ensure that we encourage safe practices and habits. As such, some degree of censorship is necessary and that’s not a bad thing. In order to be used well, there must be limits and guidelines within a school setting regarding usage. It's a delicate balance to achieve. Without appropriate boundaries in place the misuse and abuse of any good thing can be sure to come .

          We’re all motivated by something. I’m motivated by my paycheck (among other things of course J ), so I don’t think it’s terribly wrong if a child is motivated to blog by earning a good grade. Perhaps along the way, they may pick up other reasons why blogging is something they may continue in the future. A child that blogs may or may not go on to become a prolific writer, but is that the point anyway? The point of blogging is the process involved. Students can gain critical thinking skills and a level of self-awareness that they are able to carry with them in other facets of their lives.

       I’m excited about the possible use of blogging in my classroom as well the benefits it may provide my students. However, be assured that blogging will not be the only method for encouraging writing in my classroom. Blogging is but one tool in the teacher’s toolbox.