I honestly thought I would have posted on my blog more throughout the semester. I used to journal almost daily when I was younger; up through college and after for a few years. I thought writing and reflecting would come easily to me again, but I never really had the urge to get my thoughts down in writing like I used to. I would like to keep a journal when I do my student teaching, for my own personal record, and continue through my first year of teaching, but perhaps a blog (public as it is) isn't for me.
I can imagine using a blog in the classroom more for students' use. I think a blog would be a good forum for posting an assignment and then having students respond and discuss in the comments section. Blogging can be good practice for improving students' literacy through writing. It might be a cool experience for students to see their words in print online, too. I think for me, though, putting my words online just makes me feel sort of exposed. When the content is personal thoughts and reflections, I worry that at some point, a reader may take my words out of context. Perhaps I'm worried about misleading or offending someone, although I'm not sure that what I've said has been anything particularly controversial, by any means. I've enjoyed the experience of having a blog, though; it was a great learning adventure.
Take Care,
Mrs. Mullen
Hi Steph - I completely understand how you feel about someone perhaps taking your personal writing out of context. Personally, it took me hours to compose one posting and even then I would read it over and over (my husband and children were included in this). Over time, I found this did get easier.
ReplyDeleteEven with how much time I spent blogging, I enjoyed the experience and learned quite a few new skills such as, linking and inserting a video. I imagine virtually all of our students will be entering our classrooms with these skills as second nature for them in just a few short years.
I wish you all the best in your endeavors!
Shannon
Steph,
ReplyDeleteI, too, used to do a lot of journaling in my youth. Even looking back at my old journals, though, I am sometimes embarrassed by how over-the-top and emotional I was. In some ways, I think I have settled into myself, and the urge to work out my feelings on paper has diminished. I still feel that keeping a journal is really useful in times when heightened awareness is important (such as during student teaching, as you mentioned, or perhaps when traveling and taking in all kinds of new information). I'm not saying that daily journaling isn't a great thing to do, I have just been wondering myself why I had given up on the habit. I had always chalked it up to no longer having the time, but I think there is something more than that going on.
I wish you all the best!
Lara