The Educational Value of Blogs:
Learner Perspective and Power
I’m new to the blogosphere, but I’m learning. I’m always on the look out for something that can enable learners to realize their greatest potential. I see two potential benefits of blogging: The ability for learners to gain a variety of fresh and relevant perspectives and the power learners can take to express their own perspectives.
One of the keys to learning is being able to find a place in one’s mind for knowledge. To be able to mull around thoughts, chew on them, and own them. If learners have the opportunity to explore and discover the thoughts of others, they can be helped to formulate thoughts of their own. Moreover, through blogs, the wide diversity of thoughts enables learners to explore all sides of most any issue. As the world shrinks, blogs make it easy to get a diverse set of views. (Cofino, 2009)
Once learners develop a passion or even a basic interest or point of view on a topic, they have power to express themselves to the world through blogs. This is a pretty incredible opportunity. It gives the blogger the virtual ability to scream from the mountaintops: This is what I think!
With power, though, comes responsibility. Bloggers must think. Moreover, they must put thought and skill into communicating their thoughts to the world. This internal organizing of thoughts is a powerful learning behavior. (Western Australia Department of Education, 2009)
Blogs also enable bloggers to get feedback. Bloggers can learn from responses to their blog posts, and they can engage in continuing dialogue.
Blogs can be a tool for non-traditional learning. Traditionalists, like me, may need a little time to get used to just putting their thoughts “out there,” but I believe the welcoming blogs into educational practice can bring great the value modern learners. In fact, Stephen Downes (2009) makes a remarkable case for why all professionals should be blogging, and I agree.
References:
Cofino, K. October 5, 2009. How to Connect Your Students Globally. Retrieved from http://www.techlearning.com/blogs/24126
Downes, S. October 31, 2009. Should All Professionals Be Blogging? Retrieved from http://www.downes.ca/post/38555
The Western Australia Department of Education. 2009. Retrieved from http://www.det.wa.edu.au/education/cmis/eval/curriculum/ict/weblogs/ on October 31, 2009.
Image used by permission, Jupiter Images 2009
EXCELLENT!
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