As teacher, we have all given the writing assignment in which we told students who their audience was. Many times these audiences are contrived and artificial, yet in blogs it appears that the audience is real and the material is relevant to both the writer and the reader. This is the aim of the National Council of Teachers of English, to have students writing for different audiences and “using a wide range of strategies.” As Richardson states, “this is something bloggers do by the very nature of their process” Richardson (2010). How much differently do we all write when we know there is an audience reading our posts? Blogging has the potential to make not just students but all of us more critical thinkers as we read through this great body of work. Although, this is a new way to write, it can still adhere to many conventions and rules of writing. Students will not be graded on just their ideas, but on how well they articulate them and follow grammatical rules and a given format. Students still have to spell and punctuate their sentences.
Blogs have truly “expanded the walls of the classroom” Richardson (2010). Commenting on a blog gives someone a chance to interact with an expert in a field they are interested in. Through blogs, the world has suddenly become a smaller place as with Mr. Richardson’s students’ blogging with a famous author. Where will these connections lead us? As people become more connected, hopefully, they will help us solve some the overwhelming and pressing problems of the day. One of those problems came close to home recently as a young friend came down with cancer. Suddenly, friends and family are collaborating and finding ways to get this young father money for insurance and living expenses, coordinating trips to the cancer facility and just keeping his spirits up through encouraging writings. In return we are all able to keep up with his progress through his writings and all of this without intruding on him. It is a marvelous time we live in!
Richardson, Will. (2010) . Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms.
Thousand Oaks, Ca.: Corwin.