Using Blogger

Camille Franchine
March 30, 2009
Being a Writer

Has blogging been valuable to you as a student, thinker, reader, and writer?

Yes, blogging has been valuable to me as a student, thinker, reader, and writer. I like the way I can comment on other peoples work and they can comment on mine. This lets me see how other students did the same assignment that I did and let’s me see their ideas. It is also good for me to get comments from others. I like to see the different opinions that people have on my writing. Seeing other works and getting comments on mine both help me to be a student and learn how to improve my work. Something that I thought sounded good, might not be as good as I thought it was and I like it when people let me know that. Blogging has helped me to learn how to become a better writer and to see different aspects on the things that I read.

What have you taken away from taking this approach to submitting writing for a class?

Taking this type of approach to submitting work for a class has been beneficial to me. It is teaching me more on how to use the Internet without being overwhelming. It helps me to be able to figure things out if the Internet isn’t working right. So, not only does this improve my writing skills, but also it improves my computer skills and my problem-solving skills.

How do you feel about doing and continuing to do this kind of work?

I feel that it would be a good thing to continue to do this type of work. I feel this way because of al the reasons mentioned above. I also like this type of work because it saves a lot of paper and it eliminates the trouble of having to hand in an actual paper each week.

Is this work different from other experiences that you have had in English classes?

This work is very different from work I’ve had in previous English classes. None of the other English classes that I have taken used and online method of handing in work. All papers were on paper. I have also never really been challenged as much in an English class as I am now. It’s not necessarily difficult; it just requires more thought and effort than any other English class that I have ever taken.

Looking forward, do you have suggestions for how you want to be graded on this writing?

I feel that the writing posted on blogger should be graded just as if the same writing were handed in on paper. I think that if the student follows the prompt and is clear with his/her writing, they should do okay. If the student expresses good ideas through writing and shares that with other students, that person should get a good grade.

Has doing this work changed the community within your own class or between classes (11-1 and 11-2) in any way?

Yes, I feel that using blogger has changed the community within and between the classes. The change isn’t all that significant, but it is still there. Blogger has gotten me to know what people that I don’t normally talk to on a daily basis think, and how they write. It could help students realize what they might have in common with another student that they didn’t think they had anything in common with. Not only does blogger help to improve writing skills and save the trees, it also helps students to make friends.