Hello, everyone.
I have been reading the materials and following the discussions in the forum but I must confess there is so much going on! I mean, lots of sites to visit and tool to learn more about ( feeds, for example).
I have had some experiences with class blogs as I have already created some for my students ( I have just imported some posts from there. Check them below) and I started a wiki last year.
When I decided to try out blogs, my intention was to have my f2f students INTERACT more by reading & WRITING comments on their fellows’ posts. As this was a free activity (I mean, not compulsory) I realized they wanted just to read the posts and they didn’t feel like commenting on/ replying to what they read.
Does this sound familiar to you? My point is, if we are talking about socializing, I believe this is a two-way thing. Somebody says something and an interlocutor responds to that.
Do you think this can be a “silent response”? For example, if people keep coming to your blog, it means there are readers checking out the posts but for some reason they just don’t leave  comments there. I have notice this in many blogs I visit.Â
What do you think of this issue?Â
I’m looking forward to your comments!
Doris Soares- RJ, Brazil  Â
Somewhere I read that less than 10% of internet users participate actively. So there are always more readers than comments. (I’ll check the source later)
I started blogging for my students, they were supposed to write comments, it wasn’t compulsory so few wrote comments. Among the ones who did I started to notice they had a more natural approach to the language in general. They were the ones who didn’t feel that English was just a subject.
Then two of my groups started to post, they shared a blog. Posting was compulsory, and commenting too. But most of them wrote comments to their classmates and not to the other group. However, some of them started to make connections, even with other students from other countries. This came up naturally.
Perhaps blogging and commenting is not for everyone.
Hi Doris
I started blogging this year with my students. Like you, my intention was to have my students develop reading and specially writing skills. I believed that blogging would improve their writing skills naturally. As I have already written about it on my blog http://joaocarlosalves.eu , the students’ reactions to the idea of using blogs were different from what I expected. At this point, the majority of students of just one class are using their blogs to post, but not to make comments yet. According to my experience, many students are not used to blogging (some didn’t even know what it was) and have little digital knowledge. Very different from what we imagine about a “digital native.”
It seems that we need to tell the students what they should post on the blog. They need to be guided, otherwise they don’t know what to post. I did that with my younger students and sometime later, a few months later, I felt that many of them started enjoying using the blog.The fact that they don’t know the language they are supposed to use (these are German students, at beginners’ level) makes it even more difficult.
At the moment, they are responding to comments of a teacher who made comments on many of their individual blogs. I hope that in the future some of them will use their blogs more spontaneously.
You can have a look at the blogs here: http://klassenblog.bloxio.us/klassen
I know the feeling about waiting for comments. I run a learning technology SIG blog for the ETAS (English Teachers Association Switzerland) and get very few comments, even though there are many readers. I don’t know how to change this situation, as I have tried with direct questions to the readers as well.
For the class I think it’s easier. I have asked my students to consider the feeling they get when they receive a comment, and the emptiness of a post without comments. This seemed to have worked without making anything compulsory. Of course, I’m still trying, and, as you say, we are pioneers.
I’m sure we have a lot to learn from each other!
Thanks for joining the discussion!
By the comments you have made I can see this is an isue all of us have been trying to come to terms with.
I guess there is no rule. Perhaps Gabriela is right when she says blogging is not for everyone…. But I also like Illya’s idea of making sts put themselves in their friends’ shoes (btw: I have been to your blog nd could see you’ve had over 1,000 hits!).
One thing I am sure about – we have a long way to go!
Doris
I’ve read your paper about the research you’ve done in your pre-intermediate class in Rio de Janeiro. It’s very inspiring. Though you did it for the last couple years, but it’s reflecting the situation here in my country Indonesia where blogging is rarely used by English teachers. Though i haven’t done a deep research as you’ve done, but from some informal chat with students and my experiences in searching such blog i haven’t found one yet which written by Indonesian teacher.
I’m going to present your article as my assignment tomorrow. Thank you for sharing the experience. It’s worth a lot.
Dear Silvana Sari,
I’m really glad you enjoyed the article and have found it useful.
It is also interesting to know that although we live so far form each other, our sts´ reactions are similar as regards blogging.
I believe we should always use technology with an understanding of how it can help our students learn better and not just as a fad or to follow what everyone else is doing. Therefore, I hope you can carry on with your studies of what happens in your context.
I wish you good luck on your presentation today.
It´s been a pleasure hearing from you.
All the best,
Doris Soares
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