Jumping off the Blog Bandwagon

In my classroom, when we have time for silent reading (each day, about 20 - 25 minutes) kids are allowed to sign up to use one of the four computers I have in my room to write on their blogs, or to read and comment on others. I've got blog addresses of other classrooms that we've been in contact with throughout the year posted next to the computers and the kids often cruise through what others are writing about.

One morning last week, one of the girls in my class came to me and said that she had spent her entire time looking through the blogs of others and was frustrated by the lack of updates. She wondered if some of these classes were using their blogs anymore or if they had simply quit writing.

I know James has recently celebrated over 5 000 learner blogs, but I wonder as this school year fades on how blogs are fairing as a classroom tool. As the school year first began, blogs in classrooms seemed to explode onto the national scene. Articles popped up here and there and many teachers began to wonder about using blogs to help kids learn. A lot of interest was generated and many blogs were constructed. But now, like with any other new tool, I wonder if we're going through a period of consolidation? People have heard about blogs, they set up accounts for their kids and began to write. But then their interest faded, they couldn't see progress the they expected, it required too large of a change in classroom routine, etc., etc. For whatever reason, a lot of the blogs that my kids are finding seem to be inactive.

Certainly anecdotal evidence, and I'm sure that people like David Warlick who runs Blogmeister, or James Farmer who runs many versions of blog sites would have a lot more stats on this, but it is interesting what these kids have found. 

technorati tags: blogs, classrooms

Comments

[Ewan McIntosh]

I've just been thinking about this as I attended my morning routine. I think that in the secondary sector at least this is where the school year starts to go downhill - exams, revision, exams, revision... Blogs don't really feature for the teacher unless they believe that there is benefit in learning logs and repeated writing to attain better. I do believe this, but this is yet another leap for many teachers.

[Will Richardson]

It does seem like there is a lull, doesn't it? And I wonder if it's not that, as you allude to Clarence, teachers don't fully recognize the investment here. This is not just about using a tool, it's about building a community. It takes nurturing, tending, etc. The payoff, I think it's more and more evident, can be huge. But I wonder how many teachers have the Ganley, Glogowski, Fisher, Hunt, Kuroptawa gene that allows them to see and understand that potential... It is a great question.

[Gordon Brune]

We're updating ours. . .in between units on the pioneers, space, editorials, state testing, etc., etc.! I know, we could be using blogs\wikis for a lot of this. Someday, when I get the curriculum under my belt a bit. . . .

[Mark Ahlness]

Clarence,
Yes, some will only dip their toes in the water. I'm keeping my eyes on those who put their heads under water and truly go for a swim. Don't count me or my class out: http://roomtwelve.com - Mark

[Bill Seitz]

It sounds like you need to set up a feed that merges all the class-member sites. The new Google Reader might make that easy to do...