Journal 4

Moderating and Ethics for the Classroom Instructional Blog, by Patricia Deubel, PhD

Deubel’s article reads like a recipe for blogging. She recommends how to serve the “dish” and gives detailed instructions on how to “make it”. She makes a strong point concerning the value of having a good blog and warns of how exhausting the process might be for a teacher if she doesn’t set limits and enlist the help of students.

Her strongest reasoning for blogging is that it supports the collaborative element in peer-to-peer learning. He blog would have a clear instructional purpose and she would structure it tightly. It would seem that Mr. Chen has followed her advice in establishing rules for our class blog entries. She sets up discussion of one or two questions per week. She identifies frequency and due dates of posts and responses.
She would weave in and out of the discussions and encourage students to initiate questions on course-related topics. By making participation a requirement, disengaged students will step up to the plate and those who are normally too shy are given an audience.

She is adamant about giving examples of quality posts. She suggests references to assigned reading, mention of other resources students have found, and reflections on practical applications of principles learned. She even advocates practicing scholarly style citations in appropriate format to the discipline.

She warns that the blog is not the place to lecture. A teacher’s presence can squelch dialog by seemingly providing summation and closure. When it is time for this closure, she recommends quoting students posts.

Students will benefit from summarizing and moderating discussions. This can be done in teams. The teacher will find her time can be better spent elsewhere. Synthesizing multiple responses and weaving prior week’s discussions into the current fabric of knowledge benefits students’ ability to think critically and to think about thinking (metacognition).

She encourages truth, accuracy, and accountability, as well as respect for others in the blogosphere.

1. How would you disagree with someone respectfully?
I would suggest to students to acknowledge first, what they liked about someone’s post and then articulate under what circumstances they would draw a different conclusion.

2. Besides student blogging journals, how else might we use the technology of blogging?
Student reports and stories can be posted to the blog. Newsletters to parents and the community can be shared over this medium. If the school system allows it, dialog can reflex. Teachers can “peer coach” each other. Lastly, assignments can be posted so parents and students alike can be clear on instructions.