Interaction!Through blogs, numerous opportunities exist for online conversations to begin. The most basic conversation starter would be a blog post in which other users are able to read and leave their reaction to the post as their contribution. Thus, the conversation begins. From there, the author and other bloggers are able to respond and join in, adding their opinions as the conversation continues.
But that’s not the only way conversations can begin through blogs. Authors can post graphics, pictures, videos, and links to other online content as possible conversation starters. As with written posts, others can comment and add their responses and reactions to join the discussion. Bloggers can even connect their blog postings to their social networking accounts like Facebook and Twitter. Social media is just another way conversations can be started or continued in an online setting. This all may sound familiar, but it’s important because of the implications associated with online learning and writing in general.
Better Writing, More Frequently
Let’s go back to the idea that blogs demand interaction. In order for authors and bloggers to see interaction, their content and writing must be worth reading and worth interacting with, at least in the mind of potential readers and other bloggers. Therefore, the very nature of blogs encourages writers to become better writers and more frequently. Richardson states, “Because the content that students and teachers create is on the World Wide Web, it is content that becomes a part of the wider body of knowledge that the Internet represents. It is searchable; people can find it and use it” (26).
As Richardson points out, blogs are not just for the author; they can be read and used by others for many different reasons. If your blog writing is not up to par, then your readers won’t return to your site for future posts. Kramer explains that blogs not only need to have good headlines, but the content that follows needs to be worth reading. If you have an interesting headline with lackluster content to follow, your readers will most likely not return to your blog for future posts. The bottom line: if bloggers want their content to be read, shared, and interacted with by others, the material needs to be worth reading.
“Research, Organization, and the Synthesis of Ideas”Not only can blogging improve writing, but it can hone other necessary skills as well. Richardson explains, “The act of writing in a Weblog, or ‘blogging,’ can go a long way toward teaching skills such as research, organization, and the synthesis of ideas” (27). Each of these elements contributes to good writing, and blogging can help writers acquire these skills.
This brings us back to the idea that blogs are crucial components of online education, especially for teaching writing online. As Richardson discusses, blogs can be utilized as “a class portal to communicate information about the class and to archive course materials” (21). With blogs, teachers can encourage their students to write better and more often. Blogging allows people to make better and stronger connections with each other, breaking down the technological barriers separating one online user from another. Overall, blogs are important means of communication because they allow interaction in online learning communities and foster writing skills.
Click here to read Shelly Kramer's full article on what makes for good blog writing. She offers great tips and insight grounded in real-world experience:
So, what do you think, does blogging improve our writing? Have any of you noticed improvements in your own writing since we've been blogging for ENG 725?
Works Cited
Francisco Farias Jr. "Text Editors." Public domain. http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/view-image.php?image=29156&picture=text-editors
Kosta Kostov. "Blog Letters." Public Domain. http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/view-image.php?image=2941&picture=blog-letters.
Kramer, Shelly. “The Key to Writing Great Blog Posts.” Business 2 Community. 12 Feb. 2013. Web. 13 Feb. 2013.
Richardson, Will. Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms. Thousand, Oaks, California: Corwin, 2010. Print.
