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.
I have an interesting question for you to think about: do all blogs ACTUALLY require interaction? Maybe its a question of semantics, but i wonder if there are times where the author doesn't wish for any specific audience to respond because it isn't the purpose of the work to start a conversation. You may say that putting the information out is "joining the conversation", but I wonder i there are times when blogs serve a sort of confessional purpose--in that case, the author might not join a real conversation.
ReplyDeleteThis could likely be theoretical and inane, but i wonder what you think about this. Are there blogs that really don't need interaction? Is it the author's intention that makes a difference?
There are two main points that you make, and I think they go hand-in-hand. The interaction you get through blogging and writing better and more frequently are great points. It has been said many times that the more individuals write the better writers they will be. By blogging, you give students a chance to write to a larger audience because anyone that can access the blog can read the post by the author. Thus, many people will try to make their writing better when they publish a post for everyone to see because it is human nature to want to make it sound as good as possible. Also, blogs are great for interactions and can be used like message board. In many places, especially high schools, teachers don't have access to programs like Blackboard because of funding. Thus, teachers can set up a blog and post prompts on it and have students respond to the prompt. This gives students who might not speak aloud in class a chance to write their opinions. Some of the best student writers I have read are students who speak little in class but can say a great deal when responding to a blog prompt. --Allen V.
ReplyDeleteAllen,
DeleteThanks for the comment. I for sure agree with you. I think blogging could be used as an outlet to make us better writers. The only way to become a better writer is through practice. So, we must write, write, write to improve. I also think BlackBoard is a great tool that teachers can use for creating interaction among students in an online or face-to-face classroom.
Why Erik, thank you for giving me something to ponder. Great question! I think you're right. All blogs don't require interaction if the author does not desire any input or action from others. I don't have a lot of experience blogging for myself. However, I have heard a lot about them, most of us have. Haha. From a business perspective, blogs and social media can be utilized to encourage readers to do something or act in a certain way. For example, bloggers may want readers to visit a web site, buy a certain product, or anything else you can think of. But if the blogger wants to write for their own personal interests, I think that's perfectly valid as well. Sometimes we need to write just for ourselves. Publishing it on the Internet may seem a bit odd, but if that's what someone wants to do, more power to them. I could also see blogging solely for yourself as a creative writing exercise, similar to free writing. So, in summation, yes, I for sure see your point. People don't have to interact with your blogs. But I think if you do want people to interact with them, they need to be worthy of people's time.
ReplyDelete