Annotated Bibliographies - The Use of Blogging in Education

Annotated Bibliographies

Paul Leslie, Novia Scotia Community College, and Elizabeth Murphy, Memorial University, conducted a study to further understand the importance of blogging among students at the post-secondary level. The blogs were sampled from an all women’s college in the United Arab Emirates (Foundations Department at the Dubai Women’s College) and were tested according to previously tested instruments. The particular emphasis in studying the content of the blogs is to understand the social and instructional contexts that blogs create and nurture. The study included a study of literature, which identified the positive and fruitful aspects of blogs, and the researchers concluded that blogging has two main purposes: social and knowledge construction. Another relevant fact that resulted from the study is that the women students disclosed more emotional responses to their blog. Examples of this include stating any fears or anxieties regarding school work. In addition, students’ blogging efforts showed a prolonged effort to take ownership for their education and revealed the processes of learning through daily blogs. The purpose of this research study is helpful for identifying the many uses of blogging, especially in a post-secondary setting. All in all, educators and curriculum designers can use this study to further design a learning atmosphere, with the proper use of blogs, which will promote a motivating and social environment for students to best adapt to their needs.


Leslie, P. & Murphy, E. (2008). Post-Secondary Students’ Purpose for Blogging. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning.


Cheryl C. Smith, Assistant Professor of English and Coordinator of the Writing Across the Curriculum program at Baruch College, authored “Technologies for Transcending a Focus on Error: Blogs and Democratic Aspirations in First-Year Composition.” The significance of this article points to the many trials and tribulations that first-year college students endure. However, a certain technology tool can encompass the initial mistakes of adjusting into a post-secondary academic environment. Blogging can be used by first-year college students to use the blogging arena to further understand college writing. Expression of language and emotion through blogging can further inspire students to connect with each other and learn more about academic writing. In addition, Smith postulated that faculty are mainly concerned with errors and omissions, and not necessarily provide the flexibility and understanding that first-year students may need. Frustrations from both ends could lead to negative experiences in the classes. According to Smith, blogs provide answers to questions – “While my main purpose here is to explore the impact of changing literacy practices on higher education – how reading and writing habits are evolving and how and why college educators should tap into new spaces being created for writing – I also want to position first-year writers – my own students – in the context of all the changes in order to advance a pedagogy of bloggings as a productive response to these changes” (38). Smith’s article addresses the needs of both students and faculty, and offers a proposed solution to alleviate these problems and concerns. In this sense, students’ engagement in blogs can further support each other instead of hinder one another from producing their best work in a new academic environment.

Smith, C. (2008) Technologies for Transcending a Focus on Error: Blogs and Democratic Aspirations in First-Year Composition. Journal of Basic Writing.

New Class, New Adventure

I started another online class at Brandman University. It should be very informative as it is about educational technology. These classese are really helping me to develop my technology skills as I would not have done blogging on my own.

Artifacts

Artifact #1

This artifact is based on providing teacher training. In this PowerPoint presentation, I assembled information about Inspiration software. My target audience is middle school teachers and the software can be used for all subjects, as well as organization and brainstorming techniques. This artifact is important to me because it helps me to prepare for the "real world" in education, where I share my knowledge and skills with other educators. Also, I enjoy creating PowerPoint slides and these exercises help to perfect my craft. In addition, I have used Inspiration for my own academic assignments and learned how to use it when I was a tutor at a writing center. I have seen firsthand how helpful it is with the process of brainstorming and creating.

Artifact #2

This PowerPoint presentation is from my EDUU 552 class. This is a short portfolio of my work that I did in class. It consists of using technology in the classroom. This artifact is important to me to include because it shows my understanding of computer skills and how to incorporate them into curriculum. Also, there were exercises on how to read STAR test results and create charts based on numerical facts. In addition, the rubric exercises were very helpful for future classroom grading. Moreover, I had a lot of fun finding graphics for these slides.

Artifact #3

I love this PowerPoint presentation! This presentation is on a chapter from an educational psychology textbook about the subject of motivation. It was the first presentation I gave in a graduate class so I really tried to make it visually appealing and fun for my classmates. The subject of motivation is universal so it can translate into many other fields.

Artifact #4

This PowerPoint presentation is from my first technology class at Brandman. It is an electronic portfolio and includes many of the assignments that I completed: from rubrics to standards. Once again, I had a lot of fun creating with color and images. There were some great reflection exercises about developing as a professional educator, as well as student assessment assignments.

Artifact #5

Another PowerPoint presentation! This is a mock exercise to present to High School English students on the subject of root words. This exercise was helpful in learning how to compile information about a subject and then present it in an engaging and colorful manner. The subject also emphasized the importance of learning root words in order to understand the multiple meanings of a single word in English and its historical origins.