Project #3 C4T#3

For the last two weeks, I’ve had the pleasure to read Ms. Gret’s "Blog 4 Edu" posts. In the first blog, "Finding My Voice," she talks about a period of several years where she had writer’s block. As a lover of writing, this block made her feel as if she had lost her “inner voice,” and could not express herself. Incredibly, after working on her PLN, blogging was what pulled her out of her block! She began by commenting on other people’s blog posts and was asked to write a guest post by someone she admired greatly. She did so, and then was able to start writing her own. Not only is she grateful to have found her “voice again,” but she says blogging has helped her as a teacher because “my classroom walls have been knocked down thanks to blogging.” She interacts with teachers all over the world and says blogging connects teachers and students in an “immensely enriching way.” My response to her was that I have also gone through periods where I had writer’s block and, after having been introduced to blogging, I can totally see how blogging has inspired her and allowed her to be able to write again. Blogging is significant for students and teachers alike and it benefits each of us in different ways.

In Gret’s second blog post, "Kids Motivating Other Kids to Blog!," she expresses her excitement about her students’ excitement over blogging. She says they were completely engaged in this activity and lists several comments made by students about blogging. You can see by the students’ comments that they love the freedom they were allowed to have in the blogging assignment. They were permitted to write about what they were passionate about, various topics such as rugby, music and our country. Gret deems this as one of her “most inspiring moments as a teacher” because her students were teaching and encouraging each other. My response to this post was that I don’t think all parents and teachers realize how beneficial blogging can be for students (and for teachers) and that it is important for educators to spread the word. I said that receiving feedback has been a positive experience for me and for the younger students I have had the pleasure of corresponding with. It can be challenging to get a child excited about something, but receiving compliments and constructive criticism on their blog posts is rewarding and educational. I will certainly make blogging a large part of my teaching method!