In his article, “Blogging as Pedagogic Practice: Artefact and Ecology,” Marcus O’Donnell from the University of Wollongong, Australia cites the experience of a teacher who "fell out of love with blogging" as follows:
I have discovered that my honeymoon with blogs is over, mostly because
there really is no room for spirited interaction between my students and
myself in the blogs. Yes, I can require that they respond to another person’s
blog, but one student said that, compared to a discussion forum, leaving
responses to blogs felt more like leaving a note for someone who is out. The
discussion forum, she said, felt more like an ongoing conversation which was
more fun. (Remmell 2004)
Please post a short comment (100-200 words) of what you think about this argument, and whether you think this can/will keep you as a teacher from using blogs in your classes. Are blogs interactive enough? Do they foster communication between students, and/or students and teacher? What dangers would you see with blogging? Would you consider a class blog a valuable teaching tool, or an unnecessary technological burden?
