Encountering E-Learning Education

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“I think it’s the most beautiful tool of the world and it allows us the most magic thing…”

Florence Dassylva-Simard, fifth-grade student.

This reflection is primarily focused on Stephen Downes’ article entitled “Educational Blogging”. Throughout the article Downes comments on how students at St Joseph are a part of the extensive movement of online learning through use of weblogs. Blogs are invaluable tool sfor promoting reflective analysis as well as developing the “emergence of a learning community that goes beyond the school walls” (Asserlin, as cited in Downes, 2004).

The article opens by describing online learning which fifth grade students at the Institut St Joseph in Quebec City have been involved in. This “virtual extension of the classroom” has comprised of students using weblogs as classroom web spaces, sites of announcement, postings for work, communication zones, reflective spheres and private personal spaces.

A fifth grade student commented:

“The blogs give us a chance to communicate between us and motivate us to write more. When we publish on our blog, people from the entire world can respond by using the comments link. This way, they can ask questions or simply tell us what they like. We can then know if people like what we write and this indicate[s to] us what to do better. By reading these comments, we can know our weaknesses and our talents. Blogging is an opportunity to exchange our point of view with the rest of the world not just people in our immediate environment.” (Downes, 2004)

Statistically three million American citizens have created blogs and this trend is similar globally (American Life Project cited in Downes, 2004). This learning technology has such a significant role for school communities as a source of information and communication. Blogs are used to “archive and publish student work, learn with far-flung collaborators, and manage the knowledge that members of the school community create.” (Richardson, as cited in Downes 2004).

Weblogs can be perceived as primarily consisting of a series of personal comments and observations. But Downes illustrates how this is a very restrictive and limited understanding of weblogs.  Barger’s definition of a weblog reads as follows:

“A weblog (sometimes called a blog or a newspage or a filter) is a webpage where a weblogger (sometimes called a blogger, or a pre-surfer) ‘logs’ all the other webpages she finds interesting. The format is normally to add the newest entry at the top of the page, so that repeat visitors can catch up by simply reading down the page until they reach a link they saw on their last visit.” (Barger, as cited in Downes, 2004).

However, weblogs also encompass the added depth of an online journal which can be“direct, personal, honest and almost painful to read and yet compelling too” (Frith, as cited in Downes, 2004). Hourihan also illuminates upon the nature of web blogging in her following statement:

“You use your blog to link to your friends and rivals and comment on what they’re doing. Blog posts are short, informal, sometimes controversial, and sometimes deeply personal, no matter what topic they approach.” (Houihan, as cited in Downes, 2004).

Therefore, blogs must be recognised as more than an online journal. Weblogs have an immense capacity to link to resources as well as offering a space for personal reflection. Consequently blogs could be viewed in their simplest form as forum for “personal publishing” (Downes, 2004). This concept of weblogs has significant implication for education.

Firstly weblogs can be used as a substitute for class web pages. Blogs can be used effectively as a site for posting class times, assignments, homework, announcements and upcoming school events. Secondly blogs can be used educationally in relation to classroom learning. Teachers can write instructions or information directed specifically to their students as well as providing links to related articles or Internet sites to enhance learning. Thirdly blogs are invaluable as a learning technology in organising online class discussions. This is particularly worthwhile for very large classes and for students who do not live locally.

In this capacity weblogs create a “community of learners” both locally and internationally. Often teachers can get a greater and more accurate understanding of a students’ thoughts and ideas through visiting and reading their blogs. This is because weblogs create a non-threatening and safe learning context for students’ to express their opinions.

Additionally blogs are an attractive teaching and learning resource because they are particularly user friendly. Because of the “lightweight, cost-efficient systems and tools” any individual is able to enter into the “personal webpublishing realm” (Downes, 2004). Consequently weblogs are a powerful tool for collaborative and individual learning because of their ease and efficiency. Some of the numerous online blog services include Blogger, Live-Journal, GrokSoup, Salon Blogs and TypePad. A primary advantage of weblogs is the way they encourage students to become competent writers. As Rosalie Brochu, a student at St-Joseph, observes:

“The impact of the blogs on my day to day life is that I write a lot more and a lot longer than the previous years. I also pay more attention when I write in my blog (especially my spelling) since I know anybody can read my posts.”

One consideration for teachers using weblogs is compensating its free-flowing nature within restrictive domains of the education system. Imposing boundaries, rules and restrictions on students is so contrary to the philosophy of blogging but can be necessary educationally. So whilst blogging does have a “significant and worthwhile educational impact” it is not necessarily risk free (Downes, 2004). Another concern is encouraging students to engage in deep, reflective writing rather than trivial commenting. Consequently young bloggers can commit the “ultimate blogging sin of losing interest” in their writing (Downes, 2004).

However, blogging as a genre of writing is immensely valuable in “developing all sorts of critical thinking skills, writing skills and information literacy skills” (Richardson cited in Downes, 2004). Blogging is centred around reading, reflecting, criticising, questioning and reacting to a larger world within a meaningfully engaged community. As blogging is a process which brings “life to learning” and “life to learning” it appears to be an invaluable tool for primary education.

I found this article so challenging in considering the benefits and risks association with educational blogging. It was interesting to consider perspectives and experiences of students who use blogging to support their learning. Additionally this article was thoroughly useful in reflecting upon the definition of weblogs as a virtual extension of the classroom.

Downes, S. (2004). Educational blogging. EDUCAUSE Review, 39(5), 14–26.

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