My name is Sevan and this is my first blog. Ever. It’s not that I vehemently rejected blogs up to this point, or that I stayed away because I had no clue as how to start one (although the latter definitely added on to the overall reluctance), it was that I felt that I would not be able to feel engaged with something I knew absolutely nothing about. Even though I teach writing and have been reading other people's writing for as long as I can remember, I was convinced that I would never be able to include myself in the alien “world of blog” (insert voice echo here). So as I sit here in front of the screen of my pc, writing my first blog, I realize now that the barrier which was keeping me from delving into writing (and reading) blogs was probably one of intimidation. I never actually stopped to think about it, but I was (and still very actively am) intimidated by this whole process: I’m entering a cyber room full of people, and in a sense, throwing my words to the wind…
But now I'm thinking about my potential audience, something I remind my students of when they write any assignment: "Always remember who you're trying to communicate with." Even though I haven’t used blogging as a teaching device, I have used WebCT quite a bit, along with online research databases. But mainly, the internet is an integral part of the courses I have taught. It’s an invaluable source for students’ writing projects and research, but surprisingly, I find that the internet serves as inspiration for young writers. I think this inspiration stems from the fact that surfing the internet for information has become second nature to students; they’re comfortable in their virtual environment, and I wholeheartedly believe that incorporating media (including the internet, forms of mass media, and technology) creates a productive learning environment conducive to a student’s academic needs. Mmm...maybe I should start incorporating blogging into my lesson plans!
