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!
Sevan, the point you made that resonates the most with me is that you 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”. I agree with you, here, because I know that as a writer, when I’m really lacking the extra push I need to produce something I often times google a writer I look up to, read some of their prose, and I’m right back on my merry way. But what I do believe is that if a student becomes too comfortable in “their virtual environment” it hinders their real life interactions. We all know, that as writers, we’re constantly looking around the world, observing others hoping to find the most subtle movement to incorporate into our next story. I feel that at the high school level not so much technology should be incorporated into everyday lessons, I may be looking at it from the wrong viewpoint. But I feel that as long as a student just knows how to research and do MLA properly they are adequately prepared.
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