Ramblings et al

Thing 4 Task #1
On reading:
Is blogging “reading”?  Yes, you have to read what is posted to get the information but scanning the material works just as well.  Reading a blog post is inherently different from reading a novel.  It’s more like reading a magazine article.  Blog reading appears to be a skill that fits along side textbook and primary source document reading that we have to teach students to do effectively and efficiently.  We also need to make certain that they can ascertain the difference between fact and opinion when taking information from the web.  Middle school students won’t give a second thought to using information from a blog post as fact because “I got it from the internet”.  A big concern for me!   Also of considerable concern is the fostering of a love for the written word.  Reading (sustained reading) for enjoyment and entertainment.  It almost seems as if students with an already limited attention span are finding it more difficult to find and settle in to reading a novel because they aren’t “entertained” within the first 3-5 sentences (what seems to be the typical length of a blog comment).  What are the solutions?  I don’t know that simply reading blogs is a way of fostering a love of reading anything other than “Entertainment Tonight” versions of other peoples opinions.

In his post “Is this SSR 2.0?”, Mark makes some good points about the amount he finds himself reading, as does Michael Wesch and the students at KSU in A Vision of Students Today.  Ok, they read a lot more, yes, better than just watching TV but are they reading anything of substance.  AAARRRGGGHHH!  At least a bit of a concession is made to traditional text in SSR 2.0  when the author admits, “There is still value in cuddling up with a book. But that is not they way I read anymore. By the time they grow up, I bet their reading preferences will be worlds away from where they and I are now.”  What will that be?  Hopefully, someone will have taught them to do more than read blog posts!!!

On writing:
As a terrible speller, stream of conscience writer and too fast for my fingers thinker writing can be painful and long.  I love to do it but I must edit, edit, edit and still never catch all of my mistakes.  Students and editing, well, again with another concern. On the upside blogging is very much like thinking aloud or a discussion, which is great for critical thinking but lousy for skills in general.  So, without reading and commenting on everything they write how do you get them to present themselves well through this medium?

Overall, I have found that on occasion I will find a post that is interesting such as Will Richardson’s “Why Can’t We Do This?” and Kris Bradburn’s “How to Prevent Another Leonardo da Vinci” but in general, reading blog posts and especially the comments can get tedious for a number of reasons and I don’t read most of them in their entirety.  And don’t get me started on the writing part from my own perspective!  So, again I ask how do we get the kids to use these as tools/aids to learning and not as gospel?  If a hardened reader and writer can fall prey to the scan the post and slap down a comment mentality what is doing to their malleable little minds?

I seriously can’t wait to have my doubts squelched!!!  Really!