Learning Partners & Blogs

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Blogs have advantages and disadvantages when being used as an instructional tool. In the digital age we all live in now, creating a blog as an ongoing assessment of learning in a classroom is becoming more popular.

There are many positive aspects of blog assignments, such as higher motivation levels, and student engagement. Other aspects include:
1)      Collaboration
·       Peer review
·       Instant feedback
·       Share research and opinions
2)      Discussion Outside of Class
·       Equal participation opportunities
·       Networking and community
·       Exploring and expanding topics critically
3)      Digital Portfolio
·       Attention to writing quality
·       Long-term idea storage
·       Recognition of evolution of thought
There are limitations to blogs as well. There are risks of cultural and gender insensitivity, use of informal and inappropriate language, and inappropriate content selection. These can be mitigated by setting best practices and a code of conduct right from the start of the task. Participants, once made aware of possible consequences for improper use, will respect others and the integrity of the task.

Through making blogs of my own for courses, I have learned that there is great value in tracking my learning as I go. I am better able to reflect on my learning and edit as I go. Blogs are a tool for summative assessment, and as a teacher, I intend to use them as an instructional strategy moving forward. Blogging is a way to create learning environment that is life-long and reflective.

When taking my Foundations in Adult Education class, I was matched with a learning partner. We had a skype date and shared some research we had done on trends in our industries. It was interesting to learn from the perspective of someone who is not a language teacher, but is an instructor/trainer in a professional field. She taught me about teleconferencing in medicine and professional learning in a digital age. Here is a link to her blog:

Student Corner
And here are some links for the articles I shared with her about curriculum and online learning:
Trends that will Shape the Future of Curriculum
Ways Online Learning Enables Change

In my Instructional Strategies class I have been working with a group of professionals who have all spent time putting together blogs of their own to showcase their learning process, interests, research, etc. Here are links to their blogs. Take some time to check them out.
Changing and Inspiring the Learners
John Cole Blog
Never Stop Learning
Teaching Adventure Site
Ready Start Learn
On a Walkabout
Happy Learning 2016
Karen Burrows
Adventures in Adult Learning
John Powszedny
SSC PIDP Blog
Kurt PID Blog
My PIDP Learning Journey
TrainEducate
Annotations

In my Media-Enhanced Learning class students were given quite a bit of choice for their major assignments. As the blog has been an assessment for many students in taking the PID program, it is great to see that they are invested in their  transformations as bloggers. One thing you’ll notice about this program is that students all come from a variety of professional backgrounds, which is quite interesting when looking at how each of us approaches the assessments. Here are some of their blogs for you to peruse.

Chasing Mathematics
Reid’s Read
Dawn Leonard RMT

My Journey Through Education

In my Professional Practice class our blog posts are primarily based on Stephen Brookfield’s The Skillful Teacher. Each week we post about a chapter and how it relates to other sources connected to our practice, and on our direct experiences. Here are some of the blogs of my classmates:
Instructor Under Construction
Aren’t we all just winging it?
PIDP Education Blog
Does the Learning Ever End
My PIDP Diploma Journey
A Career in Learning
Kwketchum

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