Challenges of blogging

In this post, I would like to tell about the challenges I experienced in writing for the blog in comparison with academic writing and I will compare my experience with the results of the survey about blogging experience conducted among my groupmates. Overall, my earlier attitude towards blogging can be described as rather negative – mostly unfriendly and cautious. Although some of my friends are successful bloggers, well read and supported in their writing exercises by readers as well as their families and friends, it was hard for me to understand how any blogger can freely reveal his or her thoughts in public. According to the survey, conducted in our class, about one third of my groupmates would support me in that sharing your thoughts via blogging is not as easy as it seems. Therefore, when blogging was announced as our major writing activity to do this semester, I was happy, because I knew, this would be a challenge for me.

Blogging really turned out to be challenging. The first challenge for me was choosing a topic. In my opinion, for a standard academic writing it is easier, because your instructor or supervisor is your main targeted audience and in this case, the most important point is to choose a topic you know well to be able to demonstrate the full knowledge in the field. However, choosing a topic for a blog post, the most important point is writing about an interesting or highly relevant issue, because main peculiarity of blogging is freedom of readers to choose what they read. In addition, the main purpose of writing for the blog is to attract as many readers as possible. According to the survey, over 50% of my groupmates find it difficult to choose topics for blog posts. It is not a surprising number for me, because there are especial requirements to the topic for the blog post: blogger writes for audience which chooses whether to read the post or not, so the topic must be worth reading.

Another challenge for me was a writing style. By trying to blog, I learnt that good writing  can be very different in style. What is appropriate for academic writing may seem clumsy in a blog post and vice versa. In addition, our exercise was to do blogging on education-related topics, so we could not be too informal. In my opinion, blogging is a good writing practice, because you develop sense of words and phrases, suitable for various range of topics.

And the last challenge for any blogger is comments. After I published my post about women in education, I got comment from one of the coursemates I know, which showed that she did not fully understand some phrase in the blog, and after her comment, I edited this phrase to be clearer. However, the main thing I learnt was that when you engage in blogging, you must be ready for negative comments, because there must be people whose life positions are different from yours. However, I am eager to receive feedback, and so are just below 50% of my groupmates. The secret motivation of the blogger here is the willingness to get his or her work appreciated. Of course, the blogger must be ready for criticism, and that is why the other half of my group did not find getting feedback from peers as attractive.

Despite these challenges, blogging was a good exercise and a good development tool. With the help of this exercise, I learnt that it is possible write interesting things without necessarily revealing your intimate feelings. In this activity, we wrote about education, and that was really interesting and useful. Now, since I have overcome these challenges writing for a blog as a classroom activity, I will definitely practice some blogging outside classroom.

References:

Montgomery, D. P. (2015a). [Blogging and Academic Writing]. Unpublished raw data. Retrieved from http://goo.gl/PX8wv7

“Reflection on Blogging”

http://digitia.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Blog-stock-680x452.jpg

One of the new methods in teaching, we were introduced by our tutor of English for Research in Spring semester is blogging. It is a disputable activity which raised positive and negative comments between contributors to the blog platform. The term ‘blogging’ will be explained in this essay, I also describe the pluses and minus of blogging from my experience, provide some recommendation.  

The blogging is the way of supporting, criticizing ideas or even adding new information on the internet. Blogging is also one of the methods of using technologies in the classroom, and learning how to employ technologies is a critical skill (Cummins&Sayers 1990, 1995 cited in Warschauer, 1997). The blogging is a great idea of using technologies and raising the issues that are relevant to the current situation, it is the change in teaching, making students to act in the form of writing blogs (Montgomery, 2015, p.2). The blogging in teaching is  “expressive, reflective and collaborative vehicles” (Lai, Chen, 2010, p.949). The blogging brings enjoyment in sharing ideas for others, because some of the information can be helpful (Lai, Chen, 2010). However, Lai and Chen (2010) also consider that blogging in schooling can be dangerous to the intellectual property, to students’ ideas expressing in cyberspace.  

The previous semester we wrote a lot of academic paper and the working schedule was more compressed and more stressful than in this semester of blog writing. What I really like in classes that the tutor works in cooperation with other professors and teach us what we need, for instance, how to apply the Bloom’s taxonomy in literature analysis. But this semester I was spending my time with reading that ‘stuff’ not connecting to the academic research. It seems to me that we are probing in being a blogger more than the academician. Probably, it is beneficial when you comment blog, to criticize or maintain the idea correctly. Anyway, I prefer to write challenging academic writing, practicing my writing skills for the research. Besides, I procrastinated a lot in this semester, as long as we were not obligated by the deadlines, you write blog any time you like and able to do it.

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I like the idea of blogging in teaching presented to us by our tutor. In my opinion, I would recommend the good idea of blogging for school, precisely, for the classes of English language, not for the English for research classes. The blogging is an informal platform where academic English does not need to be used. The school students are good in using technologies, they enjoy it. This is an excellent idea for shy students to express themselves, to be confident. In addition, the blogging should not be the main activity in class, it should be an entertaining, motivating, keeping the interest to learn English up.

In conclusion, I would say that somehow I enjoyed blogging. Definitely, I will practice blogging with my students, if I teach after graduation. The blogging is one of the key methods developing critical thinking in students. It is effective to reveal their potential, confidence, willingness to help with ideas/information.

Reference

Lai, H. M., & Chen, C. P. (2011). Factors influencing secondary school teachers’ adoption            
            of teaching blogs. Computers & Education, 56(4), 948-960.

Montgomery, D.P. (2015, April). Did you read my new post?: Improving autonomy, English

          and engagement through class blogs. Paper presented at The International Conference for         
          Building Cultural Bridges, Suleyman Demirel University. Kaskelen, Kazakhstan: ICBCB

Warschauer, M. (1997). Computer‐mediated collaborative learning: Theory and practice. The

          Modern Language Journal, 81(4), 470-481.

Reflection on Blogging: advantages and drawbacks

“Reflection on blogging: advantages and drawbacks”

As the internet availability and integration has been increased in our life, the educators saw potential benefit from it, and started to use as a teaching tool (Zhang, 2009). The application of blog writing into academic purposes of English learning enables students to write with meaningful ideas, updated information and broaden their language learning ability beyond the classroom (Blackstone et al, 2007). However, as it is common knowledge that any medal has two sides, the blogging approach also has negative and positive effects towards academic language learning. As matter of my experience of writing posts and comments at blog platform, I will attempt to discuss the both advantages and drawbacks of it.

Many authorsargue that teachers could enhance shy and introvert students’ confidence and motivationtowards writing and expressing their thoughts on posts through the help ofblogging approach. But it was beneficial and useful for secondary school students. As for senior learners, Zhang (2009) discovered what exactly makes blogging unique and simple approach. Firstly, blogging does not require specific knowledge in IT or computer skills, secondly it is a secure space, open and equal to everyone without any discrimination by race or gender. Also, blogging teaches to write meaningful ideas by boosting the self-analyzing skills and reflective learning and thinking. Blog also teaches to carry a big responsibility to what he/she writes in a public place with both academic and non-formal communication language.  

I agree with all above-mentioned statements that blogging enhances students’ learning fast and excitingly. Moreover, I can claim that in comparison with the last semester my confidence in reflective writing has increased. I also cultivate my worldview towards bringing up interesting topics to the audience and encourage them to comment and give feedback to my posts. According to the survey, more than half of the students agreed that they spent more time by planning the post and choosing the topic, which means that blog writing requires serious intention and responsibility to address the particular issue to the audience in an appropriate ways (Montgomery, 2015).

Besides, 47% of students responded that they are eager to get comments and feedback from their peers, which means that blog, encourages the involvement of both writer and audience to communication.

Unfortunately, human beings are diverse. If some of us are up to share new ideas and personal experience in a public platform, some of us might feel fear or reluctant to get their thoughts read by other people. That is why there is a potential risk to some introvert individuals’ privacy.  Another problem is, some sensitive and controversial topics discussed in the blogs might generate some misunderstanding and affect to some people’s worldview and perceptions. As the survey analysis indicate that, more people are strongly disagree than strongly agree to discuss controversial themes. The other problem is that blogging is mostly non-formal and non-traditional writing. Some students might be unwilling to replace traditional academic writing to informal posts. Survey shows that 40% of respondents prefer academic writing and only 25% are keen to write posts.

Summing up, I can say that blogging has multifold effect to learning, and two-sided impact to individuals’ self-development. It seems that no negative or positive side can overweigh one another, that is why it is core to use blogging as a tool of teaching. In addition, the further research and investigation of phenomenological effect of blog to learning should be employed.  

References:

Blackstone, B., Spiri, J., & Naganuma, N. (2007). Blogs in English language teaching and learning: Pedagogical uses and student responses. Reflections on English Language Teaching, 6(2), 1-20.

Montgomery, P. (2015) Survey analysis.

Zhang, D. (2009). The application of blog in English writing. Journal of Cambridge studies, 4(1), 64-72.

Do we NEED BLOGS?

On our spring course we faced with a new and unfamiliar methodology, academic blogging. IT technologies don’t stay at the same place also as we and blogging became a new method of assessing students. Blogging was a combination of challenges and positive experience as for instructors as for students.  

Form our previous experience in fall course it was clear to have some topics fron the instructor and discuss them in class. It was logical and formal way of writing with academic structure and academic citing which was not a bad experience for increasing our writing skills. The purpose of writing assignments was to focus on our instructor but for blogs situation is quite different. The approach of writing blogs is quite unusual which based on public opinion. New topic is huge issue in blogging, especially when you write under the pressure such deadlines and procrastination. Blogger should not focus on someone only but the web provide with full access as for writers as soon as for readers. Full access might cause the critics toward your topic and writing style which may foster you to investigate new topics properly and share with others  (Mongomery, 2015). The main aim of choosing topic is to catch, grab somebodies attention and motivate him/her to follow your flow.

In another hand we can see positive dynamic in writing style among our students. Blogging is an integration of positive emotions such as enjoyments in being read and enjoyment to be helpful and supporting in the way of giving feedback (Lai & Chen, 2009). Literacy also may increase as the factor of communication and sharing ideas which is related to the topic. Freedom of choice is sometimes very attractive and interesting but at the same time it causes a dilemma what to choose and how might it work on the auditory. Sharing and caring are other factors of blogging. Reading in order to give a comment to foster communicative processes and accept other’s experience in order to facilitate your own the academic blogging. Another pivotal thing is to increase creativity and critical thinking. Posting is focused on public as was mentioned before that is why ethical image of the post plays a dominant role after the content of the paper. Critical thinking activates during the writing and analyzing the data which focused on skimming and scanning of different materials and summarizing it.

Finally, we can say that the role of blogging in studying foreign language is enormous. It connects four main factors such as individual, educational institution, high technologies and comfortable environment which provide with comfortable working environment for students and instructors   (Lai & Chen, 2009).  That is why we should practice it in daily life and for professional purposes also.

References

Lai, H. M., & Chen, C. P. (2011). Factors influencing secondary school teachers’ adoption of teaching blogs. Computers & Education, 56(4), 948-960.

Montgomery, D.P. (2015, April). Did you read my new post?: Improving autonomy, English and engagement through class blogs. Paper presented at The International Conference for Building Cultural Bridges, Suleyman Demirel University. Kaskelen, Kazakhstan:ICBCB.

What is the style for the writer?

What is writing style? Many people struggle to answer this question, because the answer can be vague. By evaluating several main types of writing and examples of each, I will try to answer this elusive question.

All people have their own taste -their preferences in choosing the cloths, friends, things in their life and in the way their move, dance, eat also; over whole we can call it as life style (Nami, 2015).

What is writing style? Many people struggle to answer this question, because the answer can be vague. By evaluating several main types of writing and examples of each, I will try to answer this elusive question.

All people have their own taste -their preferences in choosing the cloths, friends, things in their life and in the way their move, dance, eat also; over whole we can call it as life style (Nami, 2015).

Style is undivided personality of each person and especially writers. Writers also have their own way of thinking and reflecting them on the piece of paper. Some writers are different and unforgettable by the way of choosing the words. For instance metaphors, idioms, epithets can be good helpers in this case.  In the other hand the structure, this might be written in different ways in order to create the “masterpieces”(Strunk & White, 2000, p.12). Some authors like to write in the way of dialogue with readers others prefer to write in the way of questions and answers, others vice versa write in a way of writing diary.

In other words, all these actions are done in order to catch, grab the attention of the reader. The first word, prologue or the first page may play key role and the reaction of the reader depends on the words choice. In some cases instead of attracting, catching the interest of auditory push back from their writings. The complex words, complex ideas can be impediment for the reader and play a negative role.

Finally, we can see that to have your own writing style is good and necessary, but the authors should improve the skills of choosing their own special character of thinking deeper and carefully about the words, structure and others.

References:

Name, S. 2015. What is Writing Style? - Types, Examples & Quiz.

Retrieved from: http://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-writing-style-types-examples-quiz.html

Strunk, W.& White, E. B. (2000). The Elements of Style (4th Edition). Boston: Allyn and Bacon..

To blog or not to blog... That's the question!

To blog or not to blog... That's the question! 

https://www.examtime.com/blog/top-10-reasons-to-start-blogging-today/

The development of technology and internet influences our lifestyle significantly. It makes things easy, creative and open. This breakthrough has its imprint on teaching too. For example, teaching writing through internet blogging is now practiced in our classrooms. There are a lot of criticism from the side of students about blogging, championing the importance of academic writing. I am of the opinion that we certainly need academic writing, which is formal in nature, given its role in academia. At the same time we cannot underestimate blogging, which is less formal. I support the idea that both approaches of teaching writing should be used in a classroom, not excluding each other.

We have been taught academic writing since the very beginning of the master’s programme. Since it is one of the most important skills any researcher needs to possess much effort was put on it. The results were quite surprising. After hard work during the first semester scaring writing assignments became a pleasure. Writing skills developed compared to what it was then. For example, in terms of structure, it is now very clear how to begin an essay, how to write a road map and thesis argument, how to structure ideas into paragraphs and make a conclusion. Moreover, developing this skill helps coping with thesis and other courses taken on the programme, as all of them have a number of academic writing assignments. I think many students see benefits of it in their studies.

While the advantages of academic writing are on the surface, there are lot of arguments about blog writing. Surely, blogging is a new technique in teaching writing and as everything new it encounters criticism, especially, for being informal. Some may disagree with me, but I think it, as academic writing, has many advantages. To consider, every day we surf the internet and read different blogs, posts about food, news, sport and so on. Blogging allows us to reflect on everyday events quickly. The author is a creator, a generator of ideas. He or she has freedom to express own thoughts not necessarily justifying them with scholarly works as in academic writing. Another advantage for me is that it is online and easy to access. Since it is online other people can see and read a post and share their views commenting on it. Blogs become sort of a platform for discussion, letting even more new ideas develop, which sometimes academic writing is lack of. Besides it, blogging is becoming increasingly popular in the world. Thus, we need to adopt and adapt to what is accepted in society to keep in constant touch with what is happening around, especially if one is a researcher. Given all these, we cannot exclude either writing academically or writing blogs form teaching process.

Concluding, it is important to highlight the value of academic as well as blog writing. Formal style is used in academia, while writing academic papers, articles and etc. On the other hand, while writing on internet less formal style would be appropriate. Mastering both of them makes students more flexible in communicating with their readers.