USING BLOGS IN SCIENCE EDUCATION
“Blogging” seems to be the catch word this summer (i think it was “wikis” last summer). Anyways, my initial thoughts on blogging were quite simple: “Why do it?” and “When do people find the time?”. I guess that was a pretty narrow-minded view as the “bloggers” I know say they can’t imagine not doing it. Blogging to them is as routine as me checking my email.
Then I thought about the uses of blogs in my teaching practice. I had already set up a wiki for my classes, so why bother with a blog when there’s a discussion forum? After doing some searching on the web, I actually came across a blog ( http://porquoipas.blogspot.com/2006/09/on-teaching-literature-with-blogging.html ) which warmed me up to this whole blogging thing. Like Donna, the individual who posted this blog, I was worried about overloading myself and the students with all this wiki and blogging business. It seems both tools can be used in conjuction to serve different purposes. Now, my only problem is how would I use blogs in my science classes. I can come up with some uses in a literature, writing, or socials studies course, but I’m struggling with designing science lessons that involve blogging. If you have any ideas or experiences involving the use of blogs in science education, I’d love to hear about it.
