"That's Online Writing..." Response and Opinions

I found this article about incorporating technology, such as online blogs, into student English curriculum to be very informative. I had never considered using blogging in my future classroom until I read the article.

Shelbie Witte was an 8th grade middle school teacher who was familiar with the moans and groans of students as she asked them to write in their journals. One student in particular, "Cassandra", normally did not participate. A parent-teacher conference revealed that "Cassandra's" lack of enthusiam was not for writing, but the medium used for writing. Through a brief discussion Ms. Witte began to understand how to make her student's enjoy writing even more. Most of her students were "hungry for writing" and blogging became the answer.

Ms. Witte's Talback Project began in Spring 2005, but it wasn't until November 2005 that all the bugs had been worked out. Teachers responding to the blogs were showing students how to appreciate, understand, and relate to texts that they were reading. It "gave them a voice".

I fully support Ms. Witte's use of blogging in the classroom. Part of the problem with students not participating is that they are not engaged. I even liked that she protected the student's privacy by giving them all pseudonyms. While I hope to teach at an elementary school one day, not a middle school, I think that it can still be incorporated in the classrooms with younger students too.