Using Reflective Dialogue Blogs

to Encourage Interaction

and Improve Learning

David E. Walker, Ed.D.Bloomsburg University of

PA

A third grader’s response:

Carpe Diem

“Sees the day!”

Let us “Seize the day” by working cooperatively in four groups to provide our answers to the following essential questions:

1. Why is reflective thinking significant to learning?2. How does networking with others improve

understanding?3. Why should professors promote the use of

technology tools like, Blogs, Wikis, Voice Thread, Podcasts, etc. ?

4. What methods do you employ within your lessons that promote the use of critical thinking skills?

Carousel Activity

Embrey (2002) defines a blog as “… a cross between a diary, a Web site, and an online community” (p. 7).

Winer (2002) provides this definition: “A Weblog is a kind of continual tour, with a

human guide whom you get to know.”

What is a Blog?

Dave Winer, 51, pioneered the development of Weblogs, syndication (RSS), Podcasting, outlining, and Web content management software; he is a former contributing editor at Wired Magazine, a research fellow at Harvard Law School, an entrepreneur, and an investor in Web media companies.  A native New Yorker, he received a Master's in Computer Science from the University of Wisconsin and a Bachelor's in Mathematics from Tulane University. He currently lives in Berkeley, California. 

"The protoblogger." - NY Times.  "Helped popularize blogging, Podcasting and RSS." -

Time. 

Dave Winer – A brief biography

Retrieved February 21, 2009 from http://www.scripting.com/stories/2007/02/21/daveWinerBio.html

According to Martindale & Wiley (2005), the blog framework generally includes:Automatic formatting of content in the form of “headlines,” followed by “entries” or “stories”;

Time- and date-stamp of entries;Archiving of past entries;A function to search through all entries;A section associated with each entry where readers can post comments on the entry (p. 55-56).

What is a Blog?

Encourages the development of student- writing skills

Promotes the use of reflective analysis Assures readings are completed and

contemplated Demonstrates the use of networking and

collaborating with fellow learners Develops intellectual interactions

Reasons for Blogging

Assesses the depth of student learning Instills the use of 21C technology Facilitates communication among all

participants Develops a community of learners Provides a forum for disseminating

information

Reasons for Blogging

A clear mission encourages productive dialogue and transparent learning for all of the participants.

Set Guidelines and Objectives

Within their blogs, I have requested that students in three different courses create Reflective Dialogue Entries (RDEs) that contain:

1. A summary of the reading;2. A selected quote, justification for the choice,

and an analysis of the words; and3. Three reflective statements related to their

learning from the course, conversations pertaining to course content, and life experiences tied to class topics.

Set Guidelines and Objectives

Student teachers are expected to select experiences, problems, solutions, insights, observations, projects, etc. and write journal-like entries.

Set Guidelines and Objectives

All blog participants are required to read and respond to at least one other person for each entry. The RDEs are more complex, and I have found that numbering the various components assists students in organizing their thoughts. I encourage students to select different people to respond to as often as possible.

Set Guidelines and Objectives

Post on September 3 2008.pdf (RDE #1 from Teaching of Language Arts)

Post on October11, 2008.pdf(RDE #6 from Teaching of Language Arts)

Post on October 20 2008(D&I).pdf(RDE #8 from Diagnostic and Inclusionary Practices for Literacy)

Sample Blogs

Post on February 13 2009 (Student Teachers).pdf(Blog #5 from a student teacher with two

responses, one from a fellow student and one from me.)

Sample Blogs

Questions and/or Comments

Blogging for Understanding References

References

Please feel free to visit my Faculty/Staff Web site and retrieve further information from this workshop at:

http://facstaff.bloomu.edu/dwalker(All conference information is under the link of the same name.)

My contact information is:dwalker@bloomu.edu

Conference Materials

Please complete my assessment form for this workshop and leave it on the table beside the laptop.

Thank you,

David Walker