Laura brought up a good point in her posting about privacy and feelings of vulnerability on the blogosphere. I have to admit, I also feel some trepidation bearing out my soul on the internet. The classroom has historically been a domain for exploration and experimentation safe from external scrutiny. Does a public forum threaten to breach this fostering environment? I can certainly see this hampering some students. I wonder if there have been any studies done on this subject?But on the other hand I can also see the benefits of using this media. A blog does offer various levels of anonymity. Some may have difficulties expressing themselves in person or in front of a crowd. This can be eloquently circumvented by blogging.
And then there is a bit of "sniffing each other's butts." In the animal kingdom, this is done frequently and frankly. We humans have developed a far more delicate system of intricacies to assess and learn from each other. While posting, the blogger knowingly puts his work out for examination. This in and of itself can be a daunting process, but I believe the internet offers a comforting barrier, inline with our human timidity. Moreover the knowledge that your work will be sized up in a public sphere offers a great incentive to put forward a polished, well thought out product. A bit of competition can be good for the learning experience. What are your thoughts on this?
-Ben
I invite you to raise this issue in class, if nobody else comments about it here.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a student (hey, I still am, I suppose), I find that I often disagreed with your statement above, " The classroom has historically been a domain for exploration and experimentation safe from external scrutiny." My experience has often been just the opposite -- I have often found more support outside, rather than in a class, where so many dynamics are wrapped around how we look to each others and the professor. Out there in the "real" world, people are often (once again, in my experience) either supportive or they simply do not care. The classroom seems to have everything else in between . . .
Jeffrey