The Educated Blogger: Using Weblogs to Promote Literacy in the Classroom & Digital Culture and Education

"The distinctive contribution of the approach to literacy as social practice lies in the ways in which it involves careful and sensitive attention to what people do with texts, how they make sense of them to further their own purposes in their own learning lives" (Gillen and Barton, 2010, p. 9). Both of the above noted texts are thoughtful and offer insights as to how weblogs and digital learning are useful tools to enhance learning and literacy. The idea that blogs and the digital forum are community oriented is a pretty nifty thing. While a blog can be a journal much like a hand-written reader response journal is utilized, a blog is out there for interaction whereas a hand-written journal is more solitary, most likely only shared with one's teacher and select classmates. With a blog, collaboration and group learning take on an entirely new dynamic and scope. For myself, past ESC classes with discussion forums utilizing posts have been very enjoyable and provided enrichment via the dialogue synchronized with the readings/tasks. New Media & New Literacies is providing my first venture into blogging. Though the activity is somewhat similar, the blog forum requires more ability to navigate. I'm working on it; it is new and therefore, I have had some misfires and frustration, but when it works, it is a thrill! Julie