Thing #04

Commenting for Community

Building a community is impossible without communication among its members.  Commenting on others' posts allows for ideas to be shared, points to be discussed, and relationships to form.  Without comments on the material, the writer receives no feedback to improve his or her writing and learns little about the audience his or her posts are reaching.  Imagine a classroom where the teacher lectures the entire period without student responses or group work.  What kind of a relationship forms between the teacher and the students?  The same can be said in regards to a blog without responses.  Information may be passing from one individual to many, but none is given in response to the teacher or writer.  A community, similar to a classroom, relies upon communication, discussion, and feedback.

Important Points

I think Vicki Davis brings up an excellent point regarding the presence of many "Darth Commenters" (DCs) on the Internet.  Some people simply enjoy stirring the pot and being hurtful.  One should not give in to such comments by arguing or back-lashing the DC, which can often encourage further behavior from the individual and perhaps more.  By deleting the DCs and sticking to the beliefs and reasons for blogging, a person can continue to post without becoming discouraged by those just seeking to be hurtful.

Darren Rowse presents several techniques that encourage more comments from readers.  One in particular that I like is #3 concerning open ended posts.  I have often read posts and articles that I enjoyed and found informative, but I found nothing more to say than "That was good."  By remaining open ended, more room for contribution from the readers is made available, and a sense of community is improved.

The 7

Jordan Tupper

Jordan presents some good points as to how a teacher can use a blog in the classroom.  We share some similar points in Thing #03, and I wanted to elaborate on a point I agreed with by providing some input from my own post.

Nicole Clay

I enjoyed Nicole's points on providing a Q&A section on the blog for students to answer and help each other while being monitored by the instructor.  I reiterated what I liked and added my own points.  Formative assessment is crucial in the classroom, and a blog can provide that important information.

Kyle Christmas

Kyle is a high school English teacher, which is the area I hope to teach.  I look forward to reading his posts and learning from someone who is already out in the field.  Our weak habits are the same, and I enjoyed his ideas of utilizing technology within an English classroom.

Michelle Terry

Michelle's Thing #08 has an interesting assignment idea utilizing the puzzle generator.  I have a similar idea for my #08 using the Motivator where students would present their picture and explain their choice and its relevance.  History has never been one of my favorite subjects, but I am interested by the approach Michelle may be taking.

Michelle Dixon

Michelle's Thing #07 is an inspiring picture of a castle upon a mountain top.  A history and story concerning that fortress lives on, but even without knowing any of it, I can already imagine the deeds and betrayals that have taken place within its walls.  Pictures will be great sources of discussion and inspiration for English students.  I enjoyed Michelle's choice and her reasoning behind it.

Workout Plan & Healthy Eating

Having a major in Health, I was quickly drawn to this blog.  I commented on a post regarding the losing of weight, which many can attest to as being less than simple.  The blogger provides several examples of easy ways to burn more calories, such as tapping your foot, drinking cold water, and just plain old moving around.  I gave my own little input on some suggestions for burning calories and eating better while still affirming several of the ideas the blogger posted.  I will certainly continue to follow this blog.

Daniela Blagoeva's Paintings

I love to see other people's artwork.  Much like a book, paintings and sketches contain a story in and of themselves, and despite what the artist intended, a person can find their own meaning for it based on the particular aspects they find to be beautiful and unique.  I commented on a sketch of Mary holding baby Jesus.  I asked whether or not it was original or copied from a different source, but either way, she shows great promise and plenty of skill in the way of becoming a successful artist.