Hello Everyone,
I just wanted to create some room for discussion around the idea of the use of a blog. Kasim and Jaqui both raised concern in class over the use of a blogging environment in a class which was supposed to be modeling popular education practices.
Is a blog a form of popular education? I would argue yes and no. In many ways a blog is a tool for popular education as it is a decentralized news source. In this sense we are publicizing the knowledge gleaned from our classes, creating wider room for discussion. Much as Deb sends out her classroom summaries we can share our thoughts and interact with a larger community of educators who can also share their thoughts in the comment section. In this sense a blog is a popular means of distribute information, as it is free and very user friendly. To use a blog you must be familiar with a webmail like interface, as most users of Hotmail, Gmail, and other popular free email services rely on.
That being said, not everyone is technologically literate and thus the blogging environment excludes them. I think that we can use this forum, and help each other in finding complementary media which we can distribute in class, like a printed newsletter, or a listserve. We need to meet people where they are at. While some people might protest that they do not even want to be technologically literate, as computers are pollutive the the environment and humanity is overdependent on them. Should we be trying to decrease computer use, trying to rely more on print communication? In order to properly asses appropriate use of technology we must examine what it's negative and positive influences are. People can be addicted to computers, and we must examine the ways that they effect our lives seriously.
Looking forward to your comments,
Lisa
4 comments:
Lisa, thanks so much for framing the discussion as you have. I confess to being a principled computer/techno resister on a number of grounds including environmental concerns and the working conditions of those who manufacture the techno paraphenalia.
On the other hand, I very much embrace the notion of a shared space in which we can build this and other communities of learners/teachers.
I look forward to the dialogue.
Jacquie
P.S. This is my first foray into blogging. Not even sure I'll be able to successfuly post!!
The blog is a useful support tool that can compliment face to face discussion, telephone contact and other forms of communicative engagement. As long as we ensure that it remains one alternative (among many,)and that it doesn't completely replace the other methods, I'm OK with it. And I'm very new to the whole idea!
Love and respect
Blakka
Thanks Blakka and Jacquie. I hope that more people will be motivated and keep on posting. By the way, I love your picture!
Lisa
Lisa - I am so glad that you got us blogging because this is the first time that I have "blogged" anything. I have two children ages 7 and 9.5 and I am certain that they will lead the pack in the technoworld. And I am glad that I at least now know what a blog is.
Regarding the use of a blog in Popular Education - our forms of communication are changing. We need to be flexible if we are going to reach people. Just look at U Tube and the Jena 6 dialogue. Blogging and other electronic forms of communication got this issue in front of the US President and the North American public. Perhaps the youth involved have not yet been freed, but at least we are aware of this tremendou injustice. This has to be one of the first steps toward resolving the problem.
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