Evaluative+Review

=__Blogging in TEFL __=

What is a Blog?
A weblog, or blog, as it is more commonly referred to, is a fast and simple way of creating a webpage as, instead of going through an internet provider in order to post it online, blog owners – known as “bloggers” - simply type directly into a browser and at the click of a button are able to publish their words online. Blogs have journal-like qualities in that posts appear as chronologically categorized written entries, and therefore, they are often described as “online journals”. Unlike traditional journals which tended to be very private mediums of expression, blogs are available for widespread viewing over the World Wide Web. It is, however, possible to limit viewing access to your blog if you wish to do so, although that largely defeats the purpose of the technology. Weblogs also differ from traditional web pages in that they can provide interactive opportunities. Readers of any given blog can leave comments in response to a post. Some hosting websites and software even offer the opportunity for extended threaded discussions (Campbell, 2003). If, however, the owner wishes to disable comment features or enforce restrictions about who can leave comments or when, it is possible to do so. Therefore, a blog can be as interactive or as individual as the owner wants it to be. This higher level of control gives weblog technology, in some respects and depending on the purposed for which it will be used, a certain advantage over other similar technologies such as the wiki.

How do I set up a Blog?
The software used to create a blog is extremely user-friendly, easy to get the hang of, and requires no prior knowledge of any markup language such as HTML or File Transfer Protocol (FTP), although “with a very basic knowledge of HTML, users can extend their ability to customize the layout of their blog and even add pictures to enhance its attractiveness” (Campbell, 2003). Nevertheless, anybody with an internet connection and a web browser can set up a blog within minutes and use it in a multitude of ways depending on their individual or group needs. Weblog software looks and behaves a lot like word processor software, so any person who can type, copy and paste in programs such as Microsoft Word should have no trouble learning how to post blogs. Inexpensiveness is another benefit, as many blogs are free, or give you the option of subscribing for free at the loss of some software features. All blog hosting sites offer a great deal of flexibility, giving their subscribers the opportunity to upgrade or downgrade their scheme at any time. For those interested in setting up blogs, or finding out more about blogs, Edublogs, Blogger and Wordpress are among the most popular hosting websites and provide step by step, easy to follow instructions.

Blogs in TEFL
The term ‘weblog’ first emerged in December 1997 (Hirsch, 2005), but their popularity, especially in teaching, has only grown in more recent years. According to wikipedia, early educational blogs can be traced back to 2001 (Wikipedia), but it is only in the past five years or so that educators and educational researchers have begun to explore their true potential as teaching tools. Given the flexibility of blogs, their availability, inexpensiveness and user-friendliness, they can be adapted to any subject, age group or level, and so, as the years have gone by, a wide variety of applications have manifested. The use of blogs in education has lead to the coining of some new terms used to describe the phenomenon – ‘edublogosphere’ or ‘edusphere’ (as opposed to the more general blogosphere) refer to the intangible spectrum on which blogs exist and bloggers interact. Similarly, the educational blogger is now the ‘edublogger’.

In TEFL, blogs can be created by teachers for teachers, by teachers for students and/or parents, or by students for teachers, peers and parents. The most obvious use for blogs in TEFL is for reflective learning purposes. The students, or teacher, or both, can keep an online journal of their learning and teaching development throughout the duration of a language course. This creates an archive of individual and group experiences, which helps students track their development, compare their own experiences to those of their peers, and also gives teachers the opportunity to “pick” students’ minds in a noninvasive and non-threatening way. Furthermore, the blog medium encourages discussion among students and teachers who can comment on each others’ posts at the time of publication.

Blogs created by teachers for their students have several benefits. For example, they can act as relevant, personalized reading materials which focus or students particular needs and interests. If posted daily they can remain short thus retaining the reader’s attention and can use vocabulary learned in class in order to reinforce it in students’ minds and provide examples of how it can be used in natural, authentic communication. Furthermore, the casual language commonly used in blogs can help strengthen student-teacher relationships by creating a stress-free, friendly atmosphere. Additionally, it creates opportunities for and encourages self-study as permanent links in the boarders of the blog can lead to online ESL activities. Another useful teaching feature of the blog is the teacher’s ability to reach the whole class at the same time. For example, instead of answering the same question several times orally or by email, they can post a blog entry answer which will be available to all and which can also be referred to at any time in the future. Finally, teachers can use their blog to keep students and parents informed about changes to curriculum, submission deadlines and progress.

Individual or group students’ blogs are equally useful. Learners can use blogs as a platform to practice and improve their writing. They work very well as follow ups to reading assignments. For example, a group of high school students in New Jersey collaborated on a blog which discussed a book reading assignment on //The Secret Life of Bees// (Yang, 2006). Their blog can be accessed at [|www.weblogs.hcrhs12.nj.us/beesbook]. Possibly the most important contribution blogs offer students is that they encourage ownership and autonomy of learning. Students are able to experience the web as an educational tool as well as an entertainment or trivial information resource. They are encouraged to explore the educational possibilities of the internet for themselves and can choose to include links to or information about their discoveries. Additionally, individual and group blogs need not be spatially restricted, as students from across continents can collaborate on a single blog or provide feedback to each other. Finally, exposure to technologies such as the blog allows students to experience the legal, practical and ethical issues related to online publishing and can help foster responsible ethical attitudes.

Disadvantages
As with all online technologies there can be some disadvantages. Plagiarism, for example, can become a problem, but even this potentially negative aspect can be, as previously suggested, used to a learning advantage under the appropriate ethical guidance. Another problem with weblogs can be deal links. In order to avoid this they need to me maintained properly but this is rarely after the end of a language course. This, unfortunately, creates preservation problems and diminishes their archiving value (Oravec, 2002). Some claim that blogs are merely more restrictive wikis and so prefer the latter for use in the TEFL classroom. However, it is evident from the multitude of ways in which blogs have been put to excellent educational use that this is not the case. Though wikis lend themselves more readily to collaboration blogs offer a greater degree of security and control. There are tasks, classes and assignments for with a wiki or a podcast or any other Web 2.0 technology might work better, but the blog can be as versatile and educational as any of them.

Conclusions
Given that blogs are so easy to set up and just as easy to use, as well as fun and educational, teachers should try to incorporate them, and other Web 2.0 technologies, into their teaching as much as possible.  Works Cited  Blog. (2009, April 3). In //Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia//. Retrieved 18:34, April 1, 2009, from []

Campbell, A. P. (2003). The Internet TESL Journal, //9//(2), Retrieved April 1, 2009 from http://iteslj.org/Techniques/Campbell-Weblogs.html

Hirsch, J. (2005). Learning Collaboratively with Technology: Students' Social Interactions Demand New Applications of Digital Learning Tools. //School Administrator//, __Questia__, 1 Apr. 2009 .

Oravec, J.A. (2002) Bookmarking the World: Weblog Applications in Education; Weblogs Can Be Used in Classrooms to Enhance Literacy and Critical Thinking Skills. //Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 45//(7), Retrieved April 1, 2009 from []

Yang, J. (2006). //Blogging//. London: Penguin Group  <span style="font-size: 130%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">