What do you like / dislike about leaving comments?
Commenting can be very tricky in that it's very important to me that my true tone and intent are clear. I'm not sure that I'm always successful in doing so. I have not yet commented on any site unless it's a positive comment so I've kind of wimped out so to speak. I would like to become a better writer of responses so that I am able to leave positive but maybe critical comments. I suppose if you frame your critical responses as questions such as "Have you thought about...?" or "What would you think about...?" could help to show that I am not attacking but just interested in a friendly exchange/debate of an issue or idea.
How did you feel when you received your first comment?
Receiving comments feels a lot like getting any kind of communication. I am very interested (and sometimes worried) to see what the sender is going to say.
Why do you think commenting is so important in online communities?
I think commenting in online communities is what holds those groups together. If no one is responding to you then the interest in that particular community will fade because you no longer feel like a member - kind of like being at a party and not being acknowledged by any of the guests.
What might this mean for students who share their writing online?
If students are going to share their writing online and are going to expect timely, appropriate, and thoughtful responses, then they should receive exactly what they are expecting. The teacher needs to set up guidelines about posting and responding and make sure that no one is left standing along the wall alone at the "party". They will not feel the same need to post quality work if they feel that there is no audience for their pieces.
About Me
- A. Spohn
- I am currently teaching kindergarten at Lenawee Christian School in Adrian, Michigan!
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Great point about students needing to know what is expected up front. If all students in the learning group have a shared response rubric it is helpful, letting them know how often they should respond, how to support others' opinions or disagree respectfully, how to expand on ideas presented, how to invite others into the group to respond . . . this could take a lot of time to model at the beginning of the year before they feel comfortable, but, I think, worth the time and effort to teach them. Writing on the web will probably become a lifelong requirement for many in their work. Employers are certainly starting to expect that potential employees have web sense and are able to communicate effectively on the web as well as having teamwork and collaborative work skills. We educators certainly have our work cut out for us! But students will always be more motivated when they know they could have a "worldwide" audience!
ReplyDeleteI think a lot of things in the classroom need a lot of modeling but it's always worth the time upfront. Usually that means by December you don't find yourself explaining procedures and expectations.
ReplyDeleteI truly appreciate your comparison of commenting to being alone at a party. That helps me visualize the on line dialogue in a new light! Thanks for that insight!!
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