Reading Reflection 1 - Who Knew Writing Could be This Much Fun?

Who Knew Writing Could be This Much Fun?

           

In the article, “Who Knew Writing Could be This Much Fun?” the story of a young Iowa elementary school student’s experience using an online blog is told. The article explains the expectation that is put on elementary students to work on their writing skills. Unfortunately this task is met with a lack of enthusiasm and students find the tasks to be boring and dry. The article tells the story of how this young Iowa student, Meridan, discovers the world of blogs and uses one to work on her writing skills, express her creativity and interact with others.

            I really enjoyed reading this article because it helped me to see ways that new technologies, such as blogs, have had a positive impact on students. I am very familiar with web 2.0 technologies from the marketing and communication classes that I took in my undergrad education. However, as a future teacher, I lack strategies to integrate modern technology into my lesson plans. The article really helped me to see how positive this experience was for Meridan. It was great to see her take interest in the blogging world, join a group, ask for guidance, and even teach her mother at home how to blog. The possibilities of what blogging and other web 2.0 platforms can teach and encourage in students are endless. It is so positive to see excitement, engagement and dedication come out of students through these platforms. I really hope that I can create projects and assignments in my classroom that will create similar experiences for my students, and I will be sure to keep stories like this one in mind as examples.

Fingal, D. (2013). Who Knew Writing Could be This Much Fun? Learning & Leading with Technology, 40(8). 40-41. Retrieved from http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learningandleading/20130607