I found Brenda Sherry’s account of her Teddy Bear Project, “Teddy Bear’s Go Blogging,” to be both encouraging and thought provoking. As reassuring as it was to hear this success story about effective classroom utilization of the internet, though, I was left wondering how I might reproduce this level of success in my seemingly unrelated classes. Blogs never seemed to fit into middle and upper school math classes.
Ms. Sherry’s project represents an ideal integration of blogging and curriculum. While she tells her reader that the her project “aims to promote tolerance and education about other cultures,” her students work clearly achieved much more than that. Aside from exposure to Australian customs, climates, diets and family life, Ms. Sherry’s class improved writing skills, honed collaboration techniques, and developed familiarity with word processing, blogging, and multi-media. This cross-continental endeavor allowed for growth in traditional disciplines—like reading, writing, communication—while fostering comfort with the critical tools of tomorrow that students’ will be required to use in future classes, jobs, and everyday interactions. And most importantly, the kids had fun! They took pride in their work, shared with their family members, showed initiative and ownership of their project, etc. In short, these youngsters exhibited the attitude toward learning that we as teachers hope to see in all our pupils: the love of attained knowledge and achieved goals, rather than obsession with grades and shortcuts.
But until now, my exposure to blogs and blogging has been limited to various sports reporters' and political pundits’ web-based journals. While these online resources offer insightful and timely news, I’ve never considered them as educational aids, and certainly not MATHEMATICAL tools. Even the few friends I have who actively blog seem to concentrate on the social-network or “fun” side of this new form of media. I admit that when I first saw we would be covering blogging on the syllabus, I wondered whether it could serve any real purpose for my math students. Still, the account of Ms. Sherry’s success was undeniable. Thanks to blogging, her students improved their writing, learned some critical computer skills, and found satisfaction in their schoolwork.
This last achievement—joy from one’s learning, pride in one’s work—is what struck me most and what I think I could emulate with my students. Blogging about Australian games and hobbies isn’t applicable to Calculus. But an online forum to communicate with other students is definitely appropriate for my courses. Developing sentence structure and verbal communication skills aren’t desired learning outcomes in my pre-algebra course. But mathematical communication sure is. And I may not want my students to spend substantial time learning about webdesign, but Ms. Sherry notes that the technical knowledge her class gained was secondary to the primary goal. An online project that would “[put] control in the hands of the learners,” could instill pride in a seventh grade math student just as easily as a second grade English class. Ms. Sherry's class showed how a blog could serve this purpose. Students might share their questions, solutions, thoughts, concerns, or comment on my notes--all in a medium they find fun, entertaining...dare I say "cool"? Increased communication and enjoyment can’t be a bad thing. Further, the prospect that these digital interactions could help change their attitude towards numbers is even more enticing.
And if in the process, my students become better writers, more efficient web designers, or effective tutors to their friends, all the better! There would definitely be obstacles to overcome: effective assimilation of a blog-based project into the curriculum would require extensive planning; requisite technical knowledge could substantially increase the time burden placed on the student (although blogger does seem pretty intuitive); and coordinating group work among students often presents logistical complications. Still, the success that the author enjoyed and the ease with which I was able to create my first blog have both inspired me to consider how I might meet those challenges in my classroom. Maybe blogging in math class makes sense after all.
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