Reflection 8: Blogging

This picture is from the MTV show Awkward. In this show the protagonist, Jenna, keeps and on going blog that also serves as the narration. I like how this show combined a new literacy with classic teenage drama. The more exposure students have to things like blogs, the more familiar they will become with them.

I was familiar with the structure, design, and purpose of blogs before this course although I had never kept my own or followed anyone. Like chapter 8 explains, blogs are an inexpensive way for people to communicate, share information, and connect with each other. I think if I were to create an anonymous blog my intent would be to get personal points across and receive feedback.

            One of the significant differences in a new literacy, like blogging, compared to traditional literacies, is the option the reader has to not read all of the posted information or comments. Blogs can become an on going conversation between multiple people and the reader can choose to just read the original post. I like how the author said, “Authorship and identities can become blurred as texts intertwine and merge.”

            Similar to how many classes have a class website set up, I think it would be a fun experiment to set up a class blog. Students could be anonymous to just each other or the teacher as well, as they blog responses to a book, a test, or school issue. Having a class blog would expand students’ literacy experiences as the chapter suggests. Just as people with various backgrounds still communicate with each other via blog, so can students. Similarly, just as blog authors can become a character they have developed, students too can shape their identities.