Chapter 8-Blogging

In this chapter is focuses on why blogging has become so hot over the past several years. Blogging is compared to keeping an online journal for others to read. The most recent post is usually shown at the top of the screen, with previous posts listed below and older posts are archived and hyperlinked, all in date-of-posting order. It can be used a social interaction tool for classrooms or for communication with others. An excellent quote was "We have observed that the online practices and events in which we have been involved via our blogs are frequently not confined to specific online literacy events and practices but are rooted in, or developed by, additional associated social events and practices beyond the internet." It is deeper than just the internet blogging. People can practice literacy while conveying messages that they find important or meaningful to them. Blogs are useful because you can personalize them and the postings are quick to be released. There is no down time waiting for things to be read or posted, it is immediate. 

One of my favorite things about this chapter is that blogs can cover a variety of different topics. There are blogs from personal journals to cooking to sports. If provides a brief summary of information that is easy to access and easy to read. I have had a little experience with blogs from other classes, but not any that required postings daily such as this class. This has shown me how easy it is to blog and be conversational in the text. I know one girl that blogged about country music that she liked. She was so consistent in her reviews and information and had such a large following that she begin getting paid and was being recruited for her opinions. So blogs can be used for financial benefits :). But overall blogs are useful tools and can be used in many different classrooms. In my own classroom, I plan on having one student blog one day a week to post about our information in class and to have a conversation with another class.