Yes, No, Maybe, So?!?!?

1. Students talked more about books on the blog than they would have by just talking about the books in class. I believe that we talked more about the things we were reading on the blog rather than in class because home was were we did most of our reading. So when a "major" event took place, the computer was there and our minds were screaming ideas, so bloging was the release.
2. Students liked the blog because it gave them time to formulate ideas that they had before sharing with the class. Writing on the blog was safer than sharing an idea in an in-class discussion. The blog was a place we could share ideas with the comfort wall of knowing that we could be anonymous if we wish. This classroom blog was a place were we could relax, be ourselves, and share our thoughts and ideas without holding back.
3. In previous courses, the main audience was the teacher. Students turned assignments in to the teacher, and she was the only one to see the studentsÂ’ hard work. On the blog, the entire class could read the studentsÂ’ work and offer feedback. When we posted any type of work on the blog, or just a post, we were putting work out there for other people to see. In a way I think because we knew others were going to see it we put more work, time, and effort into our posts. Also, we weren't just talking to the teacher anymore so we all had to learn to expand our vision to thwide verietytyty. The blog taught upt tdifferent circumstancesses.
4. Students liked getting comments, and they tried to create posts that would entice readers to their posts. I think anyone likes a complementan that's itts exactly what commenting is, a complement. So, in order to have people read your post, it haon and entice the reader to the post. If through a picture, title, fount, or just the contentsve a comment is a great feeling and the feedback is what we are after.
5. Many times, students included pictures with their written posts. The pictures were a visual representation of the content of their writing. What I mean is, the picture matched the words. A lot of thought went into choosing those pictures. To add a picture to the post, was a way to add "character" to the writing. I personally pick out my pictures carefully, I usually type in one thing at google and end up on another heading. I guess I just pick what is interesting, creative, or just plain out eye catching. Picking a picture for me is just part of the fun.
6. Effective blog posts had good pictures, an interesting title, and went beyond summary. A good blog was something that was above and beyond. We all are in the same class, so we really didn't need a re-cap of the day, but to take a different view of the class, or if you bloged about something different than everyone else. . . if your post was unique yoed to get noticed.
7. Ineffective blog posts were static on the ladder of abstraction. True, a blog post needed to be clear and understandable. If they weren't. . . well, there just not a whole lot of fun to read.
8. Students shared personal experiences and stories that connected to the literature they read. Sharing personal experiences is always a good thing, to let other people see a connections just makes reading the blog all that much more fun. To have a connection with the reading is powerful, and to be able to share that experience is a powerful experience too.
9. The class felt like a community was created because of the blog. The class felt closer and more Â
bondeded.” The blog allowed you to get to know each other better through writing. I think the security the blog offered made us a lot closer, it helped us let elfs out. We saw different things in each other, weakness and strengths. It truly helped us come together as more than a class, but more as a group of friends.
10. In past Communication Arts courses, students mostly wrote book reports, summaries, or constructed responses about the literature; the blog allowed them to write more expressively, informally, freely, and more frequently. The blog fitted our schedule not the classes, because of this, we were able to add, review, and basically saw whatmeantment in our own way.
11. Students felt free to write with voice and to write about their choice of topics. Their writing style expressed their personality. I think that each one of us has a voice, it is unique just like us, and the bough this out.
12. More students than not liked blogging and found it motivating and engaging. The blog included everyone, no one was left out. People who you would normally wouldn't talk to in the halls were the ones you were commenting on-ligian the blog brought us, students, closer together, making us get to know each other.
13. Students were surprised by the quantity of writing as they looked at the posts they created throughout the semester. The bloging is spread across the week, two blogs per week is min, and that isn't a lot of typing. I think once you get into it, blogbbit and not so much as an assignment.
14. Blogs allowed you to read the different perspectives of each student in class. To read other blogs and see the different opinions of the other students helped me ba lotalot. When see the different "colors" of the other blogs, helpedwidendided my vision, I started to think beyond the horizon.
15. Students who might not share as freely in class discussion—“shy” or “quiet” students—blogged frequently and felt free to share ideas. The bloclarificationrification area for many of us, we could ask questions and a whole bunch of other things with out thfeelingof fealing stupid in front of a class.
17. Instead of looking to Mrs. James for “correct answers” when discussing the literature, students responded to the literature independently. They read the perspectives of other students to clarify their own thinking and understanding of the literature instead of depending on whether the teacher thought they had the right answer. When reading other people's posts you re-cap the past readings and events, so you are basically giving yourself a pop quiz on how well you digested the material. Plus, if you didn't understand sguarantee I guarentee someone on the blog will!
18. The blog was student-centered instead of teacher-controlled. With the students at the head of the project, I think that this just made our clsucceednt to suceed more. Tprivilege a priviretainnd to retian that we had to work and be respoinstancefor instence doing our blogging, commenting, being respectful, and all that other good stuff.
19. The blog kept students “on schedule” with the diding. They didn’t want to feel behind on the blog, so they kept up with the reading. The blog did keep many students who usually fall behind in reading up-dated and encouraged it too. It is kind ofconversationa conversateion, you don't want to be the one who doesn't know what there talking about, it is the same on the blog, to blog just for the sake of your grade is just. . . crazy, but to blog and know what your talking abosensehere is a sence of accomplishment.
20. Students read more deeply while they blogged. They re-read and took notes as they read, so they would be prepared to blog. When reading the blog, you go over information that you have already been introduced to, even if you don't take note of it, you are learning more by doing this. The blog helped many take a deeper understanding of the information that was being put out. The blog was a re-teaching and a re-viewing tool for me and many others.
21. Students rarely linked to other websites. I don't think that a lot of people in my class really felt the need to post a link, the blogresourceharing resourse, but isource mainly a sorce to talk to one another.

22. Students used the blog to ask each other questions about class and about assignments. The blog was a way to reinform one another about recent assignments and to ask questions; it was a soft place to fall when confused.

23.)Students used the blog to share weekend events and happenings. Once agian, the blog was a way to communicate and share past events and also future.

24. Blogs helped students to extend conversations beyond the classroom walls. We do talk among ourselves at school, but when we blog at home we seem to have more to say.

25. The writing on the blog changed throughout the semester. How did you see the writing change? Look back at the beginning of the blog and return to more recent posts. What differences do you see? I find by looking back at old posts that my writing has mutured and changed. I know what I am doing and writing now, I have grown through the blog and my posts.

A few more questions:

Most of you had very positive things to say about Mrs. James class. What part did blogging play in those feelings? Mrs. James is awesome to start out with, but her attitude towards this whole project was incredible. The blog was one of those things that no many teachers would step out and do, mainly because it is new to the school systems, but Mrs. James was trusting and understanding through it all. Blogging was Mrs. James' way of teaching us new and exciting things.

What else did you learn? Though this whole experience I have learned not only how to blog and be more capible on the inernet, but also I learned life leasons through my classmates and Mrs. James' teachings.

What am I missing as I try to understand the perspective of students who blog as part of a Communication Arts classroom? When looking at the blog you can tell who the students are, the ones that HAVE to blog and the others that WANT to blog. I enjoy blogging, and I plan to contue, but sadly I don't think all of us will.

What have you learned about writing through the blog? I have learned more about writing, I have learned how to pertrait my voice better and to also get a point across also.

What have you learned about reading through the blog? I now have a long list of MUST READS thanks to recomendations on the blog, it is a good place to find a title.

Did you only blog because it was a class requirement? I bloged not only because it was required, but because I wanted to .

Did you ever blog because you enjoyed writing and sharing your ideas? I did blog many times on the fact that I wanted to share an idea or a thought.

How did blogging impact your reading and writing skills? Blogging has helped my english, I had a rough time writing before this class, it was something that I didn't enjoy all too much, but now I can write something with no problem.

Will you continue to blog? I will most defently continue to blog!

If you were the researcher, what questions would you ask? If I were a researcher I would ask, "Where did Mrs. James get the idea to start a blog site?" :)