Blogging Experience

What is the blog for? I think this may be a question that many people have. Most people use their blog as a personal diary, recording bits and pieces of their personal feelings and life, so that others can keep up with the blogger’s recent life. For me, I treat it as an English learning journal. I put all my assignments, reflection or record on the online English learning class. During the process of my blogging, I progress little by little in terms of technical ability, language proficiency as well as the ability of organizing a blog.

The toughest problem I encounter is technical problem, since I am not good at using computer at all, or more precisely, I am a technology illiterate. I really spend lots of time figuring it out. How to use labels, to set a guestbook, to add video file, to use permalink are really big headaches. Probably these basic functions are a piece of cake for some people; however, I really pay many efforts. I even cannot make the blanks between each paragraph. I truly pay much time, efforts and energy to solve it, but it still works, so I feel frustrated. Fortunately, I have a very very nice adviser, Julie. She helps me with this problem a few days before the presentation. Millions thanks to Julie! :) At this moment, I realize the importance of collaboration. Everyone has her own merits and demerits, and through collaboration, we can complement finely with each other. I think my technical ability surely progresses a little in that I learn how to explore a blog; that is, encounter technical problems and attempt to overcome by myself at first, and if the problem still cannot be worked out after my several tries, then I will turn other people for help. Hence I have a little sense of achievement after solving these problems.

In the beginning of my blogging, I just write down things to post. I did not manage to organize it as a very delicate one. But when I post one article through another, my interest for organizing this blog has become stronger and stringer, so I spontaneously start to search for other functions or devices that can decorate my blog. Also I encourage myself to emulate the virtues of other excellent blog. For example, some of our classmates really do a fantastic job in blogging, so I manage to learn their merits. I even ask them how to make it. But I do not just copy their method monotonously without a slight of change. I try to make this blog matches my style, so I use some warm, natural color as well as lovely designs. My blog surely has a lot to be desired, and can be decorated with more fascinating elements; nonetheless, now I feel generally contented with what I have done seeing that this is my first try.

One of the devices in my blog I am so eager to show you is the “shoutbox” on the lower-left of the webpage. This shoutbox serves as an interactive space for me and my readers to communicate with each other. I am so thrilled when I set this device successfully. As for how to encourage my readers’ participation, I just inform everyone around us that I have this blog; they can just take a look at it. And if they think my blog is interesting, they will leave me message spontaneously without my request. So what I stress more is the content, the richness of my blog. This is the way how I encourage my readers’ participation. I also think that their massage are all interesting for me, even though sometimes they just say hello to me or compliment my works. Your any response or comment can make whole my day!

As for the language learning, blogging definitely plays an instrumental role. After publishing so many postings, I have practiced my writing considerably. Sometimes when I review the past postings, I find some grammatical errors or typos, and I correct them at once. What is more, when I attempt to evaluate those websites, my English proficiency of listening, speaking, writing and reading improve simultaneously. What I learn most from this section is how to present a website based on the criteria or principle in that chapter and, most importantly, to present them in an organized and clear way. I think I did not do well in terms of using all the criteria that chapter suggests. Sometimes the introduction of the website just reflects my personal visiting reflection. But what I want to say about this is that sometimes the criteria (i.e. goal, presentation, appropriateness, outcome, evaluation) are not appropriate to fit all the websites. If we “must” take these criteria in evaluating all the websites without flexibility, then I think it will lose the meaning of reflecting all the feature of those websites as well as reflecting the results of personal learning.

In the following, I would like to share some strategies based on the principles and criteria that I use in organizing this blog with you (i.e. how to organize a blog):
1. Clear and plain title and description: I state directly that this is Celia’s English learning blog.

2. Eye-catching and vivid designs:I put three beautiful pictures that I took. Also, the video clips are eye-catching and captivating (at least for me).

3. Comments and responses:There is a space for readers to leave their comment or feedback.

4. RSS/ Permalink/ Moderation:These three functions exist originally at first. But I am still figuring out how to use them successfully. I am still at a loss as to how to carry them out. I will ask someone else and try to use these functions anyway.

5. Hypertext links:I put relevant links when the texts are too long to be fully presented in the webpage.

6. Multimedia tools:Such as video/audio clips, fascinating pictures.

7. Interactive space:I also set a guestbook space for readers to talk with me or other learners.

8. Highlight the key words (glossing):I change the color of key words and phrases or just put them in bold front.

Reflection on Tapped In Online Conferences (Authentic Experience)

Recently I attended two Tapped In online conferences. One is “Climate Change ─ What Can We Do about it?” It belongs to environment group. And the other one is “Special Education Forum – Assessment.” The first topic is close to our life, so I opt to attend it. As for the special education forum, well, it’s just because I am free at that time. Yet, I think I get a better hang of online discussion in the second time.

In the first Tapped In meeting, somehow, the participants are really few. It has just about five people at most. And no people greet me or ask me questions except the moderator Maggi. She is friendly and appreciates my first participation; therefore, I am so elated. Most of the participants are sophisticated teachers from different countries, such as Germany or America. I think they are all very enthusiastic environment protectors, and they urge other people to protect our environment as they do. For example, one participant says that there are few people in his campus willing to recycle garbage. And his campus also does not take recycle work seriously. So he states this with somewhat anger (I guess, from the words he types.) He urges his students to do recycle work. Another participant thinks that trucks are the primary contributing factor for the serious air pollution. And he even seldom drives cars in that it may cause air pollution. What impresses me most is the ample links provided in their group pages, so that you can find various kinds of information, links, pictures, data, films and so on if you want. They are indeed good tools for people to get a better understanding as to environmental protection. But there is a weird situation. That is, sometimes people keep talking rapidly and respectively so that you do not know which content you should respond or follow. Sometimes, however, all people fall into fully silence so you may wonder does this discussion still exist. Ha! That’s somewhat funny and strange, isn’t it? Consequently, I have a mixed feeing towards this online discussion.

In respect to the second Tapped In online conference, well, I think I am more in the situation compared with the first one. There are about eleven participants so that the discussion is intensive. I like this feeling. Even though the moderator, Paul is late for about fifty minutes, BJB breaks the ice and provokes the participants’ discussion successfully. Whenever it falls into silence for a few moments, BJB just asks questions to keep everybody talking. For example, “What is the purpose of assessment?” “What would some solutions be to providing individualized curriculum?” are all questions asked by BJB. Due to this discussion, it dawns on me that in special education, it takes different ways to teach students according to each individual. To my big surprise, two participants in this discussion have ever been a student in a special education class. Nonetheless, it does not mean that they are intelligently inferior to other students. It simply means they have difficulty in writing, reading, speaking or listening aspect, so they join special education class to improve their ability. One participant also shares a website (http://help4teachers.com/) with us for the purpose of helping us become excellent teachers. It seems that I have a better feeling in this discussion, for the participants are strongly willing to express their opinions. Also that BJB is enthusiastic about helping new participants may be another reason. What I admire Tapped In most is it helps people from different countries interact with each other. People from different cultures can present their diverse ideas to a question simultaneously. Overall speaking, I obtain an authentic learning experience outside textbooks, and this experience is definitely invaluable and fresh for me!