Article Response "Start a Reading Revolution: Flip Your Class With Blogs"

Start a Reading Revolution: Flip Your Class With Blogs



I was just reading this article and felt a strong connection to the kids comments about having books chosen for us and having to come up with these "feelings" that the text was supposed to draw out of us.  I never read the books that were assigned, or at least not in their entirety.  I was a slow reader and thought that books were not for me.  Then a friend lent me The Celestine Prophecy when I was in high school and it changed my viewpoint about reading.  It was my choice and that made all the difference.  I had the opportunity to connect to the text.  


I think the author hits the nail on the head about the power of blogs to transform learning in these two ways:


"The blogs add a maker mentality, stirring the imagination to create, design, and tinker." 


This makes the student the owner of their learning.  They are not just responding to someone else's work, they are creating their own and this is something that they can feel a sense of pride from.


"Once students publish a post, their writing passes the four walls of the classroom and exists to the world. This puts their work "out there," and that changes how they approach their writing." 


When we know other people are going to see or there is a possibility of a whole lot of people seeing our work, an internal drive turns on and says "I better make this good".  Not only does this promote better writing but it helps students find and develop their own voice.


Let's start a conversation in our school about students being able to publish their work.