Is A Blog like a symposium? Yes, why? Merriam-Webster defines symposium as a formal meeting at which several specialists deliver short address on a topic or on related topics (Symposium, 2009). In the 21st century classroom the specialist are the students are digital natives in terms of blogging.
In education writing about writing can be dreadful and tedious tasks. Depending upon the topics discussed, even the material presented by educators needs to set the standards and enhance motivation within a classroom blog. Our digital natives are quick to respond to a symposium-like platform defined, by Merriam-Webster, “as a social gathering at which there is free interchange of ideas”(Merriam-Webster, 2009). The use of blogging in an educational setting can make or break learning for these students. If educators don’t implement the higher levels of constructive questioning, students will find the blog dreadful and tedious assignment. Motivation and creativity are key concepts to consider when developing a blog for visual arts classrooms. These restless natives still desire the need to fit into a community and be able to freely express their ideas and opinions about related topics discussed in the blogs. Their creativity and motivation will enhance learning during the building or compiling of diverse perspectives from their peers.
Researching some ways I could implement a higher learning skills using blogs for my classroom was more difficult in finding “the” list of uses, than I thought. I found a few creative and innovative suggestions on the Web 2.0 in the classroom blog. The post entitled, "33 ways to use blogs in your classroom and in the educational setting", list the following suggestions:
"Create a blog which lists creative writing prompts or striking visual images. Encourage students to post after self-selecting a prompt/picture. Let this evolve so that students begin writing the prompts for other students.Create a blog where students describe a typical day at school. Invite other same aged students from different global locations to contribute the same type of information on the same blog. Let students ask questions and leave comments to gain cultural awareness. Students can then begin to share/compare thematic units being learned, novels being read, field trips being taken, etc.Create a blog that displays information and characteristics of various art movements. Post famous art pictures and have students comment on the prominent characteristics of each. Let students find and post examples of various movements and techniques in art they find" (Black, 2008).
I can see how these suggestions can be implemented into my art classroom environment by creating a writing prompt using visual images and having my student respond to the prompts by writing critiques about famous paintings. This creates a symposium-like platform that bring together my specialists collaborating and forming new ideas. To create a blog about art and the american student will enhance global perspectives and cultural awareness through the arts. I can even guide and prompt my art student's discussions toward new various art movements, and make realizations about their art movement of the 21st century learner. Blogs can strengthen student’s ability to critical think and spark new creative ideas, as well as establish collaborative high-developed 21st century communities where the digital native strives to be a part of.
References
Black, J. (2008, October 21). Re: 33 ways to use blogs in your classroom and in the educational setting. Message posted to http://web20intheclassroom.blogspot.com/2008/10/ways-to-use-blogs-in-your-classroom-and.html
Symposium. (2009). In Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Retrieved December 15, 2009, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/symposium
