Blogging is a powerful tool for student learning and expression, offering lots of benefits that extend beyond the traditional classroom. When integrated within a pedagogical framework like Manaiakalani, the impact of student blogging is amplified, fostering connected, visible, and empowered learners.
(Click on image to go to Scarlett's blog post)
Above, the image is linked a student blog. The student is able to present their process along with their finished work and reflect as little or as much as they are comfortable doing. I had very little to do with provocations or scripting this particular post, as the student was ahead of their classmates. With possibilities of directed provocation, scaffolding and kaiako guidance, it might have looked different, OR it might not have been authentic. In saying that, once a student begins their writing, how much can I really 'control' the process even with provocations and templates, in a class of 25? How much should I control?
At its core, blogging provides students with an authentic platform to develop and refine thinking, communication and writing skills. The above example can be seen as a starting point, or it could be enough of an artefact of learning process that is stays as is. Nevertheless, the act of writing for a potential audience, (whether this is classmates, whānau, or the wider online community), encourages clarity of thought, improved grammar and spelling, and the development of a personal voice. It moves writing beyond an assignment for a single reader (Kaiako) to a meaningful act of communication - whether or not that is read by others. This process naturally enhances literacy skills and builds confidence in one’s writing abilities.
Beyond basic literacy, blogging develops critical thinking and the ability to analyse, as you have to research, organise your thoughts, and articulate/speak your understanding of a topic. The interactive potential of blogs, through comments and feedback, helps foster communication and collaboration. This small act helps to teach students how to engage in constructive dialogue and respond thoughtfully to others' points of view. In an increasingly globalised world, blogging provides students with valuable digital literacy skills, including cybersmart tools and responsible digital citizenship.
The Manaiakalani pedagogy of "Learn, Create, Share," provides a base for student blogging to develop and evolve. The "Learn|Ako" learning aspects see students acquiring knowledge and developing understanding. The "Create|Waihanga" learning aspects are where blogging becomes a natural and powerful tool for students to process, synthesise, and construct their own understanding by creating blog posts. The fact that students can and should include multi-modal elements to support an engaging post, enhances this. Communication and articulation of ideas and theories becomes more than ’word’. The "Share|Tohatoha" learning aspects are inherently embedded in blogging, as students publish their work online, making their learning visible and accessible to an authentic audience. (note; blogging is not and never intended to be the only way ākonga express and engage in sharing).
Ubiquity, Agency, Connectedness, and Visibility; central tenets to the Manaiakalani approach, are significantly supported by student blogging:
Ubiquity: allowing learning and sharing to happen anywhere, anytime, extending the learning environment beyond the classroom. Students can access and update their blogs from any internet-driven device, making learning a continuous process.
Agency: Empowering students, by giving them ownership over their learning; a platform to express their ideas and perspectives. They can make choices about what to write, how to present it, and how to interact with their audience, encouraging independence and self-direction.
Connectedness: Connecting students with their peers, kaiako, whānau and potentially a global audience. This provides a genuine purpose for their writing and opens up opportunities for collaboration, feedback, and exposure to other’s points of view.
Visibility: This is one of the most significant impacts of blogging. Students' progress, understanding, and creativity are made evident through their blog posts. It allows kaiako, whānau, and the community to see and support their learning journey. Transparency also encourages student reflection on their own learning process.
In conclusion, encouraging students to blog offers a wide array of educational benefits, as researched and proven by both Woolf Fisher and in turn the Manaiakalani research team over the past two decades; from improved literacy and critical thinking, to enhanced digital skills and self-confidence. Because it is embedded within the forward-thinking pedagogy of Manaiakalani, championing learning, creation, and sharing in a connected and visible environment, blogging becomes an even more potent tool for empowering students and accelerating their achievement in a setting where we know, with our own kāhui ako data, they oftentimes (but absolutely not exclusively) begin with a deficit of learning of between 18 months and three years.
