Thing #4 focuses on commenting on others blogs. I have to admit that when I read Thing #4's requirements about commenting on others' blogs I wasn't too excited. Commenting on posts during online classes can feel like busy work to me, so it was with some apprehension that I read the provided blog entries speaking to its importance. To my surprise, I was glad that I did read these posts, because it helped me to see exactly what commenting on others' blogs can do. In essence, commenting builds comunity and interaction on blogs because it allows bloggers interested in similar topics to discuss, or debate, issues related to that field. It aids in connectedness among bloggers, who may wander to another blog in curiosity after that person has posted on their own site. It creates networks and online friendships. I thought it interesting that some bloggers discussed how commenting can add trust and validity to your site, citing the importance this has with getting "newbies" or "lurkers" to post on your comments. I had never thought about it that way, but it made sense to me to see that if someone had many comments on a topic it meant that many people were actively reading and participating on this person's blog. This in turn would make me pause and take what they had to say a little more seriously. The other thing that I thought very important was the responsibility to monitor the comments recieved on your blog. Since my blog is a reflection of me and my thoughts, I would not want to allow comments that were not well thought and worthwhile, even if they disagreed with any point I may have made. I would love comments and healthy debate, but I think there is no place for slander or foul language in an oral debate, so why should it be tolerated in the blogosphere? I liked that one of the sample blogs on commenting had a "commenting policy" on their blog, making the rules for acceptable postings easily spelled out for all readers.
As a part of our Thing #4 task, we are to comment on other blog posts from both within and outside of our class. As I read posts that I feel compelled to comment on, I will add them below.
As a part of our Thing #4 task, we are to comment on other blog posts from both within and outside of our class. As I read posts that I feel compelled to comment on, I will add them below.
1. Gina's 23 Things, Thing #9 - She created some really neat images related to the science classroom using an image maker that I hadn't tried. I wanted to share that I thought they were witty and fun.
2. Rockstart to Teacher, Thing #8 - I loved the mosaic he created using photos from Flickr via Mosaic Maker. I thought it was incredibly creative and a good way to incorporate technology into school spirit. It was just very original and I wanted to compliment that.
3. Anetta Patterson's 23 Things - Thing #9 - Anetta had an awesome idea using the image maker to create various kinds of classroom passes using a monopoly card image generator. Hall passes or homework passes, these would certainly get students' attention!
4. Scott Davis and the 23 Things - Thing #7 - Scott had a beautiful picture from Flickr that really captured a Robert Frost poem and it helped me realize the way that images can be used to speak to students and to create an emotion for them when they might not get anything out of mere words on a page.
5. Twenty Three Thing - Thing VI - Benton found a great site in Blurtopia. I thought it was a unique way to integrate technology in the classroom and make lessons interactive for students.
6. Amazing Paleo - Bacon Guacamole - Paleo is a specific type of diet that is gluten free, dairy free, and vegan. Every now and then I like going uber-healthy in my eating and this was a delicious recipe I found to indulge in my love for MExican food in a healthy way. I commented on this blog post about how the recipe tasted and turned out when I made it at home. I always like seeing how other people review recipes they find online, so I wanted to help others who might do the same.
7. It's Okay to be Smart, A Blog About Science - Surface Tension - This was one of the most incredible pictures I have seen because it captures a scientific concept perfectly. It would be an excellent way to provide a summary to a lesson about surface tension. I discovered this blog because of this "thing" and I have added it to my RSS feed because it is so great!
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