Thoughts on blogging in education

In the future there is a lot of potential for blogging in the classroom. It allows for an open ended discussion, where the students could join the conversations at their own convenience and pace. This gives kids time to reflect on their answers yet still be in a "real time" discussion. It is an excellent filing system for all the class work. Papers will not get lost as easily, not to mention how good it is for conserving resources. Teachers and students both have a way of keeping track of the activities and ideas of each other in a way that is unique from the classroom. However, I do hope it never becomes the only way that teachers and students as well as students and students interact. If blogging does take hold I hope the classroom setting remains one of the places where classroom discussions happen. There is just simply an advantage and necessity to that type of interaction and still a lot of potential for improvement (smaller classrooms etc..). The computer is a major part of our society and will probably be more so in the future.  The only major downside is that this would give the kids who own computers a greater convenience and advantage in the class.

Articles for class/New Orleans schools post Katrina

New Orleans has shifted to a charter school system that now comprises over seventy percent of the cities schools. It is still to early to conclude whether or not the new system of charters is going to succeed but the initial numbers look good. On top of this the state has taken over control of 46 schools under the title of the Recovery School District. Charter schools and the new Recovery School District create a very complicated situation were the data is not easy to analyze. Charter schools are able to act with a certain level of autonomy and the state schools are new with half being charters themselves.  The article discussed several problems with managing the over site of this new New Orleans school district.

Bio

I am a student in the MAT program at Willamette University and a music teacher in the Salem school district. Outside of this I like to spend time with my wife, bike ride, write music, drink good beer, and stare up at trees when I walk under them.  My wife and I are expecting our 1st child in February, which I am over the top excited about. Life is amazing and I feel very lucky.