New blog five assignment: Evaluate blogging as an academic assignment to promote critical thinking. Your answers should be constructed as arguments. That is, give your opinion (the conclusion) and then provide reasons (premises) for your opinion. Simply saying "I liked it" or "I didn't like it" isn't enough. Tell me WHY! Answer each question with approximately 100-200 words.
1. Compared to writing traditional essays as you have in other classes, were the expectations of the blog assignment easier, harder or just different? In other words, was it clear to you what the format of a blog was and how to produce one?
Before this class I had heard the word "Blog" but I thought there were just mini web sites, and I didn't know how to produce one. The closest thing to a blog I had ever done was change my facebook message or write on someone's wall. But blogging is so much more than that.
I liked writing the blog as apposed to just email the instructor my essays. I think it made me put more effort and rethink what I was going to post before posting. The fact that my words are on display for anyone to see and judge really makes you think twice before just submitting an answer just to get a grade. People are judged by their thoughts and ideals, and mine are now expressed for everyone to see.
2. Did the blog assignments, and the requirement to create a blog, relate to the class topics and course objectives? Why or why not?
Yes. Society and Technology intermix in all levels of our daily lives. Just like it states in the course Blog on the main page "One of the most profound effects technology has had on society is to give humans the ability to communicate through time and space. " We have been given the opportunity to express our thoughts and ideals and put them in a place that not only today's society can view, but for generations to come, people will be able to readily access my thoughts on a particular subject. That's powerful. I think that alone sums up how important technology has impacted society.
3. Did the non-text elements of the blog program contribute to your learning in this class? Did they get in the way? Or did they have no affect at all?
If by non-text elements you are referring to is the customization of the blogs than Yes. I felt that the opportunity to not only express my thoughts on a page but to put it in the context of who I am made it all the better. I think that sometimes getting the insight of who someone is helps relate to the message they are trying to convey.
We all come from different walks of life, and thus we all have formed different opinions about things. I have come across many things posted on the internet that I thought were absurd, but after learning about the person that wrote those words and giving thought to their lifestyle, age, ethnicity, location etc. it allows you to look at their words from another point of view, and with some critical thinking sometimes those words aren't so absurd.
