Writing blog entries is the transition from the prewriting stage to the first draft stage. Not only does it allow me to expand on my thoughts on one idea, but it also provides me with positive and negative feedback. I have always been acclimated to studying by myself, and I never thought that collaborative learning was effective. However, sharing opinions with others helped me broaden my horizons. I always had better ideas about what to write about after I read others' comments. Also, the due dates on the blogs helped me to manage my time more efficiently, and it gave me more time to think about the essay prompts.
Blogs are useful in the brainstorming process, and I might participate in class-related blogs to exchange ideas for a paper or even about issues in today's society. There is a similar student organization called CIRCLE, which is a group of students who comment back and forth about current events dealing with racial discrimination and stereotypes. I am strongly considering participating in CIRCLE next semester because I found that collaborative learning should definitely be a part of my learning style and any career field I choose to pursue in the future.
I have heard about CIRCLE from several of my friends; I may need to join to see the organization. I know that CIRCLE discusses incendiary issues regarding the Asian-American races. Do you think that blogging would help diffuse hostility sparked by racial discrimination and stereotypes?
ReplyDeleteYour opinion about the purpose of blogging is very true. It does allow us all to check out what our classmates are thinking and broaden our horizons. Do you think it is considered a pre-writing technique instead of just a transition between the pre-writing stage and the first draft stage? I ask this because blogging allows us to ramble about our topics and flush out various thoughts.
ReplyDeleteYou bring up a very good point about the due dates for the blogs. It forced me to not procrastinate because I would have a place to start when writing my essay. Does CIRCLE have any sort of regulation? Are there administrators or is it completely student-run? I would also encourage you to pursue blogging in the future for other classes that you might be writing essays for.
ReplyDeleteFrom the Grove: From what I know so far, CIRCLE talks about Asian American issues in society. Blogging would not directly diffuse hostility of racial prejudice, but it would definitely play a large role in spreading awareness about racial stereotypes that are apparent in society today. Because the blogs come from students, it is a method of sharing opinions and collaboratively learning about the issues they all face as Asian-American students.
ReplyDeleteCKM: Blogging definitely allows us to freely talk about our topics and get ideas down on paper, but it does this in an organized structure. For me, I try to gather my thoughts after brainstorming into separate categories with some points and supporting evidence. Blogging actually makes the drafting stage a lot easier than just prewriting.
DivG123: CIRCLE has weekly meetings, when they talk about the blog entries they have posted in the previous week. There are no specific administrators, but they cooperate with each other online and in person during the meetings. Unlike Wikipedia, it is managed by individuals who know each other personally under one leader or advisor.