I'm Blogging

Wow! How amazing is this? I'm officially a Blogger. I've heard the term used often in the last 10 years (http://www.blogherald.com/2005/03/06/a-short-history-of-blogging/), and have come to understand the deeper implications of blogging. However, I remained very reluctant to join this world of virtual journalling; I'm not entirely sure that journalling is even a word found in the dictionary. Now that I am teaching an intro to college writing course, I have jumped into the virtual journalling world with both feet.

I want my students to write weekly blogs that they will then share with family, friends and Moi. There is one thing that I have found to be true about writing, to become a better writer you must write, and write and write. So often we think of writing the same way we think of math; there must be a formula. In math, formulas are constant. When writing, the only formula that is constant is simply this: one must write often to become a better writer. Therefore, the intended outcome of this exercise is to improve my students writing skills, as well as my own.

As students blog, I want them to be aware of audience, purpose, voice. I want them to examine the structure of their writing and the writing of others. Ideally, I want them to become so enamoured with blogging that they continue to blog, even after the course has ended. Practically speaking, I would be extactic if they walked away from the class understanding the power of their own writing. Bloggers have realized this simple truth. With this realization come the special attention to make every written assignment better than the last.

So to my students I say welcome. To those who may comment on their writing, I ask that you show them kindness and encouragement as you do what all readers do: question the writer. To myself I say: keep writing and you will continue to improve.