When the pro's check your blog ...

“UM EXCUSE ME MADAME, I’LL NEED TO CHECK YOUR BLOG BEFORE I CAN REGISTER YOU FOR THIS UNIVERSITY COURSE.”

The assignment I most enjoyed for this course was definitely being given the opportunity to create and use a blog. If you can’t tell by the number of postings, I really went to town on this one! And I am thankful. If I weren’t forced to make the blog for this course, I never would have embraced the world of blogging.

That’s why an article in the winter edition of my Canadian Family magazine caught my attention. The article entitled “Blog, blog, blog” was written by Shelley Divnich Haggert. In the article she gives a two-sided debate on the topic.

It talks about how teenagers love feedback left on their site. The author quotes Warren Nightingale, of the Media Awareness Network. He talks about how teens love something even as simple as “cool post” or “I know how you feel”. I can attest to this because I also love receiving feedback on my blog.

This year, I introduced a student to the world of blogging and he’s successfully posting his daily journal/reflections to his very own blog. He’s submitted comments to my blog and I have posted comments on his. It’s great to see someone using this tool for all the right reasons.

The downside of blogging is kind of scary. The author quotes Anne Collier, the co-author of MySpace Unraveled: What It Is and How to Use It Safely. She says:

“Some university admissions departments, employers and even car insurance brokers are using web sites and blogs to screen applicants.”

Then I thought about it. Yes, blogs can be used against you. But it is just another reason why children and young adults need to understand that whatever they write, can be traced and used against them. All the more reason to abide by the rules of the classroom and the rules of cyberspace.

Anastasia Rioux