Using Blogs to Enhance Literacy: The Next Powerful Step in 21st-Century Learning
Beginning with the preface, Diane Penrod takes on the notion of change as the constant in being literate for today's world. In her examination of the blog phenomenon, she asks important questions about the role of blogs in changing what we know, how we know it, what we do, and how we do those things. (Karen McComas, associate professor of communication disorders at Marshall University, Huntington, WV, and chair of the Technology Liaison Netwo)Penrod clearly supports the use of blogs in education, linking much of her discussion throughout the book to the presence of blogs in the classroom. She explains that weblogs support cooperative learning, critical thinking, cross-curricular learning initiatives, student centered classrooms and multiple intelligences. Penrod’s premise is a solid one: Technology is changing the way we understand literacy, and educational practices must respond to that change. (Teachers College Record)This book's thesis is positive and timely: blogs can engage K-12 students, empowering them as writers and members of society. Particularly beneficial are the sections on how blogs can encourage at-risk students to express themselves, bridging the gap between academics and home life. (CHOICE)Using Blogs to Enhance Literacyis the future of teaching composition in the classroom for all different levels. As a teacher in both the high school and college levels, I've found this text insightful for building a curriculum one year at a time. Diane Penrod doesn't just introduce a series of new ideas, she allows the reader to understand how to apply new concepts and actually make them work in both curriculum planning and the classroom. This text forces the reader to prioritize what actually happens in student writing environments and how to make the students think more actively. Whether you're looking for more ways of incorporating technology into the classroom, or just interested in finding new ways to engage students, this text is an important read. (Adrian-Michael Blumenthal, language arts director, Woodlin School, Woodrow, CO)