Or, at least, I’m pretty sure how that works.  I’m pretty much the only person left in America who hasn’t seen “Inception.”  (I think.)

I have to admit, I’m not entirely sure I agree with Fitzpatrick’s initial view of blogging in her piece about classroom blogging.  “Thus students need to be focused in their original posts, to think through what they would like to say in a way that is more coherent and developed than a bulletin-board thread or an e-mail message but less so than a full essay.”  I feel as thought in order to get one’s point across, one must be at least somewhat coherent in their thought process, regardless of the medium.  I can’t think of the last time I wrote — or even read, thankfully — an email that wasn’t somewhat well thought out.  I have, however, seen many blog posts that way.

Honestly, I don’t know that the medium matters.  If a student is going to be lazy in a response, they’ll be lazy no matter the medium.  If they don’t want to respond, they won’t.

I do, however, fully agree with her statement about coherency increasing over time.  “Blogs also differ from discussion boards and lists by providing for a kind of narrative development and coherence over time, since the reverse chronological order of posts reveals a growth of ideas and recurrence of points of interest. Students are able to link directly to earlier posts andcomments, allowing ideas to gain complexity through their interrelation.”  I’d like to think that my writing becomes more fluent and intelligent over time.  (Unless it’s an off day, but we won’t talk about that.)  I can, however, say that I’ve seen that in other blogs as well.

Ok, ok, I’ll admit it.  Fitzpatrick had me.  “Later that morning, during class, I prodded the class to remember their posting and commenting requirements for the semester—a prodding, as it turns out, that should have been repeated much more frequently during the semester.”

I FORGET.  I won’t even lie to anyone.  With everything else in a week, I forget.  Yes, I write it down.  Yes, I tell myself to sit down and just do it.  But you know what?

I’M SORRY.

(If anything, I’m glad I’m not the only one.)

I do, however, see the idea of blogging in the classroom.  I see why it’s helpful and I see how it can be useful.  It’s instant, public response.  There’s more incentive to stay on top of things when everyone can see (unless you’re me, and then you want to cry a little when you realize that you forgot.)

It’s a good idea.  I’m just interested to see that we’re not the only ones doing it.