David E. Walker, Ed.D.
Bloomsburg University of PA

A third grader’s response:
“Sees the day!”

1.
2.
3.
4.
Let us “Seize the day” by working cooperatively in
four groups to provide our answers to the
following essential questions:
Why is reflective thinking significant to
learning?
How does networking with others improve
understanding?
Why should professors promote the use of
technology tools like, Blogs, Wikis, Voice
Thread, Podcasts, etc. ?
What methods do you employ within your
lessons that promote the use of critical
thinking skills?
Embrey (2002) defines a blog as “… a cross
between a diary, a Web site, and an online
community” (p. 7).
Winer (2002) provides this definition:
“A Weblog is a kind of continual tour, with a
human guide whom you get to know.”


Dave Winer, 51, pioneered the development of
Weblogs, syndication (RSS), Podcasting, outlining,
and Web content management software; he is a
former contributing editor at Wired Magazine, a
research fellow at Harvard Law School, an
entrepreneur, and an investor in Web media
companies.
A native New Yorker, he received a Master's in
Computer Science from the University of Wisconsin
and a Bachelor's in Mathematics from Tulane
University. He currently lives in Berkeley, California.
"The protoblogger." - NY Times.
"Helped popularize blogging, Podcasting and RSS." Time.
Retrieved February 21, 2009 from
http://www.scripting.com/stories/2007/
02/21/daveWinerBio.html
According to Martindale & Wiley (2005), the blog
framework generally includes:
 Automatic formatting of content in the
form of “headlines,” followed by
“entries” or “stories”;
 Time- and date-stamp of entries;
 Archiving of past entries;
 A function to search through all entries;
 A section associated with each entry
where readers can post comments on
the entry (p. 55-56).





Encourages the development of studentwriting skills
Promotes the use of reflective analysis
Assures readings are completed and
contemplated
Demonstrates the use of networking and
collaborating with fellow learners
Develops intellectual interactions





Assesses the depth of student learning
Instills the use of 21C technology
Facilitates communication among all
participants
Develops a community of learners
Provides a forum for disseminating
information

A clear mission encourages productive
dialogue and transparent learning for all of
the participants.
1.
2.
3.
Within their blogs, I have requested that
students in three different courses create
Reflective Dialogue Entries (RDEs) that
contain:
A summary of the reading;
A selected quote, justification for the choice,
and an analysis of the words; and
Three reflective statements related to their
learning from the course, conversations
pertaining to course content, and life
experiences tied to class topics.

Student teachers are expected to select
experiences, problems, solutions, insights,
observations, projects, etc. and write journallike entries.

All blog participants are required to read and
respond to at least one other person for each
entry. The RDEs are more complex, and I have
found that numbering the various components
assists students in organizing their thoughts. I
encourage students to select different people
to respond to as often as possible.
Post on September 3 2008.pdf
(RDE #1 from Teaching of Language Arts)
Post on October11, 2008.pdf
(RDE #6 from Teaching of Language Arts)
Post on October 20 2008(D&I).pdf
(RDE #8 from Diagnostic and Inclusionary
Practices for Literacy)
Post on February 13 2009 (Student
Teachers).pdf
(Blog #5 from a student teacher with two
responses, one from a fellow student and one
from me.)
Blogging for Understanding References
Please feel free to visit my Faculty/Staff Web
site and retrieve further information from this
workshop at:
http://facstaff.bloomu.edu/dwalker
(All conference information is under the link
of the same name.)

My contact information is:
dwalker@bloomu.edu

Thank you,
David Walker