Using Weblogs
as Contact Zones in an ESL
Writing Class
Kathleen Skubikowski
Associate Professor of English
Middlebury College
skubikow@middlebury.edu
First-Year Seminars
• Limited to 15 students each
• Taught by regular, full-time faculty
• Faculty are academic advisers for first
three semesters at Middlebury
• Designed to inspire students’ intellectual
curiosity in a particular subject
First-Year Seminars (Cont.)
• Encourage students to pursue a focused
interest in depth
• Include activities outside the classroom
• Help students develop their thinking,
writing, and speaking skills
“A weblog is a coffeehouse conversation in
text, with references as required.”
Rebecca Blood, The Weblog Handbook
Weblogs as educational tools:
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•
•
•
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They are global
They promote media literacy
They promote audience awareness
They insist on writing as their primary tool
They provide contexts for that writing and
offer easy access to multiple points of view
Weblogs as educational (Cont.)
• They lack traditional gatekeepers
• They insist on individual responsibility and
critical evaluation
• They encourage awareness of credibility
• They encourage community connections
• They are evolving, exciting, and fun.
We used weblogs in 3 ways:
• As a course management tool
• As a portfolio to record exploration,
discovery, and growth
• As a locus for cultural contact
http://benjerry.middlebury.edu/~tbogojev/
QuickTime™ and a
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QuickTime™ and a
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Thabo from Lesotho: “The identity project was like a
mirror to me. I never cared to think of my own identity,
but the identity project compelled me to reflect on my
self. Though I can say India transformed me entirely, I
realized that I have accomplished only a quarter of my
dreams. I still have a long way to go. However, I had a
hard time trying to sum up my journey so far in 250
words. Nonetheless, working on my identity project was
great time to discover how I have grown and change,
and most important of all, to plan my next step from
here. Furthermore, I realized that i-movie can really get
the message across. The voice tone along with the
pictures vividly drives the point home. If I was to
continue with this course I am sure I would give
Shakespeare a tough time. “
Haris from Greece: “Seeing pictures
from home and listening to Greek music at
the same time was really fascinating.
However the most exciting part was
listening to my own voice in English talking
about my identity and where I come from
on top of the music. It was remarkable.”
My voice rasped at first when I tried to speak,
but then…I was off and talking. You could not
stop me with a sledgehammer, once I started….
I gathered speed. I talked both languages in
streams that ran alongside each other, over
every rock, around every obstacle. The sound
of my voice convinced me I was alive. “ (Old
Nanapush in “Matchimanito” from Louise
Erdrich’s Tracks)
“The story, like all stories, is never visible
while it is happening. Only after, when an
old man sits dreaming and talking in his
chair, does the design spring clear.”
(“Matchimanito,” from Louise Erdrich’s
Tracks)
Zhenchen from China: “Looking backwards at
the first class, when asked what was the point
that I thought I was really leaving home, I said it
was the point I went into the airport and left my
parents and grandparents behind. I also said
that I couldn’t tell the mixed emotion out. I
remember clearly that you said by the end of the
term I would be able to speak out what I feel in
my heart. Now I’m glad to tell you that I guess I
really can do it. I learnt a lot in this class, in
terms of writing skills and in terms of
communication. I hope you can see my
progress and hear my ‘voice’ in my final work.”