I chose to subscribe to education blog: The Cult of Pedagogy. I chose this blog because I found some of the topics that were discussed to be relevant to my teaching and I found some of the ideas to be different and very open and honest as to what can go on in a classroom. The things that may not be openly talked about, but all teachers are aware of. The blog posts on this site are simple to read. Not simple ideas, but wording that is not bombastic. It is simplified so you don’t feel confused as if you’re reading in circles.
One of the posts I chose to read was titled: When Students Won’t Stop Talking. This post describes what it is like to have a chatty classroom and how to handle it. Talking amongst students is okay and probably means they are learning and collaborating! However, a new teacher can feel like they are loosing control of the classroom when this occurs, I’m guilty of this! The post was very honest and explained ways to still be in control of your classroom while students are talking. This post addresses the rhetorical triangle because the message is very clear and open. There are headings throughout the piece, making it easy to read section by section. It divides up the thoughts of the author, creating an introduction that connects to teachers, informational bits and then ways to address the talking in classrooms. Throughout, the author includes a link to an interview, and quotes from Linsin that make the post relevant with factual support. The author also includes some pictures with text to support the message. This helps to divide up the text as well. The author speaks to the audience and makes it relevant to them by speaking about their worries in the classroom. The target audience is: all teachers, parents, pre-service teachers, school aides, or anyone who works with children in a setting where they give instruction!
Some questions that I would like to explore in this class are:
- How do blogs gain a following and maintain that following?
- Do blogs need to have a theme of the topics they discuss or can the topics vary from classroom management tools to curriculum ideas to working with colleagues?
- A final thought is can the audience change from post to post on a blog or does it need to remain the same throughout the entire blog?