About our blogs

I want my postings to have something other than a simple summary. If the blog posting is meant to be a response to a reading assignment, I want to add my own thoughts to it. It would be nice if my commentary included some original idea or concept that was mind-boggling or thought-provoking. Of course, realistically, that doesn't happen. I think a good post should have a basic summary and commentary that raises more questions and answers.
 
As a reader, I am drawn to posts that are easily readable. I tend to grow bored with blog posts that sound overly academic because I am not expecting to read an online essay. I want a good sense of voice (one that doesn't detract from the main idea) that can talk about the given topic in a conversational tone. I'm not sure how I feel about the author explicitly raising questions in the blog.
 
I think comments that challenge or agree with the ideas posted in your blog would be helpful as long as there is some evidence. For example, somebody could say "I agree and I like these ideas" or they could disagree and bring up opposing evidence. Such responses would force the writer to analyze what the commenter wrote and revisit his or her original idea. Revisiting the idea could lead to more support to reinforce the idea or the writer could realize that the original thought was flawed. I would look for comments like this because they are the type of comments I would try to give to others.

I think commenting can be a tricky subject to manage. On one hand, if there is no requirement, blogging almost becomes pointless because students' posts won't be read by other students. But there is also the risk that commenting becomes a chore; students will comment out of necessity rather than genuine interest. The comments they leave might not be very helpful. I think commenting largely depends on the blog topic. If it's something particularly engaging or controversial in some way, students will naturally peruse other blogs out of curiosity. If they come across something that piques their interest, they just may leave "good" comment. Maybe it's something that teachers just have to trust students to do it on their own, but who knows how much will actually get done. 
 
I don't want this to sound like I'm looking for an easy grade, but I think blogs should be graded with a "you did it or you didn't" approach. Since our blogs are not literature response posts, there usually isn't a right or wrong answer. A blog entry should count as long as the main point is sufficiently developed and laid out. I think there should be some requirement in regards to length, but at the same time not all blog posts need to be several hundred words in length. I think some can be shorter and still be considered a complete blog.