Does Blogging Help?

1.How easy has it been to set up your Independent Study blog and to get used to posting things on it? Were you given enough support in doing it? What other help would have been useful?

It was easy to set up the independent study blog because I remembered how to do it from last year so I personally didn’t really need support. I was use to posting things up on the blog because when we made blog for the practical production I posted up quite a lot of posts so it didn’t take much getting use too.

2. How did the blog help with your research? Did the blog motivate you to do more and better research? How? Why?

The blog helped with my research because it was all there in one place so when it came to writing the independent study it was easy to use/find the research. The blog personally motivated me to do more research because it well presented and the colours and pictures help me remember the information

3. Is it useful having all the Independent Study/blog tasks posted on the Macguffin blog? Does it make it more likely that you will get them done?

Yes it useful because if your absent you could just check the work on the blog.

4. How often (honestly!) do you check the Macguffin blog?

As much as I can.

5. Has it been useful being able to see and access everyone else’s research and planning through their blogs?

Well it can be useful but as no one is really doing animation it’s not that helpful for my independent study so it’s not very useful but then again it can be helpful when looking at the representation of women because a lot of people are doing representation of women.

6. How do you feel about the fact that your teacher can keep a close check on your progress through accessing your blog? Is it too intrusive and controlling or is it encouraging and supportive?

I don’t think it is controlling and intrusive because at the end of the day wheather you do your work on paper or the blog the teacher is still going to see it. It’s more encouraging and supportive as they can keep track of the research and preparation you are doing for your work

7. How useful have the comments been that you received from…a. Macguffin, b. other students.

I haven’t really received any comments.

8. How has the blog helped with your essay planning? How useful was the blog when it came to writing the essay? Do you think your first draft is better because you have used a blog?

The blog was useful for essay planning because we had to post up keywords on the blog and it was easier referring to the keywords from the blog then looking for each word in the essential word dictionary when writing. Yes I think it was better because of using the blog because I actually bothered to look at the keywords on the blog and remembered some because I had posted pictures and made the keywords colourful so that I remember because they stood out.

9. How would you evaluate the quality of your blog? What could you have done better?

I think my blog is excellent I really like the standard and the quality of it as I have put a lot of effort into it. I think the only thing I could have done to improve it is post up the actual book research or my key points from my book research.

10. Do you think you will get a better final grade for your independent study through having used a blog?

yes

11. Which are the best three blogs? Why?

It’s hard just to pick the best three because there are so many well presented blogs.

12. Do you think next year’s Year 13s would benefit from setting up an Independent Study blog?

well it certainly helped me so I guess it would.

13. Are there any negative aspects to preparing for an Independent Study using a blog?

Just that you may have issues logging into your blog.

14. What could be done to improve teaching and/or learning in future through blogs?

Just how to post videos up on the blog, I still don’t know. :S

15. Overall, are you pleased that we used blogs? Has it been interesting and enjoyable? Why? Why not?

Yes I am pleased we used blogs it has been enjoyable and motivating and its helped me develop my it skills.