Thinking about Stephen Downes' article, "Educational Blogging"

The article sought to describe the myraid of ways in which blogging can be used for educational purposes in a school setting. As such, it was a useful resource that I may refer back to if/when I need to evaluate the usage of blogs in public schools. The article then moves beyond the merely informational and contains an interesting look at problems that can arise when schools sponsor blogs, particularly regarding what happens when student bloggers cross legal, ethical, or otherwise troublesome lines. The author also considers whether the need to write a blog to satisfy a teacher interferes with the more "pure" nature of blogging, which is in some people's estimation supposed to be a free-form method of expression like journaling, but might instead become a very specifically-focused practice in writing what the student assumes the teacher wishes to read. I believe the answer to all of this is to stop trying to define blogging so narrowly, as many of the educational bloggers and others quoted by the author seem to be trying to do, and accept that, as with all Web 2.0 technologies, blogging is dynamic, will mutate, and can be used for all sorts of different purposes, some of which will appear in the future. Educators can use blogging within assignments however they wish, students will respond as they are inspired to do, and we can all watch and participate and enjoy this new tool.