Comments on: Comments: A Natural Part http://www.toddseal.com/rodin/2005/06/comments-a-natural-part/ Challenge The Status Quo Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:57:06 -0800 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: Nancy McKeand http://www.toddseal.com/rodin/2005/06/comments-a-natural-part/comment-page-1/#comment-16 Nancy McKeand Sat, 18 Jun 2005 20:45:00 +0000 http://www.toddseal.com/teaching/?p=65#comment-16 That idea of conversation is critical, I think. It is what makes blogging work for me. I will be anxious to see what you do with your next batch of blogging students in this regard. That idea of conversation is critical, I think. It is what makes blogging work for me. I will be anxious to see what you do with your next batch of blogging students in this regard.

]]> By: Todd http://www.toddseal.com/rodin/2005/06/comments-a-natural-part/comment-page-1/#comment-18 Todd Sat, 18 Jun 2005 00:37:00 +0000 http://www.toddseal.com/teaching/?p=65#comment-18 This past year, one of my freshmen students did a really good job with class participation (she was *always* the first to respond when I asked the class a question), though she only earned a C in class. I had our principal sign Classroom Contribution Awards that I made at home to hand out in addition to the school-sponsored academic awards. He made a comment that got me thinking, something to the effect of: the more teachers honor students for doing things that they should do in class, we create a culture that expects this kind of behavior.<br /> <br /> I wonder if this would work for blog comments, too. Would an award to a student in each class who has demonstrated particularly high quality and high-level thinking in his/her comments, maybe along with a $1.00 iTunes certificate, be something to stimulate conversation?<br /> <br /> My other thought is to have a minimum of X amount of comments from each student required each semester. Yeah, we're back to the requirement thing, but it's commenting as they feel it's appropriate.<br /> <br /> Of course, it all boils down to whether or not the topic stimulates conversation. So maybe there are blog entries where the quality of the conversation is evaluated (though I don't know the criteria for that). Then, there are other blog entries that are evaluated for the content of the entry. This past year, one of my freshmen students did a really good job with class participation (she was *always* the first to respond when I asked the class a question), though she only earned a C in class. I had our principal sign Classroom Contribution Awards that I made at home to hand out in addition to the school-sponsored academic awards. He made a comment that got me thinking, something to the effect of: the more teachers honor students for doing things that they should do in class, we create a culture that expects this kind of behavior.

I wonder if this would work for blog comments, too. Would an award to a student in each class who has demonstrated particularly high quality and high-level thinking in his/her comments, maybe along with a $1.00 iTunes certificate, be something to stimulate conversation?

My other thought is to have a minimum of X amount of comments from each student required each semester. Yeah, we’re back to the requirement thing, but it’s commenting as they feel it’s appropriate.

Of course, it all boils down to whether or not the topic stimulates conversation. So maybe there are blog entries where the quality of the conversation is evaluated (though I don’t know the criteria for that). Then, there are other blog entries that are evaluated for the content of the entry.

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