Desconferência

Achei muita coisa interessante sobre uso de blogs em sala de aula enquanto pesquisava para a oficina para professores da rede municipal durante o Campus Party (de 12 a 16 de fevereiro, no prédio da Bienal de São Paulo).

Esse estudo sobre Edublogging, de Jeff Felix , divulgado agora em dezembro de 2007, é um bom exemplo de peixão que achei nessa garimpagem, uma vez que são escassos os dados obtidos em pesquisa de campo sobre esse tema. Edublogging: Instruction for the Digital Age Learner logicamente fala da realidade dos Estados Unidos, bem diferente da brasileira. Mas traz dados sobre blogs com a rapaziada do K-12, que significa do kindergarten (4 a 6 anos) até o 12º grau (16 a 18 anos, algo assim).

“The study shows that teachers perceive a significant increase in student learning through motivation for assignments and through deeper thought processes. Students seem to enjoy the connectiveness of their work to other subjects and to each other. This collaboration encourages a deeper relationship with their peers and with the teacher. Other studies have shown these relationships produce more student learning especially in minorities and students of low socioeconomic backgrounds. It also seems that teachers see the benefits of this practice. They have increased their use of blogging year after year, which seems to show they feel blogging has great relevance as a classroom tool.”

Em resumo, o que ele diz é que os professores perceberam ótimos efeitos no aprendizado. Ele cita razões para usar o blog na sala de aula:

1- Motiva os alunos.

2- Gera processos de reflexão mais aprofundados.

3- Aprofunda as relações entre alunos e os aproxima dos professores.

4- Formas diferentes de ensinar aumentam as oportunidades de aprendizado.

Resumo do estudo:

“The heart of education beats with a teacher’s perception of instructional effectiveness with students. Research suggests that differentiated instruction, using multiple modes of presentation, will positively increase a student’s opportunity for learning. Communicating efficiently, using various communication methods, will enhance a teacher’s instructional effectiveness and a student’s ability to understand. Blogging appears to offer multiple opportunities for teacher and student use.

Writing in a blog by both student and teacher may strengthen their relationship while also providing a unique means of communicating instruction more effectively. Through electronic surveys and virtual interviews of blogging K-12 teachers, as well as document analysis of their blogs, this study examines blogging in classrooms within the United States to determine how blogging is used for communication and instruction. This study also considers the teacher’s perception of how blogging has changed their instructional practice.

This examination of blogging educators, or edubloggers, charts new territory and informs the educational community on the potential of blogging to support classroom communication and promote increased learning for the Digital Age student.”