This year, I am going to expect my students to create and maintain their own blogs. And as I don't believe in expecting my students to do things I wouldn't do myself or things in which I find no value, I am starting my own blog both as an example for them and also simply as a part of this new project.
My rationale for the blog project is foundationally in the fact that effective communication is vital not only for success, but for survival. Language is how we express ourselves and relate to others; without it we really could not do much. Points and grunts wouldn't get us very far.
Language is also definitive, which means that it defines a part of who we are. Language is one of the things that makes a human being unique. How we talk and the words we choose connect to the person we are; all people communicate differently, and knowing and understanding the ins and outs of language helps us to understand others and what they are trying to say. Also, the more practice we get in expressing ourselves, especially in writing, the better we become. Becoming a good writer is a priceless skill that I want my students to develop.
I am hoping that each blog will become a place for my students to express themselves and to talk about the things that are important to them. Our yearlong theme is identity, and we will be exploring questions such as: "What makes a person who they are?", "What things define you?", and "What kind of person do you want to be?" Hopefully this project will help in the discovering and celebrating of each person's identity.
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