I like to curse. Blame that on the military if you must. Bootcamp is where I discovered the joy of profanity. Swearing was cathartic. A way to alleviate stress and tension. And who knew that one word, a word like ‘Fuck’ could be so diverse (for more on the diversity of the word Fuck, see blog titled “Warning: Some Content May Not Be Suitable for All Adults”). Unfortunately, for me and my sailor’s mouth, the classroom setting rarelypresents a platform suitable to express myself fully. I must self-sensor. This is not the case when blogging. I am free to be me – ol’ Johnny Potty Mouth!
But more than just having the ability to drop an occasional “F” Bomb, blogging allows the user to express themselves through a cacophony of media. I am reminded of that old adage, “A picture is worth a thousand words”. And if that is true, what is the going rate for a picture supported by a few lines of text and a YouTube clip?
As useful as blogging as a tool for the classroom may be, I do have one minor reservation – and that would be over when to introduce it. Blogging worked well with our class because, at this point in our education, we are established writers. I see blogging as one step in the process of writing/rhetoric/expression but, from a pedagogical perspective, I believe that the first step should be focused on development of plain old boring writing.
