Idea 23: Using Blog Carnivals in the Classroom

What is a Blog Carnival?

In a blog carnival, a blogger asks others to all blog about a topic on a specific date. As the blogs get posted, the original blogger links them in the main post with a brief summary. While the traditional blog carnival is not too feasible for dozens of bloggers in a class, an adaption can work to the same ends.

Instructions

• Have all of your students pick a different topic related to the course.
• This typically works best with topics that are fairly controversial, or with many varied viewpoints.
• Instruct students to search for blogs related to their specific topic.
• Depending on the topic, they may find blogs with personal anecdotes, study results, or opinions of experts in the field.
• As students find blogs, they will summarize and synthesize the main ideas and link that blog to their own.
• At the end, the student will have a single blog entry compiling and analyzing the viewpoints of numerous other people on the topic.
• If used in a blended course, after the assignment is completed, the topics could be written on the whiteboard, prompting potential discussions.

Advantages

• Students are exposed to controversy in a way that is relatively safe and guided.
• Outside bloggers may reply to students, creating a dialogue not possible otherwise.

Adapted from:

Yergeau, M. (2012). Blogging as a Way to Support Student Dialogue and Critical Engagement. Retrieved from: https://www.crlt.umich.edu/node/705

 

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