Purpose of this Blog

Successful teacher preparation programs help to develop individuals who reflect upon practice and who use that reflection to guide improvement of future practice (Darling-Hammond, 2006).  Blogging, as a means of reflective practice in teacher education, has recently received considerable attention in the research and literature. For instance, blogs, used as a pedagogical tool where pre-service teachers communicate with other pre-service teachers about experiences and dilemmas, have been found to be effective in building community and trust (Boyd, Gorham, Justice, & Anderson, 2013; Yang, 2009) and in promoting preservice teacher confidence (Stiler & Philleo, 2003). Blogging by preservice teachers has also be found to help support the development of new professional teacher identities, where preservice teachers move away from personal narratives about school and teachers and begin recognizing and engaging in beliefs and practices of professional teachers (Boyd, et al., 2013; Luehmann, 2008; Rinke, Stebick, & Schaefer, 2009).

Armed with a bevvy of research about preservice teacher blogging, I decided to embark on a blogging project with the students in my Teaching English Methods course. Our blog, I Know Why the Caged Bird Blogs, at http://cagedbirdblogger.blogspot.com, provides a place for students studying to be English teachers, to write about educational issues and trends and respond to research about literacy practices and pedagogy.

References 

Boyd, A., Gorham, J., Justice, J. E., & Anderson, J. L. (2013). Examining the apprenticeship of observation with preservice teachers: The practice of blogging to facilitate autobiographical reflection and critique. Teacher Education Quarterly, 40(3), 27-49.

Luehmann, A. L. (2008). Using blogging in support of teacher professional identity development: A case study. The Journal of the Learning Sciences, 17, 287-337.

Rinke, C. R., Stebick, D., & Schaefer, L. (2009). Using blogs to foster inquiry, collaboration, and feedback in pre-service teacher education. The Cupola: Scholarship at Gettysburg College, 303-318.

Stiler, G. M., & Philleo, T. (2003). Blooging and blogspots: An alternative formate for encouraging reflective practice among preservice teachers. Education, 123(4), 789-797.

Yang, S. H. (2009). Using blogs to enhance critical reflection and community of practice. Educational Technology & Society, 12(2), 11-21.