The art of commenting on blogs

I have just discovered a couple of new blogs, one by D. Kurpotwa whose blog, A Difference led me to his blog on mentoring. He writes about how to comment on blogs and podcasts and how important these conversations are. Another blog on the same subject is A Pirouette: Commenting by Lani Davis. Here are some of her suggetions for comments.

• treating all bloggers with respect.

• seeking first to understand what is being said.

• celebrating another'’s accomplishments.

• using school appropriate language.

• rephrasing ideas in the blog that made me think, made me feel, or helped me learn to let the blogger know his/her voice has been heard.

• commenting specifically and positively, without criticism. If I disagree, I will comment appropriately, politely stating my perspective.

• being mindful always that I may be a role model to my audience, especially if they are younger than I.

• making no reference to, link to, and/or giving access to any information that may be inappropriate for a school setting.

• asking at least one question in my comment with the hopes of continuing a conversation and deepening thinking.

• using a triple check before submitting any comment: Would I be happy to have my mother read this comment? My grandmother? My favorite teacher?

I think it is important that we encourage students through our comments in an authentic way. The more we can foster a larger conversation through blogs and podcasts, the more we can clarify thinking and learning. My blog reading has certainly led to a lot of reflection on my part. Let's get the kids involved too.