Blogging in AP English, Take 2

Last year, my AP English students created blogs for independent reading books. This was the first time this had occurred in my classes, and I was a bit concerned about giving up control. However, the blog activity turned out to be a success. The students were thoughtful about the reading that they completed, and many of them were able to write in ways that I had not seen before, demonstrating a sense of audience and style that the essays I had previously assigned had not allowed for.

At the end of the project, I asked the students for some feedback, some of which I am implementing with this year's blog assignments.

Students are reading a book along with at least one other student. 

When I originally conceived of this assignment, my intention was that it would be like an on-line

literature circle for the students. However, last year's students were insistent on reading a book of their own choosing. At the end of the assignment, though, they admitted that it would have been nice to have someone else to discuss their book with besides me. This year, therefore, students still have choice in what they read, but they do have to read a book in conjunction with at least one other student. This didn't seem to be a concern for too many students. 

Students can respond to their peers' blogs multiple times. 

Last year, I had students reply to different bloggers every week. Students felt that this made it difficult for them to follow a peer's blog, to follow their ideas about their novels. This year, therefore, the requirements about blogging are a bit different. Students have to respond to two posts per week, and, over the course of the assignment, need to respond to at least two posts about books they are not reading. 

This is probably the element of the assignment that I need to tweak the most, as I want students 

responding to each other about their shared books, but I also want them to get a sense of what their 

classmates are reading, as well as to see connections between and among the various books the 

class as a whole is reading. 

I am not blogging with the students. 

Since this was a new assignment for me last year, I wanted to work my way through the process of blogging with the students. And, though it was rather unbelievable for my students, I also missed writing about books. Blogging with the students last year helped me to understand how Blogger works and what issues they might have while they blogged. It was a very helpful experience. 

However, this year I just don't know how I would find the time. With an independent study during 

one of my planning periods, an English Language Arts Curriculum Committee after school a few 

times per month, and a NEASC visit in March, not to mention the daily prep and grading that 

goes along with my classes, I sadly don't know how I would manage. 

I am still reading one of the books that a few students are reading, as I am not familiar with it, but 

I think that's the most I will be able to handle this year. I will try to blog a bit about the process, but I make no promises.