Our Blogs are Alive

My students have begun the process of creating passion blogs--online explorations of one subject they choose. And I feel a bit like Dr. Frankenstein when I survey the student writing this assignment helped create. They have chosen to blog about music and cars, sheep and cows, favorite clubs and subjects and sports.

I see all kinds of subjects and styles. But this assignment has brought them all together and breathed life into their writing by providing them choice.

As a traditional classroom teacher, I normally assign a writing prompt and wait for 20 to 25 copies of a very familiar product to arrive from each hour I teach. Upon receiving these cookie-cutter essays, I then question my sanity in assigning them in the first place.

Attempting the experiment of passion blogging scared me, but upon reading my students's blog posts, my fears vanished. Instead I feel excitement. My students have the opportunity to choose a topic dear to them and write about their choices.

Their stories blew me away.

A 1967 Pontiac Firebird 400
(Image Source)

Megan's story about bonding with her father over a shared appreciation of muscle cars got me think about my own father and the relationship I am forming with my sons. My father used to drive a muscle car of his own, a Pontiac Firebird 400. It's one of the few memories I have of him. As my oldest son approaches his teen years, I want to share with him the mechanical knowledge I have so we might develop a bond around a shared interest.

Kylie's intimate discussion of the power of theatre made me reflect on the value of belonging. I wanted to act, but our high school only performed musicals. If you couldn't sing (and I couldn't), you need not apply. Instead I was in the pit orchestra. My experience in band gave me the same excitement and sense of belonging that Kylie writes about in her blog post.

I might have gotten my students to this point with a traditional assignment. Possibly. Maybe. Probably not. Now that I have seen what an authentic audience and a student-selected topic can do, I don't think I can ever go back.

So hand me a lab coat and call me Dr. Frankenstein. I am going to keep asking my students to bring together as many random subjects as we can. I hope they paid the electric bill.