Stephen Downes added a good point and linked to another post,how not to use blogs in learning by James Farmer on the issue of adopting a technology into teaching and learning. I am not going to repeat that. Please follow the links...
Stephen also raised another interesting point: making the fun activity as part of homework. That's a sure fun-killer. As soon as games or blog or anything, which a teenager enjoys, have become part of "work", the fun has gone! It has BECOME WORK! The approach will be totally different. There is a reverse psychology here.
Adult is probably different. I was re-introduced into computing due to a "homework" during my Dip. Ed. course. As part of the course, we are asked to numerically solve a second order differential equation using a programmable calculator with only 36 programmable steps. I found that fascinating and spent a whole month's salary on my first programmable device (a programmable calculator). My journey into computing went past the point of no return from then.
Looking back, in that class, we have about 10 other people doing in the same subject. As far as I know, none of them has taken up computing or programming.
I think my experience taught me two things.
- Do not kill joy by assigning some fun activities as homework. [That's based on my 20 years of teaching. Still applicable???]
- Introduce fun activity via homework seldom works. [I am the odd man in the group.]
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