"Using Weblogs in Your Writing Center"
In the latest issue of The Writing Lab Newsletter Melinda Baer writes about using blogs in the center and kindly mentions PeerCentered. The Writing Center at Northern Illinois University where Baer works has been using a private, in-house blog for a while now. Consultants post twice a week and use those posts as fodder for later discussion in staff meetings.
I am curious how other places are using blogs. Perhaps I should whip up a survey?
I am curious how other places are using blogs. Perhaps I should whip up a survey?
I'm curious, too, as to the success rate of tutors using blogs. We tried to set up something similar at Stony Brook University, but it didn't take - we tried using Blackboard in a few different ways but it was like pulling teeth. (You'd think that writing tutors would be more reflective and be more willing to write, but we had trouble with that.)
ReplyDeleteWe've had a blog in our Writing Center (Yakima Valley Community College) for about a month now. We keep the URL private so student consultants can feel comfortable writing about whatever concerns them. So far, though, most of the posts have been stuff the consultants find interesting, not necessarily strictly related to their work. Oh, and we use the blog to post a recap of our last staff meeting (for consultants who are absent). The blog, though, is not used that much -- only one or so posts per week. I'm sure it'll just take time to get everyone going on it. I do like the idea of requiring posts, but we haven't tried that yet.
ReplyDeleteLaura D. May
Lead Consultant, YVCC Writing Center
http://www.ideasarelikestars.typepad.com