Blogging: Just Do It

In his blog post entitled "Just do it," Roy Tennant writes about writing. More specifically, he makes the point that the old addage of "have something to say before you start writing" may be a detrimental philosophical approach. He successfully argues two points to this effect: (1) we are all human, and thus all have something to say about the experience of being human, and (2) starting with the notion that we have to have something worthwhile to write before we start writing may well scare many into not writing at all: if our internal quality filter is on before a word hits a page, no words may ever hit the page -- insecurity may get the best of us. He suggests that people should just write: don't be sure you "have something to say," just do it. He suggests that blogging makes this easier than ever before.

He references teenage self-confidence issues in the article, reminding us of the role that high school teachers may have in the development of teen creativity and creative writing, and reminding us that blogging (and, by extension, other read/write web tools) are potentially key ways to engage these students.

Clearly, the learning of Web 2.0 skills is of benefit to the students in this way, and teachers who possess these skills -- and are willing to employ them in the classroom -- have yet another way to simultaneously foster both teen writing and teen confidence.