old MT weblog posts
I spent the morning at work today trying to find a weblog system that would give me ability to weblog as well as have other people do the same in the same thread. I figure that any technology I adopt or use or implement will be able to be of some use to my employer. Not only will I have the ability to implement such a device, but I will be able to suggest it as a possible solution to certain kinds of problems. This technology itself is of interest because in it one can chronicle daily events and publish it from anywhere with access to the web. For me, it may be an unnecessary tool since I have all the web gadgets to do anything I want. Yet it might give me some freedom to do things I haven’t done before, like keeping a journal. This is not anonymous, certainly and not everyting I have to say can be considered important. Who knows what will happen.

I want my students to use this technology to exercise their minds toward expression of philosophical ideas. There are many things that need to be said or written before they take shape in our minds in any concrete way. This is a place to stumble in out thinking, to grope for ways of saying things without fear of reprisal or mockery. In fact I can see the need for students to make an effort toward expressing themselves philosophically in a forum that has no immediate feedback or response, unlike a chat room or even class time. Also in this semi-permanent form, it will give students a chance to read what other students think. This is a space that can help us give vent to feelings about our world that can provoke us to thoughtful discourse. It can increase the possibility of using our space and time wisely. Let’s not think this as a waste of effort but an effort that will result in a piece we can co-publish on the web if not in an article.

Posted by dougolena at August 5, 2003 12:48 PM