Reflection 1 Learning Affordances: To Blog and/or Wiki or not?

-Photo taken from  https://info.examtime.com/files/2013/07/blogging.jpeg

This week in class we discussed learning affordances and what blogs offer to improve learning and learning environments.  Each of us shared our experiences reading blogs about our interests but the learning affordance that grabbed my attention was that blogs/wikis provide an accessible space for collaboration.  I discussed how I used wikis to share and alter lesson plans with other teachers.  Others discussed the use of wikis to develop writing through shared pieces downloaded onto the page.  What we get is a space to grow in learning and develop a "community of learners" as stated by my instructor Dr. Zahira Merchant.  Blogs and wikis provide a space for students who are shy or fear to be labled "smart" by their peers to truly express themselves.  Students can easily posts their topics and reflections without being judged at the moment by their peers.  A blog post allows readers to understand the perspective of the writer deterring preconceived ideas.  Blogs and wikis can also create a dangerous space if not regulated.  Since blogs are posted on the internet, people can read and comment on posts if not properly set to private.  This allows opportunities for readers to write negative and hurtful comments, which can be emotionally damaging to a student.  Freehand writing through personal journals, diaries, memopads are more effective in capturing intellectual thinking.  A personal journal does not have much threat of outside readers negatively commenting on posts and the writer is allowed to freely write what is on their mind, which can lead to beautiful and intellectual writing.
Blogs do promote a sense of responsibility on the writer and encourages structured and grammatically correct writing in the posts.  Writers need to consider posting things that are not defaming or incite harm on a blog since a post is open to the public.  Even if posts are set to private, there are ways to hack into them on a computer.  Cyberbullying, blackmail, and a breach in privacy can occur through the use of blogging, which can be dangerous for students.  The consequences of blogging are much more damaging than the consequences of freehand writing because blogs can easily be accessed and spread anywhere. 
I believe that there should be a balance between freehand writing and blogging.  Freehand writing does open our minds since there is little threat of judgement from outside influence.  The safe space created in writing through a personal journal our diary leads to beautiful thoughts and ideas.  Blogs on the otherhand, promote a community to develop structured writing since the post are easily accessible for the public to see.  A combination of freehand writing and blogging is a great way to promote technology in the classrooms!