Academic Blogging

Yes, many of you know that academics blog about their work, their students, and their local academic politics; however the last twenty-four hours has been quite an eye-opener for me. Every faculty member got a flyer about a presentation to be given next week about the "educational potential of the iPod in the classroom." Mind you, the presenter teaches ESL, and the value in that setting is almost certainly greater than in composition courses, but it's still an interesting idea. But that's not what this is about. Nope. Check this out.

Matt, over at Matt's Blog (no one said we had to be creative) is using a blog to contact his students. Mind you, this ends up looking much like an old-school bulletin board, but it still intrigues me. Is this something any of my readers involved in education, from either side of the big desk and at any level, use in some way?

Is the use of a technology such as a blog inherently unfair in a commuter setting like a community college, where students may or may not have access at home? where many can only be on campus during class times (and sometimes not even then)? where incomes are not perhaps what they might be in the households of students at private universities?

Is this the most democratic form of all? Does this level of access level the playing field by allowing students who might be afraid to speak up in class the freedom to do so in front of a computer screen (though let's not say anonymously)? Does it give time, that most precious (though most often squandered) student resource, back to the students? Does it promote classroom discussion? interfere with it? alter it in any way?

I would love your thoughts on this, especially if you have experience.