2016-04-19

Centuria I, Experimentum 47 : to preblog or to postblog?

Blog first, teach later? Or better: teach first, blog later?

The entry level course I teach this semester on "Aristotelian" zoology, and its receptions, and other historiae animalium, and 21st century biology ("Aristoteles' zoologische Schriften, mit einem Blick auf neuere Biologie") intersects with my German language blog used to collect material and refelctions and discussions for my project on how to deal with the variety of natural things, and especially animals (Tiergeschichtliches : Materialsammlungen, Meditationen, Vorarbeiten, und Arbeiten: zu meinem Projekt zu Historiae Animalium). And the same will be true for an advanced seminar I intend to teach next semester on collected natural things, naturalia made artificialia ("Gesammelte Naturdinge").


And now I'm wondering: how to proceed: if there is a topic I have text (especially: text of mine) on, and which is scheduled to be dealt with  in the seminar one of the next days or weeks (normally: some 7 to 0 days after I have that preparatory text of mine ready):  

Should I post that text of mine on that blog prior to the seminar session, so that I have the chance to benefit from corrections and discussion and additions I might receive as comments to such a blog post? In that case I'd have the chance to enter the lecture hall used for that seminar with considerably better preparation than I'd have without such corrections and discussion and additions. (Improvements due to students' input/reactions/critique during the seminar session then would result in comments of mine [giving credit to the students] to such a blog post.)

 Or should I post what I will post only after it's been discussed in the seminar (and hopefully been improved by the students' input/reactions/critique)? This would have at least the benefit, that students reading the last/most current  blog posts on that blog prior to the seminar session might be a bit less bored during the seminar session. And I have a good chance to improve my preparatory text before it first "hits" the students.
(No, the option to make reading the last/most current  blog posts on that blog prior to the seminar session does not exist.)


As of now I'm tending to "teach first, blog later". But I'd be grateful for your input/advise/tales/ etc. What, according to your experiences and opinion is better (especially: more beneficial for the students): blog first, teach later? teach first, blog later?

 Thanks in advance for any feedback!

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