First impressions are much different in the setting of a blog than a traditional classroom. I do not typically express myself in the written form and I think that the impressions I make from my writing are much different than my expressions using my preferred mode of communication, my speech.
When writing, I am able to say things that I would not normally say, but I may not come across exactly how I want to. There are so many things in person-to-person communication that are missing when people are writing back and forth. These cues are so essential in everyday speech to fully understand a given message and are missed when communicating online. Personal interactions are extremely important in relationships. Do you think you could really feel you “knew” somebody until you met them? To an extent you are able to understand their thoughts and feelings, but I feel like it is so essential to a relationship to have personal interactions that define that relationship.
For myself, introductions person-to-person highlight my strengths. I am able to express myself in a more organized, controlled manner. There may also be limitations to expressing myself in-person. I am generally a little socially anxious and often, in-class activities with many other people make that completely obvious. What I have intended to say may not come across so clearly because I get anxious and forget what it is that I mean to say.
I think learning is possible in either setting, although they require different things. For me, that will be branching out of my element to express myself in a way that will not be as comfortable.
Your point of view is incredibly interesting due to your Speech and Hearing background. I agree that there are vital expressions and variations in communication that can only be portrayed through person-to-person contact. However, I do believe that a person is more likely to share ideas/beliefs that are uncomfortable and generally feel more free to share information than when engaged in a conversation. I think that both of those reasons represent pros and cons of each type of classroom, but perhaps the class can meet to discover how well we do know each other.
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