What's Next? Let's Make Introductions...Think Fast!

Think fast! Remember that silly command, followed by someone throwing a Frisbee (or something else) at you, with only milliseconds for you to decide to catch or duck? Here’s a new instant decision scenario for you: chocolate or vanilla? Habs or Leafs? Wikis or social networking sites?

Clearly, that split second decision may not always turn out to be the most beneficial; opting to catch the Frisbee with a burger in one hand and a beverage in the other inevitably leads to problems, but getting out of the way may mean that your dog introduces some new bite marks in that disc (or worse, some poor bystander doesn’t take kindly to childish games). I usually try to put myself in a position to make my own decisions, so I’ll take door number three; maple walnut, Bruins, and blogs.

The reasoning behind my decision-making analogy lies in the fact that I have been instructed to chose one web 2.0 tool to introduce to my school colleagues. If I am only allowed to introduce one Web 2.0 tool to staff at my school, I will wholeheartedly push for blogs. Why? The short answer is that I believe that blogs could/would/should have the most positive impact on both teachers and students. Also, as Richardson explains in Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for the Classroom,

Thousands of teacher and students have already incorporated Weblogs into their classrooms and into their practice. Blogs…are easily created, easily updateable Websites that allow an author (or authors) to publish instantly to the Internet from any Internet connection. They can also be interactive, allowing teachers and students to begin conversations or add to the information published there. Weblogs are the most widely adopted tool of the Read/Write Web so far.

Teachers who are hesitant to jump into the unknown can solace in the fact that there are numerous educators who are already making the leap into Web 2.0 via blogs, ready and waiting to assist in starting blogging, sharing blog uses in the classroom, and becoming instant guides through this strange and wonderful world of edutech.

Simply put, I believe that educators and students who have not fully explored blogging do not see the opportunities offered for learning and collaboration. I will freely admit that not too long ago I thought that most blogs were personal journals, which didn’t interest me at all. We all see websites as means to find information, but many blogs can be means to find information and take it a step further – post a comment, ask a question, subscribe to further blogs or comments…in other words, to interact more and hopefully learn more. Therefore, the first thing I’d like to do is introduce blogs, add RSS feeds, then move onto creating blogs.

I would direct those unfamiliar with blogs and blogging to:

Weblogg-ed - What better place to start than Will Richardson’s site? Aside from the plethora of information found on the site, I think Richardson has created a shining example of good writing in the edublogosphere. But more specifically, the Edu-blogs link from supportblogging.com (http://supportblogging.com/Links+to+School+Bloggers) is amazingly comprehensive, and the Weblogs in Schools wiki link is superb ( http://weblogged.wikispaces.com/Weblogs+in+Schools). Richardson’s short and sweet list of benefits to blogging in the classroom is great:

Benefits:
-Motivation
-Writing Skills
-Reading Skills
-Collaboration
-Network Building
-Community Building

For a more comprehensive explanation of why blogging can be a great thing, check out Anne Davis’s rationale at http://anne.teachesme.com/2007/01/17/rationale-for-educational-blogging/ .

Commoncraft’s Blogs in Plain English is another good introductory tool:



Here’s one site for those who know little about blogs. Not only do you get answers to basic questions, you can learn how to start a blog, add images, links, and so on.
http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/what-are-blogs-anyway.html


A scan of other bloggers’ reasons for blogging in education reveals a wealth of information, but Martin Weller’s lists of reasons why he blogs at http://www.microbiologybytes.com/AJC/whyblog.html is succinct and relevant:

My blog:
· is a place where I think, plan and reflect
· forces me to read in order to gather the input I need for my output
· is a place where I play with technology and ideas
· often surprises me
· is a place where I collaborate
· is currently the most satisfying part of my job
· is slightly dangerous
· is compulsive

Wouldn’t most teachers be curious about Weller’s reasons for blogging? I know they’ve made me think.

At the same time as I think many teachers would see benefits to student blogging, I wouldn’t be surprised if some of those same educators were hesitant to create their own blogs. I think that one way to help teachers think a little further about teacher blogging is to introduce it as an alternative form of professional development. I think many teachers would welcome some deviation from the norm in this area. Luckily, some keener-type bloggers have been doing some fine blogging on just this topic! See my previous post, then go to:

http://jacquiesgreatdigitaladventure.blogspot.com/

http://alangelaar.blogspot.com/

http://jansjourneysinweb20.blogspot.com/



Now, let’s look at the challenge of making blog use by teachers and students a reality in my school. First, all teachers in the division have been given a directive to have their own website up this school year. Although the work from the teacher’s end is miniscule, it will be difficult to get many educators to do not only that but create their own blog as well as keep it updated. The only option I see at the moment is to start really small. Before introducing blogs to the entire staff, I would try to get 2 or 3 influential teachers involved, get them hooked on reading some blogs, then get them to create their own. If I want to introduce teachers to the benefits of getting their students involved in blogging, I have to get them familiar with the process first. I also want to see what ideas those educators have for using blogs in their classes.

I am starting today on my Mission: Blogging At the School Level. I am forwarding my own blog URL to a few select teachers, as well as the technology guru in my school (if I really intend to get blogging integrated into my school, I need to get him onside/online). I’m going to ask them to look at my blog on professional deveopment with blogging, then discuss it with them when time permits. Who knows where the conversation will take us?