Please share a few thoughts in the comments section of this post with my Macworld workshop participants. Some questions you might want to address could be:
- Why and when did you start blogging?
- Do you blog for yourself?
- Do you use blogs in the classroom? If so, how (briefly)?
- What blogging tools/software do you rely on?
- What's your most powerful/memorable experience that's resulted from blogging?
- What's your favorite blog? It doesn't necessary have to be an education related one.
- What's the title and url of your own blog?
25 comments:
Why and when did you start blogging? For my classroom, then decided to start a professional blog for my own networking/development
Do you blog for yourself? yes
Do you use blogs in the classroom? yes
If so, how (briefly)? http://mrsolson.edublogs.org
What blogging tools/software do you rely on? edublogs, but it's down right now :-(
What's your most powerful/memorable experience that's resulted from blogging? a complete stranger becoming my blogging mentor and helping me build a better site
What's your favorite blog? It doesn't necessary have to be an education related one. Not sure yet!
What's the title and url of your own blog? http://googtweetblog.edublogs.org
Why and when did you start blogging?
I started blogging almost 2 years ago because I had been reading blogs for awhile and I felt I had something to add to the conversation besides leaving comments. Also I'd noted there were very few ELEMENTARY teachers blogging and felt we lacked voice in the blogosphere.
Do you blog for yourself?
I blog to release sometimes, but I also blog to share ideas and experiences and get others feedback which is one of the most powerful aspects of blogging.
Do you use blogs in the classroom? If so, how (briefly)?
Yes - My 5th graders (very at risk and mostly second language learners) blog 1 to 3 times per week. It forces them to THINK about using correct English ... they love it.
What blogging tools/software do you rely on?
ClassBlogmeister (for students) Wordpress and Flock and Flickr for me (although my students use Flickr too).
What's your most powerful/memorable experience that's resulted from blogging?
Sharing the story of a student in my class that had leukemia and couldn't attend school so we video-Skyped her into school. Then my students produced a video about it that won awards and has been downloaded over 100,000 times. We got tons of comments from all over the world.
What's your favorite blog? It doesn't necessary have to be an education related one.
No favorite ... enjoy many.
What's the title and url of your own blog?
Learning Is Messy
http://learningismessy.com/blog/
Sorry, should have left URL of my students' blog:
http://classblogmeister.com/blog.php?blogger_id=65078
Why and when did you start blogging?
I started blogging as a way of communicating and having dialogue with my web site visitors.
Do you blog for yourself?
Often times it makes me feel better to have a forum of expression even when no one else is reading but I do like to have an audience as well.
Do you use blogs in the classroom? If so, how (briefly)?
I'm working out of the classroom right now but I encourage teachers to use it to engage students in asking and answering questions about a unit theme and having dialogue with each other and with other classes.
What blogging tools/software do you rely on?
Wordpress.
What's your most powerful/memorable experience that's resulted from blogging?
Reading other people's blogs has influenced my own teaching and inspired lessons.
What's your favorite blog? It doesn't necessary have to be an education related one.
My favorite blog (though it hasn't been updated recently is http://cityteacher.wordpress.com/ because it inspired me to keep blogging and keep teaching.
What's the title and url of your own blog?
Creating Lifelong Learners
http://www.creatinglifelonglearners.com
I first started blogging in the spring of 2005 after reading a Kathy Schrock newsletter about Blogmeister. I started within a month blogging with my students because I had been waiting for an elementary student friendly web app. that was easy to use. This and more I think David Warlick accomplished. I didn't get focussed or serious for my own blogging until the NECC conference in Philadelphia. My most memorable experiences have happened when some blogger that I really respect responds to something I've posted, but I'm very inconsistent in posting. Lately I've been using Flock to post to a Typepad account and a Blogger account, but sporadically. Being so inconsistent is not recommended when one wants an audience. My favorite bloggers are the standards for edtech, David Warlick, Will Richardson, Alec Couros, Coolcatteacher/Vicki Davis, Clay Burrel, Lucy Gray, Jeff Uttecht, Miguel Guhlin, Karl Fisher, Wesley Fryer, and many others to load up an RSS reader with :) ones that many/most do and should read. My blog is http://educalgarden.blogs.com/
Why and when did you start blogging?
August 2004. I found myself wanting to yell back (or at least comment on) various online news items (mostly about the election).
Do you blog for yourself?
Who else? It's not like I get paid...
Do you use blogs in the classroom? If so, how (briefly)?
From time to time I'll come across a post that I or a colleague might find useful, and I'll tag it to del.icio.us. More often, I use it to keep tabs on what smart people are thinking. I call it, "subscribing to other peoples' brains."
What blogging tools/software do you rely on?
Blogger. I'm lazy.
What's your most powerful/memorable experience that's resulted from blogging?
Realizing that I had readers in the UK and Australia.
What's your favorite blog? It doesn't necessary have to be an education related one.
No first favorite - depends on my mood. But for wit and wisdom it's hard to beat Bob Hoover's blog - bobhooversblog.blogspot.com
What's the title and url of your own blog?
A Simple Desultory Dangling Conversation - sddc.blogspot.com
Why and when did you start blogging?
I started blogging in August 2006 after reading Will Richardson's book. I realized I needed to bring blogging into my classroom, and to do a good job at that, I had to understand it for myself.
Do you blog for yourself?
Yes
Do you use blogs in the classroom? If so, how (briefly)?
Yes, as the 21st Century Literacy Specialist at the International School Bangkok, I help teachers work with their students to set up individual student blogs, as well as classroom blogs. It's a great way to connect students around the world and to help them personalize their learning.
What blogging tools/software do you rely on?
Edublogs and Learnerblogs using WordPress
What's your most powerful/memorable experience that's resulted from blogging?
So many! Generally speaking, connecting with other like-minded teachers around the world to develop globally collaborative projects for our students.
What's your favorite blog? It doesn't necessary have to be an education related one.
I couldn't possibly choose! I love so many of them!
What's the title and url of your own blog?
Always Learning: http://mscofino.edublogs.org
Why and when did you start blogging?
I started blogging in May 2006 after being inspired by a great speaker on Web 2.0 to consider the power of social networking tools. Initially I wrote the blog to support those who would read two articles I wrote – the first for teachers and the second for librarians. Then of course I was hooked by the idea of being able to reflect regularly on what I was discovering about Web 2.0 for schools and libraries, by being able to share information, and by being able to help develop social networks between bloggers.
Do you blog for yourself? So I ended up blogging both for myself and for the professionals that I connect with locally and around the world. As part of my work I also began to help teachers and students get into blogging, for reflection, for literacy, for study of a topic, or for a collaborative project. The possibilities are almost endless.
What blogging tools/software do you rely on? I have used Wordpress for myself since the beginning, but have also been using Blogger for joint projects, and the Edublogs version of Wordpress when supporting teachers or students in blogging.
What's your most powerful/memorable experience that's resulted from blogging? The most exciting thing about blogging has been walking into a strange room, and having seemingly total strangers come up to me and say “you’re Heyjude! I’m a regular reader of your blog” or seeing teachers take off with blogging and really exciting their students with the ‘new’ medium.
What's your favorite blog? I love so many blogs for very different reasons. Mostly my favourite blogs need to be something that take me out of my daily work, or my daily reflection on my professional learning – so I really enjoy John Connell’s blog (http://www.johnconnell.co.uk/blog/) because it’s different than the usual ed blog, yet is connected to education, and it gives me a different take on global ideas and news events.
My blog is Heyjude at http://heyjude.wordpress.com
* Why and when did you start blogging? I started at the end of 2006 but really started the conversations in 2007.
* Do you blog for yourself? Yes, it gets my point of view off my chest.
* Do you use blogs in the classroom? If so, how (briefly)? Yes, but need to do more.
* What blogging tools/software do you rely on? Blogger for me, blogmeister for kids
* What's your most powerful/memorable experience that's resulted from blogging? Students getting into any discussions with each other. Their writing is improving and they are writing like the few students they initially envied.
* What's your favorite blog? It doesn't necessary have to be an education related one. coolcatteacher
* What's the title and url of your own blog? hurricanemaine.blogspot.com
Why and when did you start blogging? My first online diary was in the year 2000 when my wife and I were working in Singapore.
http://www.larkin.net.au/prm/archive.html
I started blogging again in January 2005.
Do you blog for yourself?
Yes and No. I blog to share and to learn.
Do you use blogs in the classroom? My middle secondary history students keep blogs as if they were living during the Great Depression and the Second World War. They live the past.
What blogging tools/software do you rely on?
Wordpress, Dreamweaver, Photoshop, Quicktime.
What's your most powerful/memorable experience that's resulted from blogging?
No powerful or memorable experience to date. Just interesting moments.
What's your favorite blog? I have two.
http://staff.science.nus.edu.sg/~sivasothi/blog/index.php
http://10yearsago.typepad.com/
What's the title and url of your own blog?
TeachTech ~ technology tips for teachers.
http://blog.larkin.net.au/
So far, I am new to Edublogging although I do blog personally. I have a classroom NEWS blog but have not extended it beyond a simple reporting of the send home newsletter. In the future, I want to do more with blogging in the classroom. This is my year to learn.
Posted for a Twitter follower:
jesatiu @elemenous social network blogging has increased my awareness of other professional avenues, i may not have otherwise explored.SN offers a way to deliver a message to like-minded individuals, while keeping tabs on professionals with simiilar interests and those interests. Technlgy is the tool we use, as professionals, so it is important to us. When we share our experiences, through collaboration and involvment, tech pros and Soc. networkers advance our own prof existence. Otherwise, is a total waste of time:)
* Why and when did you start blogging?
In October with my own personal blog but in the summer on Talkabout Primary MFL Ning before that. Why? To share my thoughts and ideas with others.
* Do you blog for yourself?
Partly - I do enjoy it and it is excellent CPD - but it's more to share what has worked for me in my classroom, or ideas I have or thoughts I have having read articles / attended conferences etc
* Do you use blogs in the classroom? If so, how (briefly)?
about to start - proving tricky to get it started for various reasons!
* What blogging tools/software do you rely on?
I use Blogger and also blog on various NING networks. I use Scribefire and lots of advice from others!!
* What's your most powerful/memorable experience that's resulted from blogging?
When I first started, looking at the counter and seeing that 25 people had looked since I had last logged on - that was cool! And getting my first comment from an expereinced blogger who said it was great!!
* What's your favorite blog? It doesn't necessary have to be an education related one.
Got several - but favourite is proabably http://edu.blogs.com
* What's the title and url of your own blog?
My blog is called ¡Vámonos! and the url is http://lisibo.blogspot.com
I started blogging in 2002, but didn't start an education blog until November 2006. I have a personal (private) blog that i hardly every up date and an education blog.
I do blog in the classroom, but I don't use that to it's fullest potential. I used to think none of my colleagues liked my and that was mostly because I am such a nerd/know it all. The blog lets me be a nerd/know it all with out forcing it on people and I feel more liked and respected now. I have fifty blogs in my RSS reader, but I think I like Autism Vox the best. The author is very intelligent and an excellent writer. My blog is entitled "Teaching Learners with Multiple Special Needs." The URL is www.teachinglearnerswithmultipleneeds.blogspot.com
Why and when did you start blogging?
I started blogging in 2003 with an enthusiastic group of EFL secondary students. It was a rewarding experience so I opened a personal blog and started to write in my native language (Spanish) and enjoyed it a lot.
After that, I deleted my first teacher blog and the personal one :-( not a good idea!!!
And now I have a personal one as a teacher and going to work with a group of students and blogging next February :-)
Do you blog for yourself?
Yes, I do.
Do you use blogs in the classroom? If so, how (briefly)?
I have used them since 2003. Diffciult because we just have a computer in the classroom
What blogging tools/software do you rely on?
motime
What's your most powerful/memorable experience that's resulted from blogging?
Blogging makes me a better person. It's amazing how you can learn from writing and sharing toughts.
The most amazing experience was one related to friendship. I am part of a webheads groups and it was so motivating to read their comments in my students blog :-)
What's your favorite blog? It doesn't necessary have to be an education related one.
I like Vicky Davies's "Cool Cat teacher" blog . It offers a lot of resources and ideas for educators.
I also like Langwitches blog, plenty of resources and good ideas for EFL teachers like me :-)
What's the title and url of your own blog?
My learning zone
Http://mylearningzone.motime.com (in Spanish)
Student's blog
http://myenglishclassblog.motime.com
Regards from Mexico
thanks to lucy for posting my twitter responses...i have begun to see that social networking could become the most powerful tool available to aid in fixing the major (and trickle-ing to less-major (ew not like trickle-down econs, but anyway)) issues the current "global social environment" faces.
while you'd be covering some of the already posted material, the top of my article from jan. 14th blog at http://jesseloop.blogspot.com twists the vein Lucy's written in just a bit-hope, if you read, that you like.
As for Lucy's direct questions:
I do blog for myself but I would like that to lead to the development of my writing in such a way as to spread my message across the world. (ok-don't label me messiaistic just yet, please, but yeah...).
I do not teach professionally, however, if I did, of course it would be situational, but I could certainly see how open forum discussion and learning kinda sorta maybe...yeah you get it...
I have tried finding the laziest way to publish my blog: jesseloop.blogspot.com that I possibly could.
I'm a newbie-so am lurking around google and other places just getting the real hang of the easiest way to get things posted.
i will say, at 38 years old, posting things "online" is an ever changing world. We are a long way from the if-then-else loops we ran on our TRS-80's and Commodore 64's back in the...yeah, i'm old school.
Thanks Lucy for inspiration on today's material!
Tweet you soon...
I first started blogging in early 2004, when I contacted Will Richardson, then a teacher, who was using software on his school's server--Manilla. I tried to make it work, but eventually went to Typepad and started blogging with my journalism class. I then started a running blog, which I continue to maintain (though my education blog has taken more of my time lately.) The community I feel, both on my running blog and my school blog, make me feel connected to a larger world. I feel more connected to the running community since I comment and receive comments regularly. This is an important aspect of blogging.My favorite blog right now is Kim Cofino's http://mscofino.edublogs.org/ My own blog is http://falconms.typepad.com
Why and when did you start blogging? I wasn't quite sure of the answer to that myself! I've just checked & the first post I made was in September 2003, but that was in a blog that I'd intended to keep while travelling. However, I decided that computers & holidays didn't mix! That blog only ever had two posts!
So, I started a Work based one almost a year later, on August 30th 2004.
Why? Well, I'd been investigating blogs for educational use, I'd read a lot of other peoples, and though I wasn't really confident in my own writing ability, I thought I ought to give it a go.
Do you blog for yourself? It started predominantly for myself, as a way of collecting useful resources. My first post was about creating a macro in Word to paste as unformatted text - which I've gone back to on several occasions. (The fact that Word 2007 can be set to do that is one of its few saving graces!)
Do you use blogs in the classroom? I get my MSc students to keep a blog, as a reflective journal. I also tend to have links to sites that could be of interest to them in my blog, but they don't have to read it.
What blogging tools/software do you rely on? I started with Blogger, but then migrated it to a WordPress powered blog. It's also mirrored on Eduspaces (Elgg powered). The students all have theirs on Eduspaces (at least, until the current uncertainty with it). Some have now moved them.
What's your most powerful/memorable experience that's resulted from blogging? I've been surprised on more than one occasion when meeting someone at a conference etc., and they've said that they read my blog. What's your favorite blog? Way too many! My Google Reader is always full of posts that I want to read.
What's the title and url of your own blog? Blogging IT and Education: http://userweb.port.ac.uk/~duke-wie/blog
Why and when did you start blogging?
November 2006 - To have a place to reflect on the projects that I was doing.
Do you blog for yourself?
My blog is usually only for personal reflection.
What blogging tools/software do you rely on?
Word Press
What's your most powerful/memorable experience that's resulted from blogging?
Connecting with Greg Mortenson, author of Three Cups of Tea
What's the title and url of your own blog?
Multi-faceted Refractions (vvrotny.edublogs.org)
Why and when did you start blogging? I started February 2005 when my students wanted to teach me about blogging. I started my teacher blog September 2007 to begin conversations with other teachers.
Do you blog for yourself? Yes. It gives me a record of my teaching practices and thoughts.
Do you use blogs in the classroom? If so, how (briefly)? Yes in math and computer class for student reflection on projects and concepts.
What blogging tools/software do you rely on? Classblogmeister (students) Blogger (teacher blog)
What's your most powerful/memorable experience that's resulted from blogging? Watching the dots on my ClustrMap grow and realizing people around the world were reading my blog.
What's your favorite blog? It doesn't necessary have to be an education related one. therandomthoughts.edublogs.org a very caring college professor - Louis Schmier
What's the title and url of your own blog?
NJ Tech Teacher Musings njtechteacher.blogspot.com
Student: Math
www.classblogmeister.com/blog.php?blogger_id=107384
Student: Computer
www.classblogmeister.com/blog.php?blogger_id=101050
Why and when did you start blogging? Started about a year ago...quit for several months...started again in January.
Do you blog for yourself? Yes. It's a way for me to clarify my thoughts and share ideas with my teachers and the rest of my PLN.
Do you use blogs in the classroom? Yes. If so, how (briefly)? Each student has his/her own blog for classwork.
What blogging tools/software do you rely on? WordPress and WordPress MU
What's your favorite blog? It doesn't necessary have to be an education related one. Too hard to pick just one :)
What's the title and url of your own blog? Technology in the Middle: pwoessner.com
Why and when did you start blogging? I started blogging in May 2006 as way to reflect on my own teaching, share ideas & resources and connect with other teachers.
Do you blog for yourself? Yes.
Do you use blogs in the classroom? If so, how (briefly)? I started one with my second graders this year to expand the learning done in the classroom. It’s been an incredibly positive experience. The kids love to comment, respond, and connect to other children around the country and world. Unfortunately, I now have to password protect the blog and fear we won’t be able to make the same connections as easily.
What blogging tools/software do you rely on?
Typepad (personal), Wordpress MU (school), and flickr.
What's your most powerful/memorable experience that's resulted from blogging?
I love to share favorite poems or quote lines from children’s books on my blog. Unsure whether it was enough to merely give an author credit and confused by copyright guidelines, I decided to email these authors and poets to ask their permission. Their responses were surprising and wonderful. They were honored. My simple question was so appreciated and it allowed me to make such personal and meaningful connections. It never hurts to ask!
What's your favorite blog? It doesn't necessary have to be an education related one.
So many! As a break from my teaching life, I love mimi smartypants, dooce, & suburban bliss.
What's the title and url of your own blog?
Passionately Curious http://www.passionatelycurious.org
* Why and when did you start blogging?
I began first with a blog for my school library, and use it to talk to kids about the SC Book Award Nominees. I was already reading many blogs, actually discovering a whole new world called the blogosphere in Philadelphia at NECC o5. During the summer of 2006 (5/31/06) I launched the library blog (titled @the Northside Library)(which btw is now defunct since I no longer work there), and then that same school year, birthed my professional one - TechnoTuesday: Cathy Nelson's Professional Thoughts begun October 1, 2006. I started as a tool to discuss the book award nominees. I did so to expose students to the read/write web, and then to further my own learning, as I sw what the impact reading other professionals was having on my own learning. Little did I know then I was cultivating a PLN or PLE.
* Do you blog for yourself? Yes and no. I began with intentions to involve students, but in my school environment and teaching situation, I just do not feel it was a successful as I would have liked. But it did not deter me. I even had authors who I was blogging about respond. Then when I began my own professional one, initially I felt I was just echoing my thoughts in my head. But it was therapeutic. I would say that specific bloggers were my catalyst, but I was reading so many it would be unfair to name one or even two.
* Do you use blogs in the classroom? If so, how (briefly)? I used to sponsor book lunches, and one way kids could get invited was to comment on the blog. I still use a school library blog in my current position, but I have to promote it to get student interest and reactions. If I don't remind kids, they don't visit and read. That may be just that this is still new to them --that of a read/write tool being available in school. Our kids are just not accustomed to them being open instead of blocked.
* What blogging tools/software do you rely on? For blogging, I formerly used Blogger, primarily b/c it was easy. But I went over to Edublogs, and have been there since. Edublogs uses a wordpress fromat/program. I am not 100% happy with Edublogs, but they are listening to my concerns, which is making me interested in staying with them right now. Other important tools I use for blogging are flickr for hosting images (I had no idea how much space I was using in my 100mb of free space for pictures--I wish someone had told me that!) and a reader for reading the blogs I subscribe to. I used Bloglines, but played at Google Reader for a while. I went back to Bloglines, but that may be b/c it was comfortable and well known.
* What's your most powerful/memorable experience that's resulted from blogging? There have been several but I'll note just a few. First to get authors of children's books to respond on my blog. Second, to get a surprise nod in a session was attending in my own state Edtech Conference. Helping encourage me to blog was my ClustrMap, which showed me that I truly had a worldwide audience. Last, to be mentioned just recently as a Woman Edublogger of 2007 in a popular blog. WOW.
* What's your favorite blog? I'm not ashamed to mention my favorite today, as I've noticed many have held back here. But my favorite changes every 2 months or so, just as the topics and latest new thing changes too. My favorite blog right now is Dean Shareski's Ideas and Thoughts.
* What's the title and url of your own blog?
TechnoTuesday: Cathy Nelson's Professional Thoughts
http://technotuesday.edublogs.org/
Sorry i was so late for this PLN party!
People are often hesitant to work with a business coach because they are not sure what to expect. Well, at the most basic level, the coach is there for support. A coach never tells you what to do. They just prompt and encourage.
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jackspar.
How to Retain Your Super Star Managers
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