The Write Stuff: Classroom Uses of Teaching and Learning Blogs
In this session, interactive discussions will be utilized to examine the various benefits of educational blogging to enhance teaching and learning experiences. The session will also provide an opportunity to examine the challenges of maintaining professionalism while sharing practices in the public sphere of social networking. Participants will learn how to set up a blog and will depart with numerous creative ideas for incorporating blogs into their teaching practice.
Why Blog?
-To document my teaching story
-To collaborate and share with other teachers
-To share effective teaching strategies
-To share my developing teaching philosophy
-To see if a blog is a useful teaching & learning tool
How to Get Started
-Determine your purpose for blogging. This purpose may morph and change as you write.
-Choose a free blogging platform like www.blogspot.com, wordpress.org, www.tumblr.com,
posterous.com
-Consider setting a goal for how often you’ll post
-Start blogging! I suggest introducing yourself and your reason for blogging
Benefits
-Having a place to unload my ideas, feelings and thoughts about my work
-Allows me to process my experiences
-Encourages me to document my courses through video, photographs, etc.
-Having an interactive place where my students can gain a deeper insight into their teacher
-I may use this blog to assist with future academic endeavors
Challenges
-Maintaining professionalism while being authentic
-Fear of peer criticism
-Recruiting followers
-No comments or interaction at this point
-Time/blogging weekly
Ideas for the Future
-Incorporate the blog into my courses
-Redefine my purpose- Professional journal of events, happenings, thoughts and ideas?
-Alumni connection through blogging
Next Blogs: Educational Apps, Ed. Tech. Summit, The Classroom as a Gathering of Spirit Part II, more on New Literacies/Media Literacy
