As this quick course comes to a close there's always that time for reflection for lessons learned and the experience as a whole, and this is it!
Blogging is definitely a useful feature in today's society as well as in the classroom. I tend to agree with Jan (classmate of my web based co-hort 19 and member of this class!) that blogging is a useful classroom tool, but is it for everyone?! I've learned that frustration with lack of understanding really gets me. If i cannot master a skill or something relatively quickly, i tend to shut down, as I'm all sure you noticed when it comes to this course and my time gap of blog entries. As far as utilizing blogging as a classroom tool, i would have to become the master of it before making that attempt. And at this point in my life, i may not have the drive or dedication to do so. That's OK however, it's not as if blogging is anywhere near disappearing tomorrow, and there is always time down the road to dabble and experiment with new and innovative ways to teach, engage a classroom and communicate with students. I am glad for the time i spent now allowing myself to be exposed to the possibility of an interesting and new approach to teaching the next generation.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
English Teachers :) Any Teachers Really!!
This guy seriously cracks me up!! I think this could be a funny way to start some kind of lesson or to emphasis the importance of proof reading your papers in class! (ok honestly, probably only the first half or so, there turns out to be a little bit of questionable language/terms used in the later half) Enjoy! :)
Blogs on the market
I believe the purpose of a blog is to reach many people in a simple one stop shop kind of way. This might be my tenth time saying it, but it has grown on me that blogging is a great way of getting information out there for the world to see. Your own purposeful platform if you will, not some silly "what i had for breakfast today" update for the world, but could be used for so much more.
If you blog with a purpose, then you need an audience so marketing your blog and building a following of readers or members is important. Besides by word of mouth, advertising your blog online is a good way to do it. Becoming a part of a big blogging communities where your blog is linked through topic similar websites(see some of the websites i researched and posted in an earlier blog) is a great marketing strategy.
I'm not sure how legitimate this suggestion or idea is either, but some how linking "key words/ phrases" to your blog so that it will come up through different search engines. I'm am not a big technological being, but i feel that there has to be some way to do this. It was suggested to me that when searching for blogs to follow, pull up an internet search engine and type in the kind of blog you're looking for. This must be a somewhat common way of looking for information, so make your blog accessible through specific key words and phrases others interested in your topic area may be looking for!
If you blog with a purpose, then you need an audience so marketing your blog and building a following of readers or members is important. Besides by word of mouth, advertising your blog online is a good way to do it. Becoming a part of a big blogging communities where your blog is linked through topic similar websites(see some of the websites i researched and posted in an earlier blog) is a great marketing strategy.
I'm not sure how legitimate this suggestion or idea is either, but some how linking "key words/ phrases" to your blog so that it will come up through different search engines. I'm am not a big technological being, but i feel that there has to be some way to do this. It was suggested to me that when searching for blogs to follow, pull up an internet search engine and type in the kind of blog you're looking for. This must be a somewhat common way of looking for information, so make your blog accessible through specific key words and phrases others interested in your topic area may be looking for!
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Management Skills
To me managing a blog has felt like a full time job. I definitely think a big part of managing a blog has to do with dedication, drive, and organization. If i were going to be using a blog for education purposes and in my classroom it would have to be very formally thought out with an exact purpose and outline. It definitely couldn't be a spur of the moment kind of thing.
To correctly manage a blog for a classroom i would go further in depth with utilizing and understanding the uses of the tools and resources and help resources at the bottom of dashboard. Dashboard would definitely become my life line. I would need a schedule for routinely updating and adding to my blog as to keep it interesting and useful. There is also the part of maintaining the students blogs as well, and going the extra mile to really keep an eye on what is being posted and what not. There is always the frightful chance that kids will abuse the use of a classroom blog.
Overall any kind of management skills that i would need to utilize all are based upon great organization and a plan and purpose for the use of my blog.
To correctly manage a blog for a classroom i would go further in depth with utilizing and understanding the uses of the tools and resources and help resources at the bottom of dashboard. Dashboard would definitely become my life line. I would need a schedule for routinely updating and adding to my blog as to keep it interesting and useful. There is also the part of maintaining the students blogs as well, and going the extra mile to really keep an eye on what is being posted and what not. There is always the frightful chance that kids will abuse the use of a classroom blog.
Overall any kind of management skills that i would need to utilize all are based upon great organization and a plan and purpose for the use of my blog.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Using a blog
As i have been becoming more and more comfortable with blogging and blogging for this class especially, i thought a lot about uses outside of the classroom and what the everyday person uses it for.
I could see it blogging as being a great way to just stay in touch with people and get whats going on in your life out there to any one who wants to check up on you. It's like a 24/7 Christmas card! (You know those cards you get with pages and pages about the family and what happened the last year). I'm not sure i would want to put my own personal information and day to day life out there for everyone to have access to, but I'm sure that's when privacy settings come into play and what not. I have still been battling with the ability to understand those, so it's still a work in progress for me.
I could see blogging being used for businesses and unions and just as a tool for accessing information. Blogging is definitely a great way to network, but it's definitely a lot of work to market your blog really well. It's a lot of communicating with the people you want to become followers, and doing a great amount of management to keep your blog interesting and something to be sought after. Interesting and intricate stuff this blogging.
I could see it blogging as being a great way to just stay in touch with people and get whats going on in your life out there to any one who wants to check up on you. It's like a 24/7 Christmas card! (You know those cards you get with pages and pages about the family and what happened the last year). I'm not sure i would want to put my own personal information and day to day life out there for everyone to have access to, but I'm sure that's when privacy settings come into play and what not. I have still been battling with the ability to understand those, so it's still a work in progress for me.
I could see blogging being used for businesses and unions and just as a tool for accessing information. Blogging is definitely a great way to network, but it's definitely a lot of work to market your blog really well. It's a lot of communicating with the people you want to become followers, and doing a great amount of management to keep your blog interesting and something to be sought after. Interesting and intricate stuff this blogging.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Society Loves Socializing!
Ask the question: "How are blogs used in society?" and you can come up with numerous possibilities. In my attempt to discover blogs by health educators specifically, i came across blogs concerning everything you might need as an educator.
Blogs are a way to put your opinions out there, to put information in the hands of others and just a way to openly communicate to whoever is willing and wanting to read. And even outside of education people write about whatever they feel like. They can use blogging as a platform or merely for an outlet. Some people just need to feel like they are heard. Today society is all about getting it all out there. Instant information=instant gratification, and blogging is definitely a tool in fulfilling today's needs.
Back to the use in education though! I found a few blogs and blog related resources that deliver links to blogs that are specifically related to your content area. I searched for a very long time, and still struggled to find any kind of blogs by or for high school health educators specifically. I'm not losing hope though, i think having this kind of communication with other teachers who are experienced in my content area would be an amazing tool and resource for the future! Keep your fingers crossed for me!
Hope these help someone out there! If you find any blogs to follow specifically for or by high school health educators definitely let me know!! :)
Blogs are a way to put your opinions out there, to put information in the hands of others and just a way to openly communicate to whoever is willing and wanting to read. And even outside of education people write about whatever they feel like. They can use blogging as a platform or merely for an outlet. Some people just need to feel like they are heard. Today society is all about getting it all out there. Instant information=instant gratification, and blogging is definitely a tool in fulfilling today's needs.
Back to the use in education though! I found a few blogs and blog related resources that deliver links to blogs that are specifically related to your content area. I searched for a very long time, and still struggled to find any kind of blogs by or for high school health educators specifically. I'm not losing hope though, i think having this kind of communication with other teachers who are experienced in my content area would be an amazing tool and resource for the future! Keep your fingers crossed for me!
Hope these help someone out there! If you find any blogs to follow specifically for or by high school health educators definitely let me know!! :)
Go Go Gadgets!
I finally figured it out and have added plenty of gadgets :) After taking inventory I compiled a list of gadgets that my blog has utilized:
- A catchy and witty blog title :)
- A fun picture of my high school girls varsity soccer team
- Separate blog pages (Home, Why Sunny?!, and I'm still working on some other ones)
- Page views tool
- A blog archive
- Top sites that i visit frequently
- My blog list
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