Blogs Blog - AET 562 -
Social Media for Professional Learning
This is my week 3 assignment for my Social Media For Professional Learning.
It's about blogs.
A blog is a "web
log" - an online site where people can write regularly about any subject
that might interest them. As the name says it, it's a log - therefore a
series of entries, displayed in chronological order, with the most recent one
being on top.
Over time, blog topics have diverged so much, one can find almost anything on
any given subject. One great thing about them is that they are user generated
content. When the users are professional bloggers they can be a valuable source
of expert opinions in their field of operations, therefore they are an
invaluable source of teaching and learning. (Nussbaum-Beach & Hall, 2012).
Blogs allow for replies from other readers, therefore it is a participatory
tool that allows for feedback and input. The conversations go back and forth
much like it was happening with mail correspondence in the past. Just like mail
correspondence, blogs are asynchronous and this is one of its disadvantages.
There are however, advantages to using blogs - for one, they are easy to setup.
One doesn't need to have too much technical knowledge to start a blog.
There are many blog providers on the web that provide a platform for free or
for a fee. For example, Google Blogs, Blogger (the one you are reading on),
Tumblr offer free services. Wordpress offers their service for a fee.
Originally, blogs allowed only for written material. Now they allow the
incorporation of links, pictures and videos. This exponentially increases their
value. In the education field, especially, these are very useful educational
tools, because the pictures can be graphs and charts, the videos can be
lectures and discussions, and so on. The platforms allow for setting up closed
groups, so teachers can set up class blogs, where only the members of one class
can have access. Learners can post their assignments on the class blog - just
as I am doing, as I write this.
So, one can see the
versatility of the blogging system.
By
carefully labeling your blog, you can attract the desired audience. For
example, in the field of adult education, one could write a blog title that
might sounds like that: "Dealing with online adult learners - what
frustrates me and what enchants me". Or: "Help! I need a peer
reviewed article about plagiarism protection in the web 2.0 era". Or: "How
do I handle last minute homework submissions"
The idea is to use catchy
titles. It's like advertising. The more imagination in the presentation, the
more you will attract responses which, in fact, are others' valuable opinions.
Below I will present five
examples of blogs taken from the education field:
1. Successful Teaching
Fig.1. Screen shot of “Successful Teaching” blog site,
retrieved February 25, 2018 from http://successfulteaching.blogspot.com/
This blog
is set up by Pat Hensley. She started it in September 2007 and the most recent
one is from February 23, 2018. It has a nice, subdued, visual presentation. A
picture of a desk with some pencils and some composition notebooks is on the
main page, on top of a neutral background. The writing pages are of a mild
ochre color, very pleasant and easy on the eye. This is a smart choice since
staring at a white computer background for a long time can be visually tiring.
Her blog
site has over 1.8 million viewers. A very interesting feature, I didn't know
about, until I saw this site, is a "cluster map" posted on her site.
It shows where all her viewers come from across the globe. And, indeed, her
blog is followed by people from virtually any continent.
Her home
page displays her extensive resume and all the education awards she received
over time. The page is sectioned vertically, with a narrow left side, where she
displays all kind of links: to older blogs, to pages she likes or recommends -
like for example - free lessons, or TED videos, or Math help, etc. Also a list
of her favorite educational sites, she visits for resources, can be also be
found there. A subscription button and the license under which she operates are
also seen.
On the
right, wide, part are the blogs. They may incorporate pictures and videos, or
are just written entries. The topic of her blogs, while covering a wide range
of subjects, they are all under the same umbrella of educational purposes.
Whether it's about a lesson plan, or how students navigate a school day, she
starts a discussion and then the conversation ensues.
Some specific examples of subjects
she blogs about: criticism, disagreement, getting the administration on board,
setting up expectations in the classroom, etc. Some of the websites she visits:
"Cool Cat Teacher", "Special Education Law Blog",
"Teaching challenges".
Her site is
geared mostly toward lower and middle education but some of the topics can be
used for adult education purposes. Her awards shows that she has a good
reputation in the education world. I believe this is the result of not only her
achievement as a teacher, but also of the way she presents online professional
persona. The content of one's blogs and the subjects are very important to
achieve this status.
2. The
rapid e-learning blog
Fig.2.
Screenshot of “The rapid E-Learning blog” site, retrieved February 25, 2018
from http://blogs.articulate.com/rapid-elearning/
This blog is hosted by Tom Kuhlmann, a seasoned educator with over 20 years of
experience in the e-learning. The page looks professional, and just like the
previously described blog page, the home page has as a header a cartoon picture
that shows a man sitting at a desk, in front of a computer - it gives the
impression he is blogging as we watch him. Behind him is a window that suggests
he is in Seattle. The background of the rest is white, and, this time, the
links, search box, and about button are all on the right side of the screen.
The blogs are on the left side, and each blog is separated by a continuous
line. Each blog has a picture, and on the right upper corner of the picture,
there is a pretty visible box which shows, in a big fonts, the number of
comments for the specific post.
The
"About" statement says "
Fig.3.
Screenshot of “Apple Education” blog site, retrieved February 25, 2018 from https://twitter.com/AppleEDU
The
Importance of Training the Adult Educator
Fig.
4. Screenshot of “Edmentum. The Importance of Training the Adult Educator”
retrieved February 25, 2018, from http://blog.edmentum.com/importance-training-adult-educator
This blog is, as the name says it, for
adult educators. It's hosted by edmentum.com, an education site that
specializes in education technology. The blogging page looks more like a
website. In the bottom of the page, they provide a space to subscribe to the
blog of the person who's page you are on. The background is simple white, with
black lettering. only the edmentum logo is rainbow colored, which, to me
signifies their diversity.
Fig.5.
Screenshot of the “Connected Teaching and Learning” blog site, retrieved February
25, 2018, from https://annmichaelsen.com/
I really like this blog
site. I like the simplicity of it. It's very well organized, and to the point.
I think I will use it as an example, should I ever decide to start a blog page
of my own.
Conclusion:
I found this assignment to
be quite cumbersome. Not because I had to summerize a few blog sites, but
because I was not sure which blogs to choose. The search took way too long.
Although I entered key words like "adult" + "education" +
"blog" the search engine would take me to unrelated sites. A lot of
advertising. My general impression is that, on the web, many advertisers try to
get in your face by directing searches to their sites when you enter specific
key words. Even if you go down the page, you still have a hard time finding
exactly what you look for.
I have to say, using the
very popular platforms as a way to connect to people with same interests, and
after that going to their blog sites, or them coming to yours, is a better way
of staying connected with people that will provide you or help you find
relevant material.
References
Nussbaum-Beach, S., & Hall, L. R. (2012). The
connected educator: Learning and leading in the
digital age. Retrieved from
The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database.
Kelly, R. (2016, December 14). Blogs: An Asynchronous
Learning Trend - Faculty Focus | Higher Ed Teaching & Learning. Retrieved
from
https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-with-technology-articles/blogs-an-asynchronous-learning-trend/
Knapp, J. (2017, December 27). How To Start a Blog in
2018 - Easy to Follow Guide for Beginners. Retrieved from
https://www.bloggingbasics101.com/how-do-i-start-a-blog/
Patel, N. (2013, April 4). 11 Things I Wish I Knew
Before I Started My First Blog. Retrieved from
https://www.quicksprout.com/2013/04/04/11-things-i-wish-i-knew-before-i-started-my-first-blog/
Hensley, P.
(2018, February 23). Successful Teaching. Retrieved from: http://successfulteaching.blogspot.com/
Kuhlmann, T. (2018, February 20). The Rapid E-Learning
Blog | Practical, real-world tips for e-learning success. Retrieved from
http://blogs.articulate.com/rapid-elearning/
N/A. (n.d.). Apple Education (@AppleEDU) | Twitter.
Retrieved from https://twitter.com/AppleEDU
N/A. (n.d.). The Importance of Training the Adult Educator.
Retrieved from http://blog.edmentum.com/importance-training-adult-educator
Michaelsen, A. (n.d.). Connected Teaching and Learning.
Retrieved from https://annmichaelsen.com/
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