Week One Reflection
What did you learn?
I knew a lot about blogs already, although I am generally more of a lurker than a poster. I read about 20 to 30 blogs daily, about half of them education blogs. I have had several blogs in the past. Unfortunately, they end up like the numerous diaries I had in my childhood – I would make a few entries, and then abandon them as I was distracted by other things. Here’s hoping I keep posting on this one.
How will you use what you have learned?
I hope to use this blog to communicate with other educators, students, and parents. I want to share some of my ideas with others, as a way of paying back the education community. I know that I have gotten some really great ideas in some of the education blogs I frequent.
How did you feel about this tool?
I created an edublog, because I have used blogger before and wanted to try something new. It has really powerful features, but I remember blogger as being a little easier to use.
What do you not want to forget about this tool?
I want to get into the habit of blogging regularly, because of my past failures in keeping up with my blogs. Also, I know that as a reader of blogs, if a blog is not updated regularly, I just quit checking it and end up deleting it from my bookmarks.
How can this be used in the classroom or in your educational role?
I will try to use this blog as a communication tool, as well as enforced reflection.
Should you use this in the classroom or your educational role?
It might be useful to use in the classroom, although I am not sure how I will tie it in to the (required) teacher web I already maintain.
What questions do you still have about this tool?
None.
June 19th, 2008 at 10:18 am
Hi Cara,
From comments from my site, I have learned that TeacherWeb has a blog page now. I feel that teachers already using TeacherWeb might learn to blog faster by using what is already familiar for them, and if it is required, then it might be the easiest and most time efficient way to blog. You can also add this site as a link on TeacherWeb.
Great site!
June 19th, 2008 at 7:37 pm
Loved you cat photo! It makes me miss mine.
You’re right that blogging regularly is critical. This year I set a particular day (trash day for me) to get the blog complete and published. That’s not to say that my blog is trashy
I just wake up thinking, “Tuesday, I need to put out the trash and put out my blog.”
Debby
June 20th, 2008 at 2:53 pm
Hi Cara,
Your blog is looking good. As I was reading your blog I felt myself nodding in agreement with so many of the things you said. I’ve always been horrible about keeping up with diaries, hate it when bloggers I like to read don’t update often enough, and I too have been a “lurker” for quite some time.
I think if you wanted to switch to a blog instead of a teacher web next year, that wouldn’t be a problem. There are teachers throughout the district that have chosen different websites as their means of communication with parents. As long as the communication piece is there and updated regularly, then it’s not a problem.
Happy blogging!
June 22nd, 2008 at 3:13 pm
Hi Cara,
I am so impressed that you read all of those blogs! I must say I am having a hard time myself finding some I want to subscribe to either on my RSS or even link from my blog. If you run across some that tie in to Art – tessalations, perspective, using rulers could you pass them over to me? Maybe I go google those topics? Hmmm?
And your picture of Carmela is beautiful – I love the blurry background and that gorgeous blue bowl she has curled herself into! I think that is why we have animals around – to make us laugh, because only a cat can do that!
Have a good evening,
Angie
June 23rd, 2008 at 5:20 pm
I’m glad to know someone else tends to be a “lurker” on blogs rather than an active participant in the blogosphere. I, too, have great hopes of posting more frequently on my own edublog and communicating with other teachers who I’ve learned so much from through their blogs. I really enjoyed browsing the dy/dan blog…it seems like he sparks many good debates among teachers that I’m interested in getting in on. I’m relatively new to the educational blogging world–any other favorites you have among that community? Thanks!