Whenever I bring up the topic of Blogs within a gathering of educators, the comments in response usually include the teacher who lost her job because of blogging. If you are not familiar with the story, it is one of stupidity, disrespect and irresponsibility. It had little to do with blogging. A teacher decided to start a blog and trash her students, parents and her school. It was the content of her comments that was offensive and not the fact that she used a blog post to do it. If she wrote a newspaper article, did a radio, or television interview, or stood on a soapbox on a street corner of her local community, she would still be held accountable for the thoughtless, offensive, and irresponsible comments. It is the intent of the comments which should be condemned, not the media of choice. This incident has served to stall the talks about blogging in the class for the purpose of learning. It gives a great excuse to educators who are reluctant to change a means to delay the ability of students to write authentically in the classroom.
I attended a meeting not too long ago where Higher Ed English teachers were sharing with other staff members what they do to teach writing in their classes. They had the floor for about twenty minutes and reviewed much of what they did in the area of writing. The one point that smacked me in the head throughout the entire presentation was that the words “Post” or “Blog” were never ever mentioned. I decided that day to ask English teachers, whenever I met them, if they used blogs to address writing skills. My second question to the same teachers was “Do you Blog?” Many rattled off multiple reasons why blogging can be dangerous before actually admitting “no” to both questions. Many were clear to state that they felt their job would be in jeopardy if they personally blogged.
Blogging provides a real reason for kids to write. The realization that an audience of more than one would be reading their work is a real incentive. Comments on the student blogs offers the teacher an opportunity to teach critical thinking, as we as reflective thinking skills. With a global audience syntax and grammar have a purpose that is meaningful to the student. It enables students an appreciation for blogs of others giving insights into commenting on others’ blog posts.
There are applications that will allow this to take place in a closed setting for younger children. Class blogs are also a good way to introduce blogging to elementary students. No matter what method is used it is allows students to publish. Publishing on the part of students has long been a dream of many English teachers over the decades. The idea of dealing with publishers or literary agents had always stood in the way. Those obstacles have been removed in the 21st century. There are no longer the dreaded rejection letters of the 20th century. Any student at any age can publish content. How they research, create and communicate that content is the job of the teacher. That is one of the challenges of teaching today.
Every idiot has the ability to publish a blog and everyone does. It is today’s educator’s challenge to teach students the skills needed to publish intelligently and responsibly. This does not happen in a week of lessons or a video of a “Ted Talk”. It happens after it has been taught from elementary school, reinforced in Middle school, and set free to bloom in High School. It is a process not a Unit.
A key factor in teaching is having the teacher model the skills being taught. In that fact lies the rub. Getting teachers to put themselves out there and blog is the challenge. Too many of our educators believe in “Do as I say, not as I do” teaching philosophy. We need more transparency in education. We can make that happen with more thoughtful and responsible educators blogging to the world. We are in a profession in which everyone claims expertise. Everyone has a common experience of receiving some education so they feel that they have all the answers. I am thinking of Bill Gates and Mike Bloomberg.
Blogging by the real professionals can shine a light on our profession and involve teachers in the discussion for reform. I know that, if you want to know where I stand on education and teaching, you need only to read my blog. You will have no doubts. But then again, I believe in blogging as a tool for learning; my learning. Every blogger I come in contact with feels very much the same way. We need to engage more educators and students in this endeavor. Blogging promotes learning.
Blogging is another tool for learning. If we do not take the opportunity to teach kids how to publish responsibly with intelligence, we will have more people like that teacher who trashed her kids, parents and colleagues. But, then again, she was never taught about blogging thoughtfully, respectfully, intelligently. We should be encouraging teachers to blog and not threatening their jobs if they do.We should be supporting teachers to engage students in blogging. Your choice is To Blog or not to Blog? That is the question.
As always comments welcomed.
Thanks for the vote of confidence for responsible blogging. I learn so much from educators’ blogs. I really enjoy my students’ blogs too — they blog on our closed NING social network.
Today, we watched this great video created by third graders about responsible blogging. My fourth graders were inspired. Here’s the link: http://mjgds.org/classrooms/3rdgrade/2011/02/10/quality-commenting-video/#comment-1065
Thanks for all you’re doing for educators and students. I appreciate it.
Tom, great post! One of the primary reasons I founded edweb.net was to give educators experience using blogs and other collaborative tools so they would begin to see the value of incorporating these tools into the classroom. Lisa
I love reading educator blogs. They inspire me. They give me ideas. They cause me to think critically about how and what and why I teach.
I have had a number of blogs over the years, but recently I began blogging about education. It is so valuable. When I blog, I reflect on my practices, I share resources, and I put myself out there to have people challenge my beliefs. I grow as an educator.
I really enjoyed this post, especially the point you made about starting students blogging when they are young and modeling and reinforcing skills as they progress through school. I agree also that we can’t blame tools for being misused.
I started my own blog on teaching almost five years ago and have been able to share and receive lots of great teaching tips!
This fall I plan to have my students do their own blogs so am looking for ways to structure, grade, etc.
Hi Tom,
I really enjoyed this post on blogging. I have been thinking about why I blog lately and why others do not. I believe that many people see blogging in a negative light. Moreover, the recent incident, as you note above, of the teacher writing irresponsibly about her job has not helped matters.
Teachers have to fight their fear of blogging. Seth Godin calls this fear “The Resistance.” We have to fight our “lizard brain” to move away from doing what is safe and take a risk. We should take that risk and make great things happen. Of course I do not see blogging as a risk; I see it as a necessity!
Hi Tom:
Great to see the “blogging meta-cognition” happening tonight by you and Brian Barry.
Blogging has become for me in the past two years a huge part of who I am– I have come to see myself as an educational blogger first, and a school-head second. It is by my blogging I first develop my vision as an ongoing, iterative way, and then second articulate it; it is then to my school I lead that I bring that developed (developing) and articulated vision.
It is an amazing way to learn, and via my understanding of the growth mindset, if we are not open to new learning we are like sharks, drowning when we stop swimming.
I love your point about blogging as modeling: if we seek to teach 21st century skills, we ought to model them; if we seek to teach writing and communication, we ought to model these.
I do want to add– though– that transparency, while always the right thing, is not always the easy thing. Being public with your thoughts does put you up on a stage to be talked about and criticized, and sometimes, even be attacked on your own page. Now I believe passionately in free speech and open discourse– but it is hard, hard to be criticized, hard to be attacked. Be bold, take risks, and accept what comes with being a visionary leader.
Thanks Tom.
Jonathan (great to meet you, briefly, at the end of the Connected Principals session at educon).
Enjoyed this post Tom and agree with the importance of actually blogging. I think that without actually writing and sustaining a blog, it would be difficult to understand the motivation of audience. I was thrilled that last Friday and this Friday two hgh school teachers where I work wrote posts that were featured on my blog. It was especially exciting for Kelly (today’s post) when her post was picked up and featured in a Daily. When I was a college professor, I did not blog. I wrote for publication, and for the most part only published in juried journals as I worked my way through tenure. I regret that now as I know I would not only value blogs but also incorporate them within the contexts of the course I taught. I wish I could say “Do Over” and go back and correct that. In lieu of that I am recommending blogging and other Web 2.0 experiences as I respond to dissertation proposals during this week and next. Thanks for helping me to think this through:)
I 100% agree that kids should learn how to do things using technology, and that includes blogging. For my own classroom we have a website that I update for parents. It’s not a blog persay, but I use Shutterfly’s free website builder every year. The parents in my class love it and I get to share pictures and information through it. My kids aren’t old enough to be blogging on their own, but I definitely see the benefits of it in their future.
I agree with the previous comments made. Blogs are a great way to continue learning and very often are inspirational. I do have a classroom blog through which I teach students about privacy, netiquette and audience. Also, I have a professional blog but I am a reluctant blogger and I doubt I am alone. Things hold me back but not privacy or saying the things that would get me in trouble – I think I know better than the teacher mentioned in your post. Putting yourself out there is not easy and this is what holds me back the most. It takes some confidence and some strategies. I found that after reading Jeff Utecht’s “Reach: Building Communities and Networks for Professional Development” I began using some of his suggestions. A post about how to put yourself out there would be helpful to those like me. I also, think that blogging takes time and lots of thought (well, for me at least) – a hard to do when you are a mom, teacher and caretaker of elderly family members. But, I am trying and I do post to my blog occasionally, because it does make me think about why I do the things I do in my class room.
Tom
Great post! You mentioned many of the reasons I recently started blogging. I felt it was necessary to help my students learn how to blog as a way for them to write for an authentic audience, a way for them to reflect on their learning, and as a way to introduce them to PLNs.
In order for me to introduce my students to blogging, I decided to start my own blog. I’m actually a fairly private person. I, like many others, was very reluctant to make public my reflections. I still force myself to comment on other’s blogs but realize that I must do this to participate in the real conversation about education and education reform.
I’m oddly starting to feel more comfortable putting myself out there to complete strangers but not so comfortable announcing my online presence to those I work with. Word will eventually get out in my local PLN as I ask others to read what I’ve published. I hope I’m ready.
In the few weeks that I’ve been making serious strides to reflect on my teaching and learning via. a blog, I think I’ve learned a great deal from you and others. I hope I can also help my students become comfortable with and realize the value of blogging.
Reluctanly I press the “Post Comment” button.
I don’t often reply to comments to my posts, but I feel the need for your comment. You have a great deal to offer as an educator.NEVER hesitate to offer your professional opinion. You are working day to day with children. You have been educated as to methods and Pedagogy. You are an expert in education with experience. Never doubt your expertise. You know more about education than Bill Gates or his wife. Blog with confidence, but be reflective and flexible. That is what being an educator is about, Relevance. We need to change to give kids what they need for their world. Our time is now passing us by, while our students’ time is soon approaching.
It’s interesting that you say this… there are a lot of people out there blogging that claim to be experts (many of whom are now quite well known) but who don’t have half as much training and experience as the average teacher has in their field.
I’m a corporate trainer in Sydney Australia and i’ve been doing it for a number of years and you’d be amazed at the number of people that come up to me and say that they wouldn’t mind having a go at training as it looks pretty easy. I generally just smile and nod and give them some websites to look at.
My point being, as an educator you have far more knowledge and experience in your field than 90% of the population and shouldn’t be afraid to stand up and give your opinion.
Chances are your opinion is worth a lot more than you think.
I totally agree with you. I am in the process of teaching my students how to publish responsibly. I teach 3-8th grade gifted children. They love to share their thoughts to a real audience. Great post! Also thanks for the encouragement to blog. I believe teachers should blog. …responsibly.
Awesome post! I don’t think people have made the connection that the reason that kids sometimes get into trouble with their online presence is because we block facebook,twitter, blogs etc. from the classroom. The kids need to learn by doing and having someone helping them think about what they are putting online is far better than pretending theonline doesn’t exist.
Hi Tom,
Thanks for a great post. I don’t really have anything to add, except to say that I agree with everything you and the commenters have said. We should all lead by example, showing how the web can be a tool for sharing and support.
Sandy
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Hi Tom,
Really wonderful post! I took that risk and started my blog just over two years ago to learn about Web 2. http://ninadavis.wordpress.com/
When I started I had no skills. Since starting my blog I have learnt a new language, improved my writing skills, became a reflective practitioner, host and moderate a ‘ning’ and collaborate, connect and learn from others locally, across Australia and globally. I’ve made
http://instructionalroundsineducation.ning.com/
Thanks for writing this post.
Cheers Nina
Great post, Tom. I gave a workshop on blogging last week- I would have had them all read this if you wrote it before our workshop.
The idea of publishing (writing for the public) changes how we teach writing in a major way.
I also agree with the idea of a blog as a sort of “thought advertising” for our profession. Gives people a window into the current state of classrooms.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts in this– good stuff.
Hi,
I started blogging as a way of processing my professional thinking, of teasing out a reaction to issues, concepts and developments. I have been out of the classroom for 6 years, and need a platform for dialogue, for “getting back on to the horse.” I just applied for some work again as a teacher, and as I did, I decided to include my blog address with a link to my thoughts on CPD. I am now so glad that I didn’t leave my reflections in the dark, and it enabled me to find bloggers and tweeters who are at the forefront of educational development.
I am an English teacher, and I was thinking about blogging as an exciting writing platform for the reason you mention above: have an authentic audience. It is also the new analytical essay.
I wondered how I might change my blogging once I started teaching again, but I think I will keep going in the vein and tone that I started with. I want to be transparent, and to model what I teach.
So thanks for synthesizing my thoughts into a coherant blog post.
Dear Tom
I agree with your post in many ways: good writing doesn’t just appear. You have to have thoughtful prompts (one that ask kids to engage with something), you have to help them think through what they might say on the topic before they start writing, and you have to practice, give feedback and practice more.
I’ve been working on this all year with some of my science students. We’ve just started getting some pretty good results. Come and see what you think as you read highlights on their writing. Or even a more traditional kind of writing prompt in our social studies class with three straight ahead kinds of questions to answer as a commenter or where they linked back to their own blog’s answer.
I think this is something that’s very important….I’m not a language arts teacher. I teach science and social studies and have been trying to figure out how to incorporate all this into my courses. It’s hard. No doubt about it. But the improvements I’ve seen in the 6th graders level of writing expertise is rewarding…their engagement has soared and we’ve learned so much more than I initially hoped to learn.
marsha
Tom,
Loved this post. Although I mainly blog about marketing and social media for schools, I firmly believe in the value of blogging as an educational tool. I’ve found my own writing improving the more and more I post. I’m forced to be concise, clear, and persuasive in a limited amount of words.
I do understand the apprehension felt by faculty surrounding blogging but couldn’t we suggest they write about passions and activities outside of school? I feel that would be a win-win because faculty could write about non-school issues and students/colleagues could learn more about the teachers interests outside of school.
Thanks for your thoughts and look forward to your next post.
-Brendan
Kudos to you- I agree 100%. The media shouldn’t be attacked because the author is being irresponsible. I was intrigued and went to the blog in question last week when I read about her. I was offended by the content and the language. It didn’t convey professionalism. As educators we are put on a certain level and we should show that professionalism throughout our life, in all aspects. It doesn’t mean that we can’t express our beliefs and opinions, it just means we need to be respectful as we do it.
I choose to blog, I learn through my blogging, I express opinions through my blogging, but I am always respectful in my blogging as well as all the other avenues I use to express myself.
I blog, you blog, we should all blog!
I really liked this blog, and agreed with the main point. Blogging can be used as another way for both students and teachers to learn. As far as the comment of “do as I say, not as I do,” mentality that teachers can at times encompass, that is a valid point. Though it has been several years ago, when I was in high school everything had a “set” way because “that’s how the system was set up.” This to me hampered the ability and creativity of students’ potential. Fortunately, I am currently in a college class where I have an instructor who has made it a requirement to not only blog, but follow blogs from others both within the class and outside, in a ability to further our education and understanding of class material. This has been one of the most enjoyable classes that I have taken in my college career (and being a Ph.D. student I have had several dozen courses to compare this to). Again I really enjoyed this blog!!!
I recently stumbled across a to-do list I’d written a few years back in a school teacher pile I’d most likely hidden one weekend when attempting to clean up my school stuff at home. On that list was – start a teacher blog. I had to laugh out loud because now, reading and writing teacher blogs is a natural part of my life. I’m hoping I soon see the same progression into normalcy for my students blogging. I am an elementary teacher and have had a classroom blog for awhile on wordpress.com where I write a post and students comment. Not ideal, but a good start. Just a few weeks ago I create KidBlogs for each student. I can’t wait to start using them with my students…and creating that authentic audience for my students. Although I love to write posts, it’s the connection with readers and the thrill of a comment arriving on a post that is really exciting… a great experience for students to also have.
I love using the tool of blogging in my third grade classroom … as a writing tool, and as a way to gain information from others. I can tell my students to use capitol letters and punctuation until I’m blue in the face but there’s something powerful about saying I won’t publish their blog until they go back in and fix these things. Great article, many good points. The big question is…why such resistance??? Why do teachers not see that what they do in the classroom is to prepare students to be successful in life? Many of their writing skills will be seen and judged by others online…not on paper! That part is frustrating to me, and a disservice to the students.
Thank you Tom for your wonderful answer to the question “Why blog with students?” I recently had to defend my decision to have our third grad students blog. No one was upset per se, but wondered why we had to be introducing “social media” to such young students. The rationale I provided was very similar to yours. I will be bookmarking this post for the next (inevitable) time I am asked about blogging with elementary age students.
When I first started to blog I did not have a clear purpose. Now my goal is to share tips for teachers wanting to use technology in the classroom. I was just discussing blogging with the Media Specialist at the school where I teach. After attending the TCEA conference this year she now wants to create a website where the kids can blog about books they have read. It is good for educators that do blog to share their experience and strategies.
My students blog and I blog. They love it because they get comments from all over the country. They are able to write at home or in school. I give then prompts, and they have the option to write about anything they choose.
Writing and teaching are my passion, so I combine them by blogging.I did have a page that was titled, “Makes Me Wonder,”where I posted about things parents said to me. I deleted the page, not because I said anything I said was offensive, but I realized it could be construed as offensive.
Brilliant! I am a strong advocate of getting kids to put their writing up for everyone to read, regardless of the content. It gives them somthing to be proud of and it’s an easy way for them to engage their parents in their learning.
I love blogs and blogging and I’ve been doing it for years. It should be acknowledged as a form of communication and taught in the same way that letter, report or CV writing is taught.
Aren’t blogs just another way of “talking the talk”? Sure, teachers can blog, but when it comes down to it, it’s still more of “do as I say”. I write a blog, ergo, my students should too. There are SO many blogs out there, is this just another voice in the cacophany? You also raise the point of publishers and literary agents… now we have… the public, who, in reality can be much more cruel than a simple rejection slip. Think “Trolls Among Us”, think cyberstalking, just think. You do state “publishing responsibly”, but it’s one sentence (actually, a clause) amongst many. This deserves more emphasis.
It’s not that I don’t advocate the use of blogs, but I think we need to be careful, as with all our pedagogical choices. It’s one tool amongst many.
I really got the impression that you have an issue with English teachers (and no, I’m not one!). So, some don’t blog. And some may be frustrated authors. But some do, and some aren’t. Making generalisations like this really isn’t helpful.
Also, why the picking on “her” as the blogger – I know of several male teachers undone by blogging… Couldn’t you go gender neutral to show a little less bias?
So, sorry, but I’m not convinced. Blogging serves some purpose(s), but you seem to have invented another purpose altogether, and not one that I’m confortable with.
And next time, quote from some other play… Here’s one for you: “O, it is excellent to have a giant’s strength; but it is tyrannous to use it like a giant.”
You have so much influence… use it wisely…
Tom: This is such an interesting (and highly re-tweeted post) because it seems to capture the complex prism of American public education at this moment. We at The VIVA Project http://www.vivateachers.org are all about dialogue, complexity and teacher-driven solutions to education. I loved your point that: “We are in a profession in which everyone claims expertise. Everyone has a common experience of receiving some education so they feel that they have all the answers. ” And I respect your conclusion that we need more transparency in education. It’s a wise and brave point, and one I think it lost so often in the blame game we call public policy for education.
Our highest priority should be to use all means possible to understand what works in the classroom for teachers and students and what each of the “interested parties” can do to support that success. We need a 360 degree frame of support around the classroom. This means using technology, like blogging, to teach and to foster professional exchange. It also means stopping to ask what classroom teachers think about big picture policy and actually using their ideas to shaping our priorities. We at VIVA are committed to using technology in new ways to connect teachers as professionals and give them an opportunity to share their perspectives with the highest level policy makers in state capitols and our nation’s capitol. I hope you will join us!
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