Second Blog of all time (for me)

It took me about a week to finally write a blog. For some reason, it was scary for me. To think that I am publishing something that can (theoretically) be viewed by anyone is daunting. I kept making excuses why I could not write it. But here's my second attempt in two days. (I finally published a paragraph last night.)

I've found some blogs to be extremely helpful, some just a waste of time. I am totally overwhelmed by the amount of information available, and I know I must figure out a way to just attract those blogs that I will find helpful. Once I can narrow my search to a few helpful sites, I think I can be hooked. I'm still a little leery of publishing globally, however. I suspect I will do a lot of reading before I respond to someone else's blog.

I will use blogs with my students--my "students" are the teachers who teach in my high school. I want to show them how to blog so they can show their students. Currently I'm seeking a book for English teachers, and I'm going to set up a book study online through blogging. I'll map out the text, ask questions, and respond to participants online. My goal is to help them (and me) get comfortable with blogging so that they can then help their students set up blogs as well. I'm looking for a book that is interesting to English teachers in particular to discuss best practices. In terms of one of the NETS-T standards, I think this goal applies to standard 1a: "Promote, support, and model creative and innovatie thinking and inventiveness."

For me personally, the biggest hurdle is getting comfortable publishing to so many--even if it is theoretical. For teachers, I think I will need to help them feel comfortable with keeping students safe--and there are safeguards and strategies we can use to make sure students use blogs responsibly. For example, limiting respondees to just people the blogger identifies. Setting up the blog so that an adult can preview responses before they get published publicly is also an important consideration.

Another goal I have is to establish a blog wherein students can review books online. They read a book from our high school library and submit an informal review of it for others. Would they recommend "X" book? Why or why not? sort of thing. Others could respond and a dialogue about literature could begin. In looking over the NETS-S, I believe this applies to 1a and b: "apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products or processes" and "identify trends and forecast possibilities."

The idea of blogging fascinates me: I'll get people (both teachers and students) to think critically using innovative technology. It gives a fresh spin to bookclubs, and it's much more convenient and accessible.