It’s weird but in two different conversations I had today the question came up about what it takes to get teachers to use blogs over the long term. I mean I’ve trained a lot of people on how to use Weblogs, and everyone thinks it’s really neat, but very few actually stick with it. I know that blogging takes more time at the outset, but the learning curve is definitely not steep, and it would seem a great way to organize materials and archive lesson plans at the very least.
Seems like the teachers that stick with it just get into the habit, somehow. It works for them on a level that allows them to do it 10 or 20 or 100 times until it just becomes a part of their practice. I would hate to go back to teaching without blogs…but then again, I’ve got way too much of a blogging habit to even think about doing something as silly as that…
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I believe the missing piece is weblogs by people who are popular, national leaders in teaching and learning. Nancy Atwell needs a blog.
There has to be a real purpose to blogging in order to do it over an extended period of time. Blogging to me is like email. It is something I review or post on a daily basis. I am constantly thinking to myself what my next posting could be. A teacher must blog for themselves first. Then they can apply it in their teaching.
There’s something about blogging that is addictive. It’s becomes almost as essential as breathing. I can’t imagine ever not wanting to do this. Writing on a near daily basis has been good for me. It forces me to keep sharp skills that I teach and grade. To me, that is why it’s so important for me to blog. Rehoning skills which are important to my curriculum make me a better teacher.
I am a reporter, writing a story on blogging in the classroom. Since I work for a radio station in central PA, I’m looking for somewhat localized information…but I would love to hear more from any of you to get a feel for how the technology is used. Please e-mail me!