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A Tech Teacher on a Mission

Blogging With Intention: What To Consider When Starting An Educational Blog

8/26/2013

 
The educational realm of the Internet: A place where sharing is encouraged, but for the newbie, the audience can be perceived as a pack of hungry wolves idly waiting to tear your ideas apart...
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If this is your thinking as someone new to educational blogging, tweeting, or sharing of information, I want to stop you dead in your tracks.  There is certainly a scary notion to sharing your ideas on the Internet, particularly through the forum of blogging, where what you share can be accessed and criticized at any moment.  At least a tweet disappears down a feed and is less and less likely to be accessed again after some time has passed.  I would argue that easy access and susceptibility to criticism is the #1 reason that the "newbies" and "lurkers" don't share their work in passion areas in a blog format.  While that reason is certainly valid, I have several reasons to counter that thought.


Who Are You Blogging For? 

Blogging should first and foremost be of value to the sharer.  My personal mission with blogging is to better develop my educational ideas so that I can better educate my students.  When I began writing my blog posts, I found that my motivation to make my ideas "airtight" increased - to rethink all possible angles, to craft my ideas and transform them from something good into something great. My ideas became more than a simple thought that floated through my mind just as I was about to fall asleep; they became strategized published works and they developed further than I could have imagined some of them developing.  Reflective processes are greatly strengthened as a result of sharing because you anticipate the criticism before it even comes.  It should be considered that you are very likely impacting and helping others through the sharing of your ideas, but it should not be your primary focus.  While it's great to help others as a result of your blog, you should be helping yourself first! 

Why Are You Blogging?

Blogging helped me to become more purposeful with what I wanted to share.  I blogged with intent.  I blogged because I wanted to reflect on something, not because I hadn't posted that day, that week, or whatever.  One of my colleagues made a comment this summer on "feeling guilty" because they hadn't posted in awhile.  In my mind, if you have to force out a post, you are posting for the wrong reasons.  When you begin to blog, you need to make sure that your purpose for posting outweighs your obligation to attend to it.  It should help to propel your educational practice, not stress you out. 

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I Don't Have the Gift of the Written Word!

What if I don't have the ability to "box up ideas" and tie a bow on them? Guess what?  That ability doesn't develop overnight.  Worse yet, what if I don't have any ideas?!  Relax!  The best writers in the world didn't learn their craft by opening up a webpage, slapping random ideas onto it, and clicking "publish."  They brainstormed.  They dreamed.  They wrote.  They re-wrote. They threw it out.  And then they started again.  Even as I write this very post, I'm keeping notes for myself at the bottom of the text box of what I need to accomplish in this post and things I've cut out because they just don't fit.  Some of those cuts have even given me ideas for future posts.  As an added bonus, blogging has helped to further develop my writing abilities and to forge my own personal style .  As you, too, continue to practice that craft, you, too, will become better at it. 


What Are People Going To Say About It?

Of course, we have to touch on criticism.  Criticism is a tricky concept to address because everyone takes it differently. Personally, I've always been the person who has focused on the single piece of negative feedback swimming in the greater sea of positive feedback.  I'm finding that there are a ton of people like me who practice that bad habit.  However, something that Dave Burgess, author of Teach Like A Pirate, writes about criticism rings mighty true in my ears: 

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Through blogging, I've learned to take criticism as an opportunity to better myself.  Instead of viewing it simply as criticism, I view it as constructive criticism.  If a person is taking the time to pick apart my idea, then it is in my best interests to explore why that is occurring.  Perhaps there is an avenue I hadn't considered?  Or perhaps the context of the idea is not well-communicated through my writing style?  I always try to spin that commentary into a positive question that will help me learn how to better develop and communicate my ideas.  Educators are not meant to be islands; let the criticism of others remind you that you can be better tomorrow than you were today. 

The last thing on this topic: there typically isn't that much criticism to be had in the blogosphere.  As mentioned earlier, the tendency to focus on the negative that might happen is what instigates the fear to post in the first place.  The truth is this: the online educational world is FULL of positive and amazingly supportive individuals who will undoubtedly extend that same courtesy to you.  Feel comfort in knowing that they're anything but the "hungry pack of wolves" that I alluded to at the beginning of this post. 


How Do I Start?

That answer is simple: Pick a blogging tool and GO!!!  

I use Weebly because I love the drag and drop interface (very easy for beginner bloggers), but there is also Blogger, Edublogs, Wordpress, Tumblr... I'm sure the list goes on.  Pick one that fits with your tech abilities and/or workflow.  Once you have it set up, draft a bunch of different working titles based on your ideas and topics of interest.  I usually have 5-6 saved drafts going at one time and I'll add pieces to them here and there as I see fit.  Honestly, though, most of the time I just get an idea and complete the post in the same day.  It really helps me sort out the weaker topics that I come up with and builds relevance for my day-to-day observations of my world or areas I need to build upon for my teaching practice. 
 

It is my hope that this post can inspire new bloggers to take the plunge and start sharing their innovative ideas.  I invite all of my readers, whether new to blogging or a seasoned blogger, to continue this conversation and share feedback with me by leaving a comment below.  Thanks for reading!

- Victoria


Tom Whitford link
8/27/2013 06:33:47 am

Thanks for putting this out there Victoria. I was thinking of the same kind of post. We need to get far more people blogging and I do think the biggest obstacle is the fear associated with it. It was for me. I started off private blogging for myself, but when I noticed there was nothing worth hiding and some of my ideas may help folks, I decided to open it up. But what I have really noticed, it has helped me. I have become more reflective, a slightly better writer, and I definitely have my own style....and some people like it. Mostly it has helped me become a more reflective leader and it has connected me with some amazing educators. Like you! Great post!

Victoria Olson link
8/27/2013 04:06:06 pm

Tom, thank you for your comments and kind words. I believe that through sharing and collaboration, I have transformed my professional perspective and my eyes are opened to a brand new world. I'm glad you chose to bring your ideas to an open forum. You have much to add to the conversation and you are one of those who has a gift of "boxing it up and slapping a bow on it." Thank you again - I am glad you enjoyed my post.

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2/2/2014 06:21:40 pm

I couldn't agree more, Victoria is doing an amazing job!

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Meg King-Abraham link
8/27/2013 07:02:51 am

I appreciate your insight into the purposes of blogging. My fear lately has been that my blog is not useful to anyone. Now that I can shift paradigms, I can simply be selfish and blog for myself! Thanks!

Victoria Olson link
8/27/2013 04:04:02 pm

Thanks Meg! I'm so happy that you have found that message through my post. Be sure to share your posts in the future - our greatest vehicle for professional learning is each other.

Mark link
8/27/2013 09:18:05 am

Great advice! It is scary to start, but like anything, with practice comes ease.

Thanks for sharing!

Victoria Olson link
8/27/2013 04:02:34 pm

Thanks for reading and commenting, Mark! Your kind words are appreciated.

Sarah link
8/27/2013 10:06:16 pm

Great post. I am only just joining the blogging world and have been looking for insight and advice. I am trying to create a learning space for myself and students, and am taking baby steps...

Victoria Olson
8/28/2013 12:35:15 am

Thanks for your comment, Sarah! It is my hope that you find the courage to share it as a result of this post. My site is still very far from being completed (I plan to fill out the gaps this school year), but as always, some things get prioritized over others. Find the one area in which you want to share that's most important to you and do that first. Your site is like decorating a new home - you can add things as you go! :)

Jason Gilmore link
8/29/2013 03:00:20 pm

Soon. Very soon. I can't wait to read Teach like a Pirate. I read Flip Your Classroom and it has changed my attitude. You're right. Blogging is an attitude, not a task. Like meditation of exercise, It just becomes routine maintenance for mind/ spirit growth. Thanks for the right mindset to get set to mind my blog.

Victoria Olson
8/30/2013 01:14:28 pm

Thank you, Jason! Be sure to let us know when you take the plunge :)

Eva
9/1/2013 09:14:35 am

Thank you Victoria for posting this! I am a blogging beginner (still) and have to remind myself of the things you mentioned. I am not a natural writing, but blogging forces me to get better for sure!

Victoria Olson
9/1/2013 12:12:24 pm

Thanks for reading and commenting, Eva! Recognizing your strengths is important when you begin. Take time to edit and revise more often if you feel you need to work on your writing. Some of my posts take hours, while others may take minutes. Work at your own pace and feel confident in knowing you're professionally growing through this forum. :)

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Wow! Thank you for such an amazing compliment! :)

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Victoria Olson link
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Hi, thanks for commenting! I use Weebly because it is very simple to use with a drag & drop element interface. However, a lot of people choose sites like Wordpress because they can customize their page more. It honestly depends on your needs and what your site is being built for. Do a quick Google search comparing the platforms so that you can shop for your needs.

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    Victoria Olson
    A curious and passionate educator in Langley, BC

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