I have been writing this blog for just over two years now. In that time, on several occasions, I have had fellow teachers ask if I could send them the links to new sites or apps that I have ran across. I have also been asked if I could send the links to instructional pages or videos that I have either created or discovered. My answer is, “Go to my blog. It’s all there.” Then the reality of the situation is that I go to my blog, find the links, and then email them to the anxiously awaiting recipient. What makes me do this is the repeated response of, “Oh, you have blog.” This is from people that I have repeatedly given my blog address to 🙂
Though blogs have been around for years, the general populations still doesn’t see them as a valuable professional tool. For many, blogs are seen as a hobby or maybe a substitute for scrapbooks.
One of the most valuable pieces of professional development instruction for teachers is that of setting up an RSS reader for the sake of professional reading. This means that teachers would have at their fingertips a daily dose of thought focused on education. I have talked to several teachers about RSS readers, as well as principals and instructional coaches, and just about any other captive audience that will listen. The response is always been the same, something along the lines of, “That’s neat.” Needless to say, not much has come from the discussion. I am not sure, but I think that these ramblings of RSS readers has fallen on deaf ears in all cases. Honestly, I can truthfully say that I do not know another person, in the past or current schools where I work, who uses an RSS reader.
Does every0ne have to read a blog to keep up on what is current? No, not necessarily, but that is kind of like running a race and not training, or playing a basketball game and never practicing. With the technology of RSS readers and the availability of millions of blogs, every person has the opportunity to have the mind challenged and stretched on a daily basis. That is what reading blogs is all about; 0ne person conveys feelings and thoughts on a particular topic for the rest of the world to ponder and discuss. Readers allow a teacher to have a personal learning community on a global scale.
If you are reading this, then I am guessing that you already read blogs, so you already know what I am talking about. Here’s the challenge: How do we get other to see the importance of exploring global thought?
This short video might be a good place to start. It gives a good insight into the reasoning behind why a blogger does what he or she does.
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