I'd love to argue that blogging is not a relevant tool for sharing information, gathering data or bringing professionals together, but I know better. I am a blogger, plain and simple. I have been blogging since 2007 in regards to Travel. Initially, I started blogging as a creative way to fulfill my grant recipient obligation with Fund For Teachers. http://www.teamartforlife.blogspot.com/ I enjoy writing and this was a fun way for me to share my (mis)adventures with family, friends, colleagues and even Fund For Teachers, while also creating a digital journal of my amazing experience. Naturally, when I decided to take high school students on a trip abroad, I knew from my own personal experience, that a blog would serve the same purpose as my Fund For Teachers blog. Thus, the creation of http://www.mhsarttoparis.blogspot.com/ After utilizing this blog in regards to international travel in situations where I was "in charge" of other people and thus had to streamline information while also reassuring family members at home that we were alive and well and on schedule, I knew that when I started taking adult tours abroad, that this would now be a part of the routine. http://www.seeitaly2010.blogspot.com/ I have recently decided to utilize this very comfortable, easy and FREE resource to assist me with my hobby dog breeding business. http://www.doxieeelicious.blogspot.com/ (still under construction).
What does all of this have to do with utilizing blogs as an educational leader? Easy. Information sharing is no longer acceptable in antiquated forms. Antiquated modes of communication is no longer effective and will cause leaders to lose respect from others, for being technologically dated in a setting in which we have expectations of those we serve to utlize current forms of technology. Of course, electronic sharing of information cannot substitute the necessity for face to face or phone communication, when sharing more personal or small bits of information. But with 1000's of emails being shared per year amongst educators, on one campus alone, the necessity to streamline information is growing rapidly. Utilizing various blogs for differnet initiatives, groups, subgroups, etc. is clearly a smart choice, especially with the ease and capability of technology specialists on campuses to design an easy way to store and share these various blogs. I have shown just a few ways above, how I have used blogs for different personal circumstances. The common goal of each blog is the effort to streamline information so that it is a useful tool and is frequented by others. So in answering the question "To blog? or not to blog...." as an educational leader? Absolutely!
Nice blog - love the layout - I was just playing with mine trying to figure everything out. I had a poll on mine as well, but after seeing your page, now I need to figure out how to seperate it better. Thanks for the ideas.
ReplyDeleteGlad you liked it Michele. Good luck figuring it all out. These are fun to me but I teach dual credit visual arts courses so to me, this is just a fun graphic design problem to solve. There are limits here though, so don't be afraid to acknowledge the handicaps already in place.
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