Blogging as an Educator
I welcome you to Mrs. Stork's Learning Nest. Gather close as we nestle into my first blog. I have to be a hundred percent honest, though the idea of creating a blog is terrifying to me. I prefer to have only my professors read and judge my written material. A blog exposes me to those who read it, and I feel vulnerable to people's judgment, especially knowing I will make many mistakes. I aspire to be an avid learner, continually broadening my knowledge and venturing beyond my comfort zone. As a novice student teacher, I recognize the value of blogging to reflect on my lesson plans, classroom management, and areas of improvement or successful aspects of my teaching practice. It is also a valuable tool to share and view the expertise of other educators, connecting with teachers worldwide—an opportunity to share resources and lesson plan ideas to an ever-changing curriculum will help in my classroom success. It serves as a valuable tool for accountability and encourages me, as a new student teacher, to adapt through thoughtful reflection. Gaining insights into effective lesson ideas and classroom management tools and fostering a supportive teaching community are valuable aspects of learning from an experienced blogging teacher. Teaching is a taxing profession, both mentally and physically. The more connections you have to resources from other teachers, the more support you have to be a mindful and expert teacher. Educators need a strong community of Teachers to thrive to help our students succeed. In The Planet of Apes, Cornelius says a great quote: "Individually, we are weak, but together we are strong." We must have all the tools, resources, and connections to build and embark on a solid teaching foundation.
George Couros's blog post "4 Reasons People Don't Blog and Ideas to Help Change Their Mind" exemplifies my fears of writing a blog by giving insight into four reasons people are hesitant and why one should reconsider starting a blog. In full transparency, if not for this class and my having to write a blog, I would not have. My aha moment was when he spoke of not having time; this is my Achilles heal. I do have time if I make it a priority. Navigating a blog might seem daunting, as narrowing it down to a specific topic or niche can be challenging. For many reasons, it could be a helpful resource for teachers and novice teachers like myself. He explains to the reader why blogging is valid and how time is not the problem but a priority we must make. It has many benefits to the blogger, forcing the blogger to become a deeper thinker and learner. Another benefit is it creates an open door policy to our lives as educators as we do within the school. Every educator has valuable contributions to the education system, and our online presence will affect our learning, growth, and the students.
A blogging program could be a helpful tool for educators to embark on; as Kathleen Norris states in her blog "Ten Reasons Every Educator Should Start Blogging," the integration of literacy with technology in our teaching practice is a valuable tool we should be using in our classrooms daily—allowing the teacher to mentor students about internet safety and ICT skills and that we are all lifelong learners. Blogging also will enable an educator to get thoughtful peer feedback while reflecting on their practice and help deepen their understanding of the subject matter, helping them to become an expert teacher. It bridges the gap between school and home by having an open platform for students, parents, and teachers to all be engaged while also creating an open-door policy for your teaching practice. She states that students take particular pride when they know their work will be published on the blog and focus on the process more than the outcome when the work created is toward a genuine audience and creates a catalyst toward enhanced literacy skills. Helping shape a class identity while promoting self-improvement, and it's free.
A takeaway from Chia Suan Chong's blog, Modern English Teacher, that I received as a reflective blogger is that you will learn about your teaching methods, practices, approach, and ideas—at the same time, venturing beyond your comfort zone and engaging in discussions about unfamiliar subjects you're challenging yourself as an educator to think out of the box and demonstrate lifelong learning in your own practice. Blogging and creating blogs help you with your reflective teaching practice by making the abstract concrete. Unintentionally, you, as a blogger, will be learning new things and keeping a record benefiting your teaching practice. Blogging allows you to share and make connections while getting feedback on your ideas, creates reading material, improves your writing skills, and could help you make a career out of your writing.
#EDTS325 #lifelonglearning #teachersblog #bloggingeducators #buildingeducationcommunities
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