Comments on: Meet them at the door

By: Clay Burell

Clay Burell — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 09:09:24 +0000

hm. the comment i left two days ago isn’t here. i’ll try again:

1. I don’t know where I stand in the grand edublogging heirarchy, but do know that I blogged for a good six months before feeling like anybody noticed. Now I do feel at least heard, and also gain from comments that help me think and do, so that persistence did pay off.

2. I also blog as much to reflect and think and envision for myself, as much as anything else. In that sense, readership doesn’t much matter.

3. This may be wrong, but do I perceive an assumption that recognition by some “elite” or “established” bloggers is necessary for any newer blogger to be effective (however we define that)? If so, I’d suggest barking up a different tree. Network and create noteworthy things with other newer bloggers, and let the aristocracy eat cake. Nobody needs anybody’s recognition in order to have good ideas and do shifting things. And what better way to energize and “welcome” the newer entries than to invite them to participate in such projects?

Make things happen, and the world will notice.

4. I tweeted you about this, but for anybody else reading: I have two students doing web-based project on “future basketball stars of the world.” The premise is simple: connect the star HS basketball players in your area with these two Korean students for an interview (Skype works) for a feature article on their blog. If your stars have highlight videos that college scouts might find worthy, my students can include those in the feature.

I throw that out there because you’re a basketball coach. You can make this happen with a simple “here’s the contact info for some students who want to write about, and maybe podcast with, you.”

I hope this comment makes it, darn it.

By: kwhobbes

kwhobbes — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 02:41:14 +0000

I heard you were back. I’ll be around again to check things out. It is important for teachers to get outside of the walls and experience the world where there is so much more. The whole idea of blogging may not be to grow the readership but it is to have connection with others, to discuss and get feedback on what you are doing, thinking or feeling. It is to connect and that’s why I’m so glad you’re back!

By: Kimberly

Kimberly — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 00:33:10 +0000

I found this to be a thought provoking post. I’ve read the same things that you have about growing your readership, which is honestly something I never tried to do. It grew and grew and then I quit. Now that I’m back I notice only a few people reading every day, usually less than 100. When I send my teachers to workshops on blogs, I wonder if they’ll really get it? Those who have started in our school use blogs to have on-line conversations with their students, but I’m not sure anyone from “out there” has ever commented on their class blogs. I know they’ll never catch the excitement or the connection that way. It doesn’t enhance their own learning.

Reading and writing on the blogs, for me, is still my very best thinking time. It’s also where I connect with excellent educators who are familiar commentors, like YOU. It’s also a good place for me to put my word out there, because too often what’s perceived to be what I think or said is SO different from the truth.

By: kwhobbes

kwhobbes — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 01:40:17 +0000

Sharon, I’m not sure if Facebook will become the new trend – I’m finding that all those add-ons are becoming a bit of a turnoff. I like a few but there are just too many.
As for the readership, I guess it could be actual readers or it could be just getting feedback on ideas or input or just sharing our ideas and having someone validate us by offering a comment or looking for some more information. We don’t live in isolation yet so many teachers struggle on, not making connections and not seeing what the big deal is all about. Maybe we need a FB network for educators! Should submit that one to the powers that be.
As for the writing, you’re right about each entry but I’ve come to write for me, trying to express how I feel and how I see things that are going on around me. I mean, it’s tough being full-time educator and doing other things never mind entering the everchanging world of technology. I like your challenge. Maybe we need to do that and then challenge each person who reads to link to them and comment. As the circle grows, we’ll include more and more.
You’re welcome. It’s one thing I do well;)

By: Sharon Peters

Sharon Peters — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 12:30:06 +0000

Kelly, you make excellent points in your post! I am particularly amused that I did not find your post in twitter or my rss feed (which I rarely look at these days), but in my Facebook connection to you. I think I need to add that little blogfriend widget!
Which made me wonder – is this the new networking trend for bloggers?? Facebook growth has been viral. It has put we edubloggers (who have been accused of being in the echo chamber) right into the mainstream. Now all of our friends from all of those different spheres of influence will see that we blog and perhaps read and comment!
I have been blogging less and less recently due to my own constraints on time and perhaps my own sense that if readership is what I am looking for it is not worth the effort. I receive much more spam (in spite of my spam blocker) than real comments these days! The bottom line is one of motivation – do I write for me or do I write for others? We all write for different reasons and even each blog post may have a different underlying motivation. You are absolutely right on about meeting the newcomers at the door and welcoming them in. We should challenge ourselves to read at least one new blogger every week. And comment. And link to them.
Thanks for saying a few things out loud.