Blogging Experience

To be perfectly honest, I don't have much experience with blogging.  Computers have never been my friend, and I get easily frustrated with technology.   I never intentionally look for blogs, but while researching things on-line, I often come across blogs which I have often found useful.  These blogs are often a type of forum where teachers share lessons and experiences on specific subjects.   Although I am interested in what people have to say and offer on these blogs, I have never felt comfortable with commenting or questioning what they have spoken about. 

This semester I am taking a class on Children's literature where we are required to blog regularly.   After reading children's books, we get onto the website http://wowlit.org/  where we are expected to read blogs on the different books we have read and leave a comment based on our own experience or on questions the author of the blog would like clarified.  Composing these comments and reading others' comments has opened my eyes to different views and interpretations of the book and article.  Although we are barely on our second week of class, I have already commented on about ten blogs.  The initial shock of having my words out there for everyone to see has vanished.  This has been a good experience for me and one that has opened my eyes to another world in teaching. 

From my limited experience, I believe there are multiple things that make a good blog.  First of all, it has to be appealing to the eye.  In order for this to happen, there should be pictures, videos, diagrams, and graphs.  The color and font of the blog make a difference to the reader as well.  As a teacher, I like to see examples of student work, and website links that will help me to learn more about the subject. But the most important thing about a blog is the amount of followers and comment it contains.  The more comments on the subject there are helps the writer and reader to analyze and view differing and similar perspectives.   The more eyes that see it and add their own experience or expertise, the stronger the blog becomes.  

I have two young boys who enjoy watching a television program on Nickolodean called iCarly.  On this program, the kids run a web show where people can blog and share ideas.  There are many times that they refer to a viewers comment.  My kids really enjoy this show and are likely more knowledgeable about blogging than their mother.  This is a good example of how technology has infiltrated all ages in society. 
Although my blogging experience is limited, I have had positive experiences and look forward to using this space to voice my questions, thoughts, and comments.  I’m hoping that I become comfortable enough with this type of communication and learning to involve my fifth-grade classroom in a classroom blog.  Kids love using computers and would prefer a keyboard to pencil and paper.  Technology is all around me…it’s time to embrace it.