Usefulness of Blogs

As I read the information on blogging that is available and watched a video about how blogs work, their usefulness as a communication tool, I was struck with the genius of sharing ideas in this way. Then I became terrified that I was going to have to create a blog. To put in writing what I am thinking is not new but to share it on a blog where more than just the professor can comment and provide feedback involves a great deal of risk. To open one’s self up to the criticism of other professionals is downright scary. But then again, it is an incredible way to learn. I realize that my view that a blog is scary is anchored in my old world mental model of what it means to learn and publish. In the blog you can receive feedback from so many different points of view that your final product will likely be of better quality than it would have been with a limited amount of feedback. Learning then becomes a group endeavor. I don’t have to know it all, just be willing to learn from all the little pieces that others can offer. Incredible.

     In a world of emerging technologies it is important for educational leaders to utilize the latest advances and model their effective and responsible use for staff and for students. This example is a powerful way to motivate innovation in your district and in classrooms at your campus. That said about technology in general, a blog is an extremely useful tool that I will use in my next leadership role to help keep my teachers and staff informed of announcements and general information, to share links, videos, and reflections and to generally communicate about our campus and education in general in an efficient way. Once I am skilled at that, I will likely create a blog that discusses our one-to-one iPad initiative and provide a forum to reinforce what we are learning about the use of that technology in the classroom. The experience of creating my blog made me feel as though I was entering the new age. However, when I asked my seventeen year old son if his teachers blog, he stated, “Dad, nobody blogs anymore. They Vlog – you know, video blog.” I felt ancient once again. I think this bolsters my original point: we have to try to stay ahead in order to just keep up!