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February 1, 2005
Vol. 47
No. 2

Blogging and Benefiting

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Everyone remembers that very first day of school. You let go of somebody's familiar hand, took a deep breath, and slowly entered a strange and intimidating building. Your footsteps echoed down the vast hallway as you searched anxiously for the room that was supposed to be yours. Finding it at last, you took another breath and walked through the door. . . .
And then you saw the 20-odd faces looking back at you from their desks as you prepared to teach your very first class.
"Everyone knows the new teacher experience can be very harrowing," says Rob Lucas, a 6th grade social studies teacher at Edwards Middle School in Rocky Mount, N.C. "Many of the blogs that I see narrate the experience of teaching for that first year, and it's an experience many people enjoy reading and sharing tips about."
Blogs, or Web logs, are increasingly popular among teachers seeking support and advice on managing their classrooms more effectively. Topics discussed in blogs range from perspectives on education policy and curriculum issues to effective classroom management tips and personal survival strategies. "A lot of educators are using blogs now," says Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach, a guidance statistics specialist for Virginia Beach City Public Schools in Virginia Beach, Va. "People can reflect on things with them, and out of that can come discussions and solutions that are well formed and that can be replicated in the classroom."

Changing Terminology

For the newbie, terms such as blog or wiki can seem nearly indistinguishable from ordinary slang (see the "Glossary for Bloggers" list). However, blogs are becoming increasingly common on the Internet, in schools, and in society in general. For instance, the word blog itself was recently touted on CNN as the #1 word of the year in 2004, and the term has even made its way into the Oxford English dictionary. Nevertheless, many people still wonder: just what exactly is a blog?
"A blog is basically an easy way to publish content on the Internet [because] it allows you to put that content online without needing to know things like Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML) or coding languages," says Will Richardson, supervisor of instructional technology and communications at Hunterdon Central Regional High School in Flemington, N.J. Instead of the technical expertise needed to create a Web page, bloggers can go to Web sites such as Blogger (www.blogger.com) or use programs such as WebCT and Blackboard to create online postings that allow them to discuss personal events or professional concerns. Audio and video files can be posted on blogs, as well as links to Web sites that offer related information. "There's just a wealth of information out there with blogs," Richardson adds.
Some of the most popular education-related blogs focus on first-person discussions of teachers' classroom experiences. Although reading someone's personal accounts of weekly experiences might seem akin to viewing an electronic diary, bloggers are quick to point out that blogs involve more than simply putting one's feelings and thoughts online. "I wouldn't say blogs are diaries," says Tim Lauer, the principal of Lewis Elementary School in Portland, Ore. "Diaries bring up images of teenagers talking about their experiences. While there's certainly an element of that with some blogs, there's also professional discourse and pointing to other articles and issues that are important."
Lauer, for instance, uses his blog to stimulate faculty discussions and address issues of concern at Lewis. "Every Monday, our staff uses the department blog to write about what's going on in their classrooms," he says. He then culls some of the postings for a newsletter sent home to parents. Blogs are an effective way to keep colleagues abreast of news and developments, Lauer says. "These are tools for educators. I see them as effective tools for sharing."
Other bloggers use their online writings to stimulate conversation with colleagues and counterparts. "If they are developed properly, blogs can encourage community," says Lisa Spangenberg, an undergraduate teaching assistant at UCLA Santa Monica who assists with faculty tech support issues. "Blogs allow a group of people to see why certain decisions are made, why a particular technique works, or why you may not want to try something again."
In addition to blogs, other popular Internet forums include wikis, or Web pages containing content that can be added to and edited by readers. Unlike blogs, which are usually more personal in their focus and which sometimes have password-restricted access, wikis contain features that allow readers to edit or personalize the content to suit their needs. "Wikis are generally organized by topic rather than chronology," says Spangenberg. "But they have enormous potential for educators, both in terms of sharing information and as writing spaces for students."
Despite this potential, wikis and blogs are still unfamiliar to many teachers. "Blogs are really new," says Marsha Ratzel, a technology teacher for the Blue Valley School District in Blue Valley, Kans. "They're just not quite there yet with many people."
Of the 10 million to 15 million people who blog daily, technical experts estimate that only a few hundred thousand are educators. "Most [of them] are younger teachers coming out of teacher-ed programs," says Nussbaum-Beach. "They're the ones who are comfortable with virtual-type tools."
Richardson agrees, but he notes that blogging is rapidly becoming more common among educators. "The number [of bloggers] isn't that big," he says. "But it is growing."

"Blogger Seeks Mentor"

Perhaps one of the greatest benefits of blogs is the potential for support that they offer to new teachers who are struggling through that difficult first year. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, close to 30 percent of new teachers leave teaching or switch schools by the end of their first three years. In heavily urban areas, the number jumps to nearly half within five years. Educators say that sharing advice and experiences online can go a long way toward lowering these statistics.
"It's hard to believe that someone who's never met you, who is not in your district, will come to you and say that without your support, they would have quit teaching because they were drowning," says John Norton, moderator of the Teacher Leaders Network and a blogger himself. "A lot of districts have a sink-or-swim culture. People think, ‘That's how it was for me, so that's how it should be for you.’" With blogs, he says, teachers can share lesson plans, strategies, and ideas to help one another survive the rough patches that accompany being in front of the classroom.
"Many of the blogs that I see narrate the experience of teaching for the first year," says Lucas. "They're a great way of accumulating and organizing information."
Mentoring a new teacher can begin even before that new teacher sets foot in the classroom. "We have seasoned teachers mentoring grad students that they've never met," says Nussbaum-Beach. "They cover all kinds of topics—instructional technology, classroom management, guided reading, philosophical discussions on pedagogy, differentiated instruction—all the way up to mundane things like getting students to do what you want."
The viral nature of blogs is what makes them so effective as a tool, Nussbaum-Beach and others say. A student-teacher might post a question about a particular issue, and the post generates discussion on the subject that, in turn, generates reflection and further discussion that helps formulate ideas and strategies for the classroom.
Although educators may still be relatively new to blogging, Norton says that teachers in particular can share valuable insights through blogs about how to create an environment that supports learning. When teachers write online and share their commitment and direct classroom experiences, their blogs can be a valuable resource for busy colleagues.

An Ounce of Prevention

Although educators praise blogs for their potential as a support and instructional resource, they also warn that blogs can be harmful if not managed properly. Bloggers may find it cathartic to vent their frustrations over a particular issue, but such rants can have serious repercussions. "I have a friend who has a blog and who posts personal things that he has later gone back and taken down," says Lucas. "Many bloggers save their posts and come back later to decide whether to post them, because there is a risk in venting."
Spangenberg goes even further. "I would never use a blog for venting," she says emphatically. "People have been fired for what they put on Web sites or in blogs." Trashing a colleague or a district official may elicit chuckles from friends, but the consequences can be disastrous if the posting finds its way onto the wrong computer screen. "Blogs can be helpful in combating burnout, but . . . you might feel very different two years later. You don't want what you said at one time to hurt you in the future," Spangenberg adds.
In an effort to protect themselves, some bloggers restrict access to their blogs by requiring passwords. Although this prevents the blog from being generally accessible, Spangenberg points out that it still does not guarantee that someone somewhere won't divulge the contents. Viewers of blogs sometimes forward passages to friends or share passwords. "Things linger on the Internet," Spangenberg warns, and sooner or later, someone other than the intended recipients could read a posting.

Reflecting Pools and Perfect Tools

Despite such concerns, many educational leaders remain optimistic about the power of blogs to help teachers with their planning, organizing, and classroom instruction.
"Blogs are a great way of touching base and sharing information with colleagues," says Lauer. "If I come across an article or magazine clipping, I can put a link to it on my blog for sharing. I don't need a lot of technical expertise, and I can share what I come across very easily with other people."
Others agree. "The collaborative nature of blogs brings in other voices and helps break down classroom walls," says Richardson. "There is just a wealth of material out there that bloggers are creating that informs people about what teachers can do in the classroom."
That ability to share information and experiences, educators say, is what makes blogs so revolutionary in terms of their potential to help both new and experienced teachers keep in touch with the spark that brought them to education in the first place.
"I can't think of something in education that I've come across in the last six years that has been more insightful or effective for developing intrinsic motivation than blogs," says Amos Fodchuk, an English teacher with Landstown Technology Academy in Virginia Beach, Va. "They have really made me fall in love with learning."

Glossary for Bloggers

The ever-expanding nature of the Internet ensures no shortage of potentially confusing new terms. Here, in brief, are some helpful definitions:

AUP—A common abbreviation for acceptable use policy. This describes what constitutes correct and safe use of technology (posting professional items or information) and inappropriate use (derogatory or defamatory comments, vulgar expressions, threats).

Blog—An abbreviation for Web log. A blog is an online document created by one person that can contain hyperlinks, video and audio files, and other multimedia offerings. Blogs can contain personal, diary-like entries or share information, and they can be open or restricted in terms of their access. Unlike wikis, blogs usually cannot be modified or updated by anyone but the initial author.

Blogger—A person who writes a blog or who updates a blog.

HTML— Abbreviation for Hyper Text Markup Language, the coding language used to create basic Web sites. More advanced programs include Java, ASP, and Cold Fusion.

RSS—An abbreviation for real simple syndication, RSS allows you to receive updates when something new is posted on a blog or site. (Not every site has this capability, however.)

Wiki—A shorthand version of the Hawaiian term, wiki-wiki, which translates as "quickly-quickly." Unlike blogs, wikis are Internet postings that provide for Web-based collaboration between viewers, enabling people to cooperate in producing content for a site and modifying posted information.

For more complete information and additional terms and definitions, visit www.webopedia.com.

John Franklin is a contributor to ASCD publications.

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