Thing 1 & 2 continued: Writing for the world! And thoughts on blogs in general

How does writing on the Internet, knowing anyone could read it, change how you write or feel about writing?

It's scary! At the same time, it helps me to moderate my writing and think about all of the various people who MIGHT read what is written here. It makes it even more important to review what I've written before posting it and also make an attempt to write as clearly as possible.

At the same time, it is possible that NO ONE will read anything written on this blog! Will anyone want to read something I've written? Or worse, what happens if people post harsh or critical comments to things I've said in this very public forum? While this blog - and most blogs - will never reach the level of nation recognition, expressing thoughts, ideas, and views does expose an individual to new scrutiny that may be uncomfortable.

I have looked at random blogs from all sorts of people and disciplines from time to time and honestly have wondered why the form was such a big deal? Is it really possible that private meanderings in a public Internet space fill any real function? It reminds me of the early days with web sites when everyone was setting one up and telling the world about their life, likes and dislikes, favorite music, images, etc. etc. etc. Many blogs I've looked at are basically a reincarnation of those personal web pages.

For that reason I feel it is critical that any blog established for educational purposes have a clearly defined goal and audience in mind in order to avoid just taking up bandwidth and accomplishing little in the way of instruction or improvement in learning. (Maybe that's a good approach for any blog?) That may be obvious to everyone but it seems worth stating anyway - perhaps to remind myself more than others. Using a blog or any other tech innovation just for the sake of using it isn't enough. As educators I think we need to make the experience relevant for students and ourselves and tie it back to curriculum and learning objectives.

Thing 1 & 2

I am participating in 23 Things to be more knowledgeable and current with emerging - and actually now, common - technology. I have always been an avid and regular user of technology and do incorporate many different tech tools into my teaching. Still, I find that I am unfamiliar with how some things like podcasts, blogs, and RSS feeds work or they can be effectively used with students. My level of tech ability needs an update!

The article, "A Day in the Life of Web 2.0" presented some exciting scenarios for the use of various technologies ... but I also found it a bit discouraging. In many school districts it is literally impossible to do most of the things highlighted in the article either due to lack of equipment, time, or training for staff. Even more sobering is the lack of understanding among many administrators and other school officials of the need to embrace newer technologies. In fact, due to restrictive filters, poor funding, and out-dated attitudes, many schools and districts have never achieved even a basic integration of OLD technology .... never mind adding in new stuff.

It is my hope that through learning more about how other schools are using technology, that I will be able to both incorporate new strategies and tools into my own teaching as well as help bring that knowledge to others in my district. We have some significant decisions to make with regard to technology infrastructure and instruction so this information may be of real help in the coming months.