Friday, January 27, 2006

Small step

Yesterday another teacher at school asked about setting up a blog like I have at roomtwelve.com on classblogmeister. After I picked myself up off the floor from the shock, I told her a little about it. Today she successfully logged in to her new blog. She will do it.

I have been so low key and careful about pushing student blogging on my colleagues. I occasionally send everyone an email about something exciting, like Wesley Freyer's blog about us But I know, because I am one, how the job of us teachers is becoming overburdened almost daily by "just one more thing". I know how discouraging and overwhelming it is becoming. Mostly, I keep my mouth shut about blogging, because I don't want it to be lumped in with all the other unsavory one more things.

But if anybody actually ASKS me about blogging, well, they just better have some time to listen :) Not my usual laid back self, it does not take much to get me going, if blogging comes up. I can go on for way too long. My colleagues are really very understanding :)

Anyway, it has been a good week in my classroom, with my kids publishing lots of articles, sending and receiving comments, writing, reading, learning. That teacher today was a small step, but it meant a lot to me.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I can sympathize with your feelings, Mark.

I also hesitate to fully promote Blogging due to the time constraints I know teachers have. When I do, my wife always reminds me to clearly state how I spend A LOT of time moderating comments and postings on my own time at night.

In addition, I haven't found a really good blogging tool that's kink-free enough to strongly promote to teachers.

Until then I'll just keep plugging along "by example."

Mark Ahlness said...

By example it is, Gordon. Now I have to get to a comment one of your kids left on one of my kid's blogs. Is it really Saturday? :) - Mark

Wesley Fryer said...

The problem here is one of projecting competency. [grin] Those who reinforce the perception in others that they are capable in a particular area generally are rewarded with additional workload. The reverse is also true. I am not sure if a psychologist has coined a term for this or not, but I think it is true in most organizations including schools!

It is great teachers are getting interested in blogging at your schools! If you are interested in doing a skypecast at some point Mark, with some of your students talking about how blogging has impacted their writing, what their perceptions of it are, etc., let me know and that would be fun to do.

As for advice for teachers, one of the best things is to point them to other classroom blogs and to sites like Will Richardson's weblog resources. Of course what teachers want is a human being to talk and work with them, and hold their hand, rather than a URL. So this is a quandary. I think it further makes the case for campus technology integration coaches. At least here in the schools I'm familiar with in Texas, those folks are sadly few and far between.

Keep up the good work and stay motivated! The world is watching you! ;-)

Mark Ahlness said...

Wesley, thanks very much for your thoughts and encouragement! I left a few thoughts for you on your blog - Mark