Teachers and Blogging: A Great Pair

EDTS 325

Blogging is something that I would have never connected to teachers. Teachers and blogging seems like a good mix, however. It would be a good way to find teacher resources along with teacher advice from people all over the world. It could be like a PD session from the comfort of your own home.

After reading several articles about blogging as a teacher, my knowledge was expanded to include many other ways blogging can be a useful tool for this profession. One of the things that stood out to me the most was that the reason many teachers don't blog is because they don't want to give up their privacy. In his article 4 Reasons People Don't Blog and Ideas to Help Change Their Mind, George Couros stated that blogging doesn't mean you have to give up all of your privacy. This was definitely an "ah ha" moment for me. When I think of blogging, I think of sharing your thoughts, but that doesn't mean sharing personal things, it just means sharing your opinions or helpful tips with others. Blogging can also be a good tool for teachers to connect the classroom with the students' home life. This idea was mentioned by Kathleen Morris in her article Ten Reasons Every Educator Should Start Blogging. I think that this is such a good idea! It gives parents an easy way to see what their children are learning, and makes it easier on teachers to share this with all parents at once. This stood out to me, and I think its a good tool I will consider using in my future classroom. I think blogging can also allow teachers to continue their lifelong learning and reflection, an idea I saw in the article 3 Reasons to Start a Teacher Blog Today by Bethany Petty. Blogging can allow you to see your progress over time as a teacher, and reflect back on strategies that worked, and those that did not. I think that this is a great way to reflect on yourself, but also others experiences!

I think that blogging can be a useful tool for teachers for several different reasons. not only can it allow for self reflection, it can also allow a connection between your classroom and your students' homes. I think a think that scares lots away, including me, is the fear of giving up your privacy. Though blogging doesn't mean sharing everything about your life! You can share your thoughts but still keep it private. Overall, I think it should be something every teacher considers using as a tool.

Comments

Google Tools for the Classroom - the Best Invention!

Google is something I have used for a huge chunk of my life, both in a personal and school context. I would say I am very familiar with google, though I wouldn't say I am an expert. I am pretty advanced with technology and how to run Google, but prior to this lesson, there was a lot of Google apps that I had no idea existed. I already knew about Google Maps, as I use that tool pretty often. It is one of my favourites, because it is so easy to use and informative. It not only can show you directions and distances, but you can also go to locations and it will give you a blurb telling about the place, and showing photos. It combines Google Search, Maps, and Images into one, which I think is really useful in the classroom so students don't have to have several pages open just to find information about one place. It is very easy to use, and informative. It also can be a way for students to learn about other countries and cultures throughout the world, as they can observe differ...

What I've Gained from EDTS 325 - A Reflection

Technology has been a pig part of my life. Whether it be school, work, or personal means, technology has incorporated itself into it. Throughout EDTS 325, I have learnt many things about technology that I can use within my classroom. Coming into this class, I didn't really know how much I was going to learn. I already felt very comfortable with technology, and didn't think there was a lot more I could learn when it came to using it in the classroom. I was already familiar with Google and a bunch of its apps, having used them throughout middle and high school, and I didn't really know how much more complicated or in depth it could get. But wow, was I wrong! I learnt so much through this class, that I know I can use in my future classroom! I learnt a lot about how important technology can be in the classroom, and how you can make it have a strong purpose. I found out so many tools that can be both fun for the students, but hit lots of important outc...

Teachers Tea and a Reflection on PLNs

Professional Learning Networks on social media can help you as a teacher immensely. You can learn new ideas, and collaborate with other teachers. I learnt a lot from our EDTS 325 meeting with Teachers Tea's Kaila and Kristi. One of my big takeaways was that there are many platforms out there, and you can choose one that is best suited to your needs. So don't feel pressured to follow everyone else onto a certain platform. They chose instagram because of its several posting options, such as stories and reels. They also felt most comfortable with Instagram, so that was a big factor too. Another big takeaway was to embrace new tools, or else you will be left in the dust. I think that this is very important when it comes to PLNs, as you might find more updated materials and tools if you use updated social media. There are several positives, along with negatives when it comes to social media. Some positives are that you can learn so many new things. Social media brings endless amount...

Kindi's Teaching Thoughts

Search This Blog