Thing #4: The Power of Commenting

Commenting is an act that is often taken for granted in a world of instant status updates and continuous information overload.  After all, giving thoughtful insights to what we read on a blog requires time, which could be used for other activities (like reading other blogs!).  However, when bloggers and commenters mutually contribute, an interactive community is formed that is much greater than the sum of it's parts.

The five guidelines for commenting on another person's blog, especially if it is to disagree, on Cool Cat Teacher's blog should be required reading for all commenters on the Internet.  I can't count the number of times I have seen commenters be absolutely brutal in their comments.  There's something about the anonymity of the Internet that drives some people to feel they can be completely asinine with no repercussions.  My personal rule about commenting on the Internet:  "If I would not feel comfortable saying something to a person's face, then I don't post it on the Internet, especially on that person's blog."

I also like the ProBlogger article "10 Techniques to Get More Comments on Your Blog."  While reading, it seemed like the techniques would all fall under "common sense," but I'm always amazed how uncommon that type of sense is on the Internet (not to mention in the world at large.)  Two  techniques I have seen be particularly effective are "Ask Questions" and "Set Boundaries."  When you ask a specific question in your blog, it encourages your community to respond with their own opinions.  However, you must first make sure your community knows what is acceptable and what's not.  Moderating your community's comments is key to building said community; encourage debate and dialogue, but act quickly (but fairly) to squelch ad hominem attacks, trolling, flame wars, and spamming.

Check after the jump for my comments on blogs from the class & the blogosphere.

Thing #3: Using Blogs in the Classroom

I can see a blog being a powerful tool to enhance and support a classroom.  In my classroom, I could see myself creating a blog to act as a "remote hub" for the class, where students and parents could keep track of assignments, important dates, and class policies.  As the teacher, I'd  would like to use it as a place to post notes, presentations, and supplemental material for the day's lesson, links to helpful websites, and even opportunities for extra credit.  I can see it as a jump-off point for WebQuest activities, and possibly even a way to conduct class when class couldn't normally meet.  In addition to all this, I see it as an opportunity to interact with students and parents in a way that is not always possible through traditional channels.  

I do have a small caveat, though.  I've worked in a small rural school district where a large portion of my class does not have Internet access at home.  That puts me in an awkward position when it comes to implementing a class blog:  I'm basically favoring my students with Internet access over those without it if I make a blog central to my class.  Until Internet access becomes more universal, I would have trouble feeling justified in using a blog as a major centerpiece in my classroom.

Thing #2: Creating My Blog

Setting up this blog was pretty easy for me.  I have another blog on Blogger that I use to share my life with friends and showcase personal projects, so I had some experience with it already.  Blogger isn't quite as feature-rich as other blog sites, but that's probably a good thing, since it is a cinch to use and easy to customize.

I chose to write on this blog using the handle "Ned," simply because I want to keep this blog project separate from my personal blog.  "Ned" is actually a nickname I picked up in high school; it started off as an anagram of my initials.  However, there is a bit of back-story to it: I had a close friend from band who had a bright red head of hair, who everyone naturally called, "Red."  Usually he detested that nickname, but he and I agreed that I could call him Red if he could call me Ned.  Since then, I've used variations on the "Ned" handle for lots of different things on the web, so I chose to continue the "tradition" here.  While there is some value in anonymity as well, my Google+ account is connected to my Blogger, so my real identity is hardly a secret.

Creating my avatar over on doppelme.com was a lot of fun!  I chose to create an avatar as close to the real me as I could; I actually consider it a bit of a challenge.  I've used other online avatar creators, but DoppelMe was one of the more thorough creators.  I was surprised by the depth of customization available; I was even able to find a Dell XPS laptop similar to the one I'm typing this up on!  I'll have to play some more with DoppelMe later.

Thing #1: Habits of Life-Long Learners

I enjoyed reading about the "7 1/2 Habits of Highly Successful LifeLong Learners," although for some reason I could not get any sound on my presentation, even after trying on 3 different computers.

For me, the easiest habit  is probably number 6: Use Technology to Your Advantage.  I'm a tech enthusiast, and I like to build computers as a hobby.  I'm always learning about some new technology or app that can help be better organized and more productive.  Between my Nook, my smartphone, and my laptop, I strive to have as many avenues of learning available as I can.  Still, I know that as advantageous as technology can be to learning, it can also be a distraction, so I try to schedule myself some time away from it as well.  (Then again, since I use Google Calendar to manage my schedule, I may be defeating the purpose!)

My hardest habit is number 3: View Problems as Challenges.  I have a perfectionist streak in me that wants things to go off without a hitch, so when I encounter a problem, I tend to get frustrated.  Combine this with the fact I tend to be detail-oriented, and it's easy for me to lose sight of the forest for all of the trees.  I've been steadily working on this for years, but it's still the occasional battle between the urge to "stop and fix it" and to "just do it!"