Blogging. What a word ...
We blog for different purposes and audiences. Yet, to be truly effective, bloggers need to ensure that their posts are relevant, informative; and perhaps inspiring, motivating, or informative for their intended audience.
After reflecting on the Probloggers “Nine Signs of an Effective Blog Post, and examining several Edublog™ Award exemplars, I created a Prezi presentation on the topic.
Check it out!
Reflecting on my own blogging practice
As I recently wrote in I’m Not Talking To Myself Anymore!, A Relief Teacher’s Journey is starting to attract significant international readership; and this is having a fundamental impact on my writing process and online professional interactions.
As my Twitter™ conversations and recent blog comments may suggest, I’m moving away from blogging at my audience, towards interacting with and learning from them. This openness and mutual sharing of ideas will, no doubt, take time to develop; however, it marks an important evolution in my blogging journey.
For this evolution to occur; however, I’m going to need some help. I don’t have much experience with meaningfully inviting readers’ suggestions and constructive feedback; and I’d like to move away from the repetitive line: “Your comments and feedback are greatly appreciated”.
I look forward to reading your suggestions and advice below, as I continue my participation in the 2011 Edublogs™ Teacher Blogging Challenge. Thankyou.
Hi Michael
ReplyDeleteYour post and your blog itself are most impressive. I've thoroughly enjoyed reading your reflections on class management and reflective practise. You sound very passionate about teaching and learning, and very courageous. We are SO lucky reflective blogs like yours are available for us to read and reflect on too. They will be so especially helpful to beginning teachers. I will make sure I mention your blog to any I meet up with. Thank you.
Great Prezi, Michael! Are you hooked now? The first time I used it with my students, they loved it. (They called it PowerPoint on steroids.)
ReplyDeleteYou had some great points, and I'm beginning to see common themes while reading all of the posts for this challenge.
Thanks for sharing!
Michael
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed your prezi immensely. You pretty much covered the same points that I thought of, however your means of presentation just spiced it up.
Commenting is a an interesting one. As a class teacher this is what I find most difficult to get my class to do. Also on our class blog we get comments like Cool blog, come and visit ours or something equivalent.
I hope your desire to set up some decent and helpful conversations develps.
Kathryn
Hi Michael. First of all, that Prezi is great! I am a little Prezi-challenged. I guess I just need more practice.
ReplyDeleteI think a blog evolves over time thanks to its readers. The first post that attracts large readership from your niche is the sign that you are on the right track. As for attracting more comments, I am not sure myself. What you did just now is a good way. You said you were not sure about how to do it, so that the readers could come up with their ideas. I used to ask "What do you think? at the end of my posts, but I don't do it any more. It doesn't work and I just feel silly having an unanswered question at the end of my post.
A big thankyou to Oona, Janelle, Kathryn and Natasa for your comments, advice and kind feedback.
ReplyDeleteNow, as to Prezis. I'm a guy, but I actually did read some instructions prior to attempting to use it for the first time. Unfortunately, they didn't seem to help much - I had to watch the video twice!.
I like the potential of Prezi in the classroom - I really related to the introductory video about 'death by Powerpoint'. This tool would have definitely liven up my 2010 Science projects, where I had to mark many (awful) PowerPoint presentations (students had never been taught).
I certainly will be having another go in future posts, and perhaps will include a few when I revise a few of my classroom management topics.
On the issue of commenting, I tend to agree with you - they tend to be hard to attract. I like the idea of using a question at the end of the post, but like you, Natasa, I've tended to suffer the same issue with 'unanswered' questions at the end of the post.
I suppose my #edchat post was the first post to naturally attract several comments - it brought around 50 new readers to my blog.
If anyone has any ideas / links either on the use of Prezi in the classroom, or blog commenting, I'd love to read them below.
Thanks,
Michael
Hi Michael, I really enjoyed reading your post as well. Why? First there was a different writing style (font) at the beginning of the post. Then there was the prezi which had points to consider that were not lengthy to read. It was animated and I love animation. Your reflecting on your own blogging practice was short and to the point.
ReplyDeleteAs to attracting comments, I am not sure how to get the reader to do that either. However, whilst this challenge is on, it is wonderful to see so many people browsing through all the posts and commenting. It makes blogging really exciting.
I assume that prezi gives you html code to embed in the post. It is rather clever with its transitions. Did it take you long to complete?
SO true that people get caught blogging 'to' their audience. Almost like leaving your teenage diary open on your bed, just begging someone who walks by to read it, but without you 'knowing'. Blogging should be more about conversation and discussion, but with social network mediums, blogging is lost in the background!
ReplyDeleteA really big thankyou to all those who responded to this post - I've really enjoyed reading your contributions.
ReplyDeleteMurcha, Thankyou for the constructive feedback on the post. I've been experimenting with the different fonts for a month or so now, with the intention of livening things up a bit.
I was really excited with my my first Prezi, although I found it really frustrating at first. It took me a good hour to construct, but I'm sure it will get easier over time.
As to embedding it, I learnt how to do that through an #edchat tweet on Twitter, which I bookmarked some time ago. I've come to love my searchable bookmark database on diigo - I'll be sharing it later.
Miss Goodey, (sorry, can't find your first name), I really liked your blogging analogy. It is so true! We new bloggers are really encouraged when we know people are actually reading and discussing our work (both online, and offline if my collegial conversations are anything to go by). It gives us a purpose - we don't really want to talk to ourselves.
I'm really enjoying the conversations arising through the blogging challenge, and I hope they will continue in some form after its completion.
Hi I have introduced students to Prezi but not had the time to play with it myself so well done! Thanks for your comments on my blog - much appreciated. It will be fun to watch yours grow now - I have added it my feeds:)
ReplyDeleteYou used just the right tool for the task. Prezi works well when introducing steps because you can focus on one point at a time. You made your points clearly and the Prezi added interest. I haven't created a Prezi yet but next time I find an appropriate occasion I will give it a go.
ReplyDelete