Who is my audience? My
writing here is awkward, stilted.
Actually, I don’t know what it’s like, because I don’t want to go back
and read it. I’m writing to my classmates, but I know that no one’s really
looking (I can see the views) and I know that I’m not really looking at anyone
else’s. And I’m also writing for
“the world” or THE INTERNET, so I tone it down, I limit links to controversial
content.
But what does it mean to be available to the world? I have four blogs in my dashboard. Three of them inactive. And apparently, these blogs continue to get hits from time to time from surprising sources: Who in Australia is interested in a 9th grade humanities course? Who in France is interested in my thoughts on readings for a Visual Culture class? Apparently, last month, those two people were. My thinking is, unless I actively seek to promote my blog, linking to others, and .... (not really sure how else blog promotion is done). Unless I actively promote, it seems I will draw as much attention as a candle in the woods, dense with night-time darkness. If no one can see me, I might as well play a little. Pick my nose if I feel like it. Eat like a slob. No one will see the stains on my shirt. If they do, no one has left any comments yet.
What does it mean to take chances with my writing? I don't know what content exactly. But there have been posts I've published, that I couldn't stop thinking about, that made me cringe when I thought of the possibility of someone finding it, that brought me back to my lap top later to unpublish and correct. I think that if my writing can make me feel a little anxious, I might be getting to something honest.
But what does it mean to be available to the world? I have four blogs in my dashboard. Three of them inactive. And apparently, these blogs continue to get hits from time to time from surprising sources: Who in Australia is interested in a 9th grade humanities course? Who in France is interested in my thoughts on readings for a Visual Culture class? Apparently, last month, those two people were. My thinking is, unless I actively seek to promote my blog, linking to others, and .... (not really sure how else blog promotion is done). Unless I actively promote, it seems I will draw as much attention as a candle in the woods, dense with night-time darkness. If no one can see me, I might as well play a little. Pick my nose if I feel like it. Eat like a slob. No one will see the stains on my shirt. If they do, no one has left any comments yet.
What does it mean to take chances with my writing? I don't know what content exactly. But there have been posts I've published, that I couldn't stop thinking about, that made me cringe when I thought of the possibility of someone finding it, that brought me back to my lap top later to unpublish and correct. I think that if my writing can make me feel a little anxious, I might be getting to something honest.
Yup.
ReplyDeleteMaybe start with committing to the individuals of the class as your audience? Engaging with them in conversation about their ideas via blog comments?
Loving that I can hear *you* in these posts.
And, I vote for anxiety as the goal. So, will you bring this to the class today?
Yes! I decided last night to start at least with commenting on all the Animotos. I guess I figured that if I pointed out what I wasn't doing, that would force me to own up to it.
DeleteYou've pointed out in class that it's not the technology, but what we do with it. And whatever my goals, building community, sharing, on beginning connections, it makes sense that it has to start with me reaching out. I can begin by showing sincere interest in another's work.
My next step: responding to all of these educators (how did they find me? The Internet can be wonderful!) who wrote at length about how they're all using blogs/tech in their teaching.
It's interesting - I have been reading all of your blogs. And sometimes responding to what you write in my own blog. BUT, I don't always open your blog from my reader, I just read it without the fancier formatting that appears when I open the blog in a new window.
ReplyDeleteMakes me wonder about the implications of a reader, the "anonymity" it offers me, and the poor publicity it gives the writer. Convenient yes. But it certainly leaves the writer who is seeking at least the feeling of having an audience out in the cold.
Actually, I haven't used the reader much at all since setting it up in class. Definately practical, and for you, it seems to be working, because you are incorporating other people's thoughts in your posts, and you are leaving feedback and responces. I do prefer to spend time on the blog site, and see how others have adjusted an tweaked their own 'space.' Your site (titlesstumpme.blogspot.com; how do you paste a hyperlink in the comments?) looks fantastic, by the way, with the photos like tiled panels of window panes.
DeleteI have had a blog for 3-4 years. It gets around 15-30 looks a day...does that mean what I say isn't important or worth reading? A part of blogging is being passionate about what you are writing and also being a good responder. I promise you if you respond to the blogs you read, people will respond to what you write. It's a two-way street.
ReplyDeleteThe struggle I have with my own college class and their blogging is that they are focused 'the grade' and not the process. If you are writing merely to fulfill credit obligations (and I don't know if that is the case), the level of interest will not be high. Write about things that matter to you, readers will come.
I live in Iowa and I am commenting on your blog. . . I have been a teacher for 25 years and I love to read what people think about things.
Keep writing....keep commenting....keep learning!
That's great advice, TJ. And I wouldn't say your writing is unimportant. You've reached a struggling but learning, and sometimes frustrated, grad-student per-service teacher.
DeleteNow on my fourth blog, I realize that the 'two-way street' is so essential to doing more than sticking my writing on the fridge. It seems that concerned educators are taking the time to read my fridge gallery anyway. (How did all these people get into my kitchen?)
It's not done when I've responded to these comments. Next goal: check out your blog. And when I've commented, contributed to discussions, and brought back discussions to my own blog, I'll expect my gold stars in the mail.
Blogging is something important to me as a teacher. It is my reflection and my venting of things I care about. I remember being frustrated at first and feeling that no one was listening. Slowly I built a community or readers. My blog is not well known or read and yes I check my stats but enough people read to make it a conversation.
ReplyDeleteSo I would recommend that you keep at it and pour yourself out there. People will come if you keep at it. Two hints to build a readership: Read other blogs and comment on them. Even "famous" blogs don't get many comments and every blogger lives for comments. You can get to know these bloggers and they will start to read your blog.
Second use twitter to get to know other bloggers and publicize your blog. If you attach a hashtag like #edchat to your tweet many people will see it and some will visit. If you write consistently and honestly people will come.
By the way my blog started as a class assignment and it wasn't until months later that I decided to continue it and give it my own voice.
concretekax,
DeleteThanks for you comments and suggestions. I'm going to start reaching out to the educators who responded to this post.
I don't know why I'm so hesitant about Twitter. I have an account that I opened because I thought it would be a cool classroom tool. So I've tweeted twice: 1. "Testing to see what this looks like." 2. "Testing to see if this this works from my cell phone." Very compelling.
I will have to come back to the Twitter thing.
I am a reluctant blogger myself and questioned the importance of blogging many a time. To what end? Just to increase the number of unread blogs out there? What should I blog about - there are millions blogging about education, about this or that strategy, about this or that teaching principle. It feels like everything is "covered".
ReplyDeleteAnd yet, with one blog post a month (or even more rarely) I have thousands of reads. People reply. Comment. Engage in conversations.
So it dawned onto me...You get what you give. You can't expect people to read you without you being involved in their reflections, questions, conversations.
You don't need to be "popular" - as a matter of fact, I stopped following popular blogs because once you read one you read them all. There is a deja vu of "viral" ideas. I learn more from little known bloggers because they go beyond the trends.
I am not giving advice. It is not my role nor my intention. I am just sharing my blogging experience and perhaps it might help you in your hesitation.
And oh, I am reading your blog from Romania. *just to let you know how far it can reach*
@surreallyno
Cri,
DeleteThanks so much for sharing your thoughts. I don't think anyone who has replied to this post has been pedantic. I really appreciate seeing these suggestions, and reading about other educators' experiences.
I keep wondering why this particular post has triggered responses from so many from outside my class (when this has never happened before, with any of my blogs, it's a lot). And a reader from Romania! I think it has something to do with trying to be honest, trying to be funny, or at least take myself less seriously.
But as I've mentioned in the above replies to comments, my next step is reaching out to the bloggers who reached out to me.
I am presenting next week on blogging at a local technology conference and I will give you here a very quick summary of that presentation (I bet you can't wait for a lecture in your comment section ;)
ReplyDeleteBlogs have many purposes in the classroom. They can be used to display work, share news, and create a public presence (in the vernacular a digital footprint.) In reality most student blogs will never be a very popular read outside of their class, most won't be popular even in the class.
In fact, most of what students are expected to do on blogs could be/have been/are being done without them. For example, my students will be writing daily in a paper journal (do I lose tech street cred for that?) I have decided paper is the best tool for our needs. About once a week they will be sharing their 'best of' work on their own blogs.
So, why should you blog when writing on paper can pretty much satisfy the need for reflection or creating work to be graded? Simply put, blogs allow for the possibility of creating a connection outside of your local community.
Teachers are really big in creating 'communities of learners'. What you should be doing is finding people with similar interests (not just similar attitudes or beliefs) who you can grow and learn with. Sometimes that can be very difficult inside a local community.
For example, I am learning to play the ukulele. Despite what you might think, ukulele playing in Southwest Missouri in the Ozark hills is not that popular! I have no access to a community of ukulele players here, so I have found several online that help me (either unknowingly through youtube videos or websites or actual conversations I have with people I know from social media.)
So in conclusion, there are lots of reasons to write, but the value in blogging is the possibility of making connections outside of your community.
William,
DeleteThanks for the lecture! Actually, I wouldn't call it a lecture so much as a reflection on your use of blogging, personal and professional. I've had that worry too, though, that I've written too much to some one, and I feel like I'm standing at the podium, with freshmen nodding off and drooling on their notebooks. But, you can't really lecture on the Internet, can you? Those freshmen can't leave if they want a good attendance record, but on the Internet, I can just click somewhere else.
RE: 'the paper journals.' You don't lose tech cred for this, at least with me. I think it shows you truly value the potential of technology, and don't apply it where it doesn't fit, when pen and paper really are the best tools for the objective.
RE: 'ukulele in SW Missouri' I need to find my own 'ukulele in the Ozark hills,' the blogging just for me. I got better at writing when I selfishly practiced just for myself, just so I could share it with other writers. I need to do that with blogging, so it's not just a tool I could use in the classroom.