Thing # 3

I do not have much of a history with blogs, so to figure out how I might use them I started clicking through and visiting the 50 Must See Blogs.  The Resource Page for Children's Literature had book reviews, author information, and illustration examples.  This is a nice resource for parents who do not spend their working days pouring over literature reviews or are not fortunate enough to have a Barnes and Noble in their back yard.  Having a place to go and get quality new ideas for children's lit would be very useful.  Authentic Teaching gives a voice to the dynamics of the classroom experience and philosophic musings behind the when/why/hows of what educators and students do  It is also a forum for rebuttal and commenting, which is nice.  One of my favorites was i Learn Technology.  It had links to some very interesting, educational and useful websites (kind of like a blog for "website of the day").  It showed the site, explained what it was,and how to integrate it into the classroom.  There were sites that could be useful in almost any subject area that a teacher may need.  As a future history teacher, my favorite that i Learn Technology shared was "If it were my Home: Compare Countries Visually."  I would like to offer one warning though, to anyone who may suffer from "paralysis by analysis," with so many choices and so many tools trying to decide which is best for your classroom may be a bit overwhelming.
I've often had mixed feelings about bogs.  On one hand, I think it involves quite a bit of hubris to assume your personal thoughts, opinions, and interest are of such great importance and interest that they deserve to be posted on the web and read by the world at large; however, as I move through the education program and realize just how much there is out there in terms of websites, technology tools, books, videos, images, etc. it is very useful to have people willing to sort through so much and compile their findings in a useful way.  Blogs also provide a forum to present thoughts and opinions on issues within the classroom and field of education and to receive feedback.  A dialogue with other interested parties in a form that allows you to carefully consider your points of view before you post them, without the pressure of having to instantly verbalize your ideas in a face to face encounter.  I also saw through the 50 Must See Blogs that they are a way for teachers to support one another and receive encouragement and inspiration.  On the Tempered Radical site, Bill Ferriter posted a letter that a former 6th grade student, now a law school student, emailed him.  It was very inspiring and showed how blogs can be use to encourage other teachers. Whether writing one yourself or reading someone else's, blogs are a good source of academic resources, tips on useful technology, places to muse over the philosophical underpinnings of our profession, and a place to question, encourage, and inspire.  Ultimately, like all social media, they are a place to connect and share.