I agree – it is very intimidating to be expected (even if the expectations are solely your own) to have “something to say” all the time. Comments are such a nice way to ease yourself into the conversation – and that’s what it’s all about right? Conversations.

Not all will blog though, no matter how much we suggest its power. And many start, but don’t find it the connector that it can be. I think we start by getting them set up with RSS and get them commenting. For me, that was my big start. I blog now when thoughts worthy of their own post strike me, but more often I find myself being stimulated by the thoughts of people like you and others. Once you comment for a while, you start to feel like you have something to say yourself…and then another convert is made.

I really think these teachers just don’t know the potential of the web. I found the conversation so interesting because I’m pretty sure these are questions they would not bring up in the school environment because they are afraid of “looking stupid.” I really appreciate that they were asking the questions because I’m happy to answer them – I just have to know what they are first!

Clay,

Exactly! And, as I was saying above, that’s why I appreciate those casual conversations. It gives me a chance to get to them on a personal level, which is less intimidating than when I’m the “official representative of technology” at school.

Miss Profe,

I’m with you – I think most of the conversations I have online are more thoughtful and “real” than the ones I have in person. Mostly because there are so many more people I can connect to online. Therefore, the connections I make are the ones that are authentic and appropriate for both of our needs, rather than conversing just because we’re both sitting in the same room. Does that make sense?

I think you will really enjoy blogging with your students if/when you get it running!

A friend several years ago told me that my communications with others via chatboards was not “real human interaction.” I find that such communication, blogging included, comprises some of the most authentic conversation that I have.

Furthermore, blogging has transformed my personal and professional life. Had I not entered the blogosphere, I would not have connected with so many wonderfully diverse colleagues. Additionally, blogging has introduced me to Web 2.0, which has really invigorated me as a teacher.

So, for the time being, I blog for me. I began blogging, as one blog colleague characterized, “out of exasperation”. This is the truth. However, perhaps during the spring term of the school year, I am contemplating getting my students blogging, too.

I think I’m learning that there’s no way besides actually becoming a blogger yourself to understand that blogging leads to the opposite of isolation–to more human contacts, more real world energy, engagement, activity, to more inspiration and vitality, and, let’s not forget, to more reading and mental expansion than reading one book at a time ever can.

Which is not to say, of course, that we can’t be reading books too.

I always want to turn the mirror (or magnifying glass?) around and ask the skeptics why they aren’t trying blogging themselves (and reading blogs, and RSS, etc) before presuming to understand it?

So far, the top answers seem to involve a mix of a) fearing a real audience, which connects to b) assuming (edu)bloggers write like they’re experts rather than the explorers they all are; c) being self-conscious about their writing style; and d) thinking they have nothing worth saying.

All four of these mental blocks to blogging are such a shame….New worlds await beyond them.

Does that mean I’m not a real human interacting with you based on the thoughts you’ve jotted down?

Does that mean we couldn’t strike up a real live human conversation via Skype right now if we wanted?

It’s interesting that years ago no one thought of diary entries (which NO one read) as being a retreat from human interaction, yet blogging, (and a LOT of people read yours) doesn’t seem to be.

Interesting.

And I’m a live human in the USA!

At least I think I am…it’s early.

Chris