18 Responses to “Aiding and Abetting the BBC on Blogging”

1. Alan Parkinson
   September 16th, 2009 @ 3:19 pm

   Hi John
   My online “persona” is GeoBlogs, which grew out of a bad pun which I used in 2003 to get a grant from the Royal Geographical Society. My original proposal is here:
   http://www.geographypages.co.uk/blogpro.htm

   I know that colleagues read the 8 geography-specific blogs that I maintain, and I have used them to deliver a GCSE course (http://kespilotgeography.blogspot.com), and even to set work when I have been away, as well as celebrate and share student work. I have used them to meet new virtual colleagues, some of whom are now my friends, prepare and feedback on field visits, and communicate with colleagues in other countries.
   The subject association I now work for, after 2 decades in the classroom, maintains a directory of blogs: http://www.geography.org.uk/resources/geographyblogs/#top
   and I use blogs to publicise my work in Curriculum Development
   http://livinggeography.blogspot.com

   Hope that’s helpful in some small way. Will try and listen in tomorrow pm

2. John Connell
   September 16th, 2009 @ 3:48 pm

   Cheers, Alan – thanks for the input!

3. Aiding and Abetting the BBC on Blogging : John Connell: The Blog « Blogging
   September 16th, 2009 @ 5:26 pm

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5. Armin
   September 16th, 2009 @ 7:45 pm

   1) Can’t remember really, just started messing about with it in about 2000 or so (My first website “launched” in 1999). In 2003 the “Ministry of Propaganda” was launched, which I’m still running as my personal blog. In 2006 I launched IslayBlog.com because I could and because I thought Islay needed a niche blog.

   2) Learning and improving my writing. Sharing links and information with other people. Making other people happy with my pictures and other work. Spreading the word about a place I like. Feedback from my visitors and readers.

   3) Not at all really, my work doesn’t really feature in my web presence. Although working in the tech industry probably does help to understand how some things work.

   4) pass. no idea. Apart from may be while bringing in a personal view being correct and accurate.

   5) Not sure there is really much difference any more. News are (in places) getting more personal and vice versa.

   6) Google Reader, Twitter, Friendfeed, general searches, blog comments, e-mail

   7) Linking to other sites, in particular in my weekly Islay blogging roundup. Trying to pick up points from other sites and expanding on them. Trying to encourage visitors to comment (although they are still a bit shy).

   various Islay focused blogs to see what they’re writing about, a bunch of other blogs, the Scottish Roundup and whatever else I just stumble over.

   9) Adds to the variety, but doesn’t replace blogging. Has on occasion given me interesting leads.

   Very busy day ahead tomorrow so I doubt I’ll be able to listen in on Twitter. If I get a chance I’ll say hi.

6. Ian Stuart
   September 16th, 2009 @ 9:14 pm

   Answered in a blog post
   http://islayian.blogspot.com/2009/09/response-for-john-connell.html
   Best of luck

7. Blogging – blogging politics | SEO Mixer Blog
   September 16th, 2009 @ 9:14 pm

   [...] Aiding and Abetting the BBC on Blogging : John Connell: The Blog6 hours ago by John Connell  How did you get into blogging? What were (are?) the motivations? How does your “private” blogging relate to your work? How do you achieve a balance of personal voice and authority; What can be achieved through blogging that can't … – [...]

8. Claire McCallum
   September 16th, 2009 @ 9:21 pm

   Looking forward to hearing your thoughts John, I’ll be tweeting (and blogging on the workshops on Friday)!

9. Bill Boyd
   September 16th, 2009 @ 9:32 pm

   Hi John,
   As a former English teacher I recognised the potential of blogs and blogging to motivate young people to write to a critical audience other than just the teacher, so in order to learn how to set up a blog I set up my own. This also gave me a soapbox of course from which to pontificate on all things educational, something I had previously done through TES. The good thing about blogging is that it democratises the writing process and is making us all think about the role of the mainstream media. Good luck with the presentations.

   Bill

10. Laurie O'Donnell
    September 16th, 2009 @ 9:35 pm

    John,
    As you know I’m an infrequent and sporadic blogger but find it a very useful way of capturing some of the things I come across in life and work. I set out to use my blog as a learning log but my output means I fall far short of that aspiration.

    Laurie

11. John Connell
    September 16th, 2009 @ 9:48 pm

    Thank you all – massively appreciated!!

12. joe wilson
    September 16th, 2009 @ 9:51 pm

    Been blogging for different organisations since 2000 and for me since 2003.
    Felt like easy and natural extension of website and other on-line bits.
    Over the years I have built some really excellent links across UK and Internationally. Personal Learning Network is important for everyone.
    - Did a wee series on use of social software – it is not without its challenges. First one here and few follow ups on blog
    http://www.joecar.demon.co.uk/2009/08/digital-identity-and-personal-learning.html

13. Jim
    September 17th, 2009 @ 6:42 am

    Hi John,

    Your question caused me to reflect on my own blogging experience. Looking back it seems I started ruachonline.blogspot.com in 2006. In my second post I reflected on the reasons for maintaining a blog – and did not make any real conclusions – see here
    http://ruachonline.blogspot.com/2006/09/to-blog-or-not-to-blog.html
    I am not and have never been a regular blogger and I have used the blog as a means to help remember things, to keep in touch with family members and friends and to record occasional things from my professional life. When do I blog now?

    Basically, if there is something that catches my interest and I have the time – I will blog it! But blogging is certainly not part of my daily routine. I would say that my blog has become more of a personal thing than a professional thing over time. I have never felt comfortable about being too open about my professional life in the blogging context.

    Sorry if this fails to answer your comprehensive list of questions – but this sums up where I am now!

    Regarding other bloggers who exhibit good practice – I would naturally point to your blog in that context which is always worth a good read.

14. David Gilmour
    September 17th, 2009 @ 8:40 am

    1. How did you get into blogging?
    Through setting up a web site using (eZpublish CMS) for East Lothian teachers to improve teaching and learning by sharing experiences. That site included some basic blogging tools, and those blogs quickly proved the most popular part of the site, and the most effective in terms of building a learning community.

    2. What were (are?) the motivations?
    Always, improving teaching and learning. Over time, the emphasis has moved more to use by students as well as staff as blogging has become integrated into day-to-day school practice.

    3. How does your “private” blogging relate to your work?
    My personal blogging takes second place to supporting the staff who use the blogs in schools. I blog about related issues.

    4. How do you achieve a balance of personal voice and authority.
    I do not seek to be an authority, but tend to avoid personal anecdotes, perhaps because my blog is part of an education network.

    5. What can be achieved through blogging that can’t through ordinary news/reporting routes?
    The creation of a loosely connected, fluid, virtual community of interest or practice.

    6. How do you follow other blogs and other forms of “public conversation”?
    Primarily via RSS and Twitter (@dgilmour).

    7. How does your blog connect to others in a “conversation”?
    - People can subscribe to follow-up comments
    - If I comment on another blog, I link back to my blog
    - Via the Scotedublogs.org aggregation service (thanks to @jonesieboy et al)

    8. Are there other bloggers you follow especially, others you think are exemplars of the practice?
    Yes.

    9. How do you feel about “lighter” practices such as Tweeting, facebook status updates etc…?
    I have a low tolerance for the adverts, games etc of sites like Facebook and block ads for that reason. The signal to noise ratio on Facebook is too low, but I feel more incontrol of that on Twitter and would not describe it as being so lightweight.

    Hope this helps.

15. Hilery
    September 17th, 2009 @ 9:26 am

    I had long had a theoretical understanding about, and interest in, social networking in an educational context. My job focuses on learners with dyslexia and I felt that using digital technologies could be of enormous use to students with literacy difficulties.
    I started blogging to put my money where my mouth was, and for the same reason I joined Facebook, though have resisted Twitter.
    A year in, I find that I am more than persuaded of the educational benefits of a learning log for myself and for other learners.
    The single most fruitful aspect is that my metacognition is raised. Whenever I read, view or hear something interesting I almost always wonder how I could blog about it, what links there are to my work or to my life in general. It means that I record (just for myself) new notions, concepts, resources and connections in one place. Over the year I have built up a collection of thoughts to which I may refer to help me develop my thinking.
    I write a mix of personal and professional posts. I sometimes wonder if I give too much away!
    The fact that a handful of people occasionally comment adds grist to the mill; but it is largely an activity I pursue because I find it aids reflection. It is also extremely useful to be going through the process so that I may support young people in their attempts to write for an audience.
    I read a small number of blogs (there seem to be few in the area of ASN) but tend to comment only on those written by people I have met face-to-face. Don’t know why.
    Have fun tomorrow.

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