I wrote recently about how one of the original forms of social media (the wiki) seems to be declining in popularity. The wiki had and continues to have great potential as an outlet for summaries of student learning. Yet, educators seem to be turning to other services if they encourage public scholarship at all.
The same seems to be true of the blog. Again, I see blogs as a great tool for both teachers and students to explore what they have learned and to share these insights with others. I continue to believe in the value of having an online presence that belongs to you rather than contributing to the content offered by massive online outlets (Facebook, Twitter). It is true that Facebook and Twitter offer a far easier access to an audience. However, these services just throw you in with everyone else and the reader experience experiences what you have to say in the same way – in the midst of positions taken on so many topics and even selected by algorithms (Facebook) to satisfy the reader’s priorities and biases.
The beginning of a new school year is a great time to refresh your interesting in blogging if you have been a blogger and to try blogging out if you are a novice. It does take some work and some commitment to create a body of content, but these demands are hardly unique in worthy endeavors.
Some similar arguments by fellow academics (Back to the blog, Rediscovering blogs). These academics both have a history as bloggers, but elders such as me have been involved in this form of writing far longer. I wrote my first blog post using blog software I hosted on my own server in 2002. Like other habits, quitting on something you have done for so long would not be easy.