Why Am I Blogging?

Blogging is something that I've wanted to try for the past couple years, but I've hidden behind the "no time" excuse. Or maybe I just needed a kick-start? This kick-start came in the form of my MLS Internship portfolio requirement. And so my blogging journey begins...I recently spent a "grad day" (a day away from work and family to focus completely on assignment.) Using Blogger was a no-brainer - I am a faithful Google girl who likes to keep things streamlined as much as possible.  It took me about 2 hours to get the template and layout right. Then, another 2 to explore my favorite blogs for elements to use. This led to finally setting up Google Reader. Dance teacher/tech buddy  Rachel has talked about Reader for 2 years - wish I would have listened to her earlier. With my thousand ideas and Google Reader up and running, the fun began! At the end of the day, I had my basic blog set up including feeds from Google Reader, Twitter, Goodreads, Diigo, and Google Calendar - love it! So, the first unexpected benefit of blogging is the one-stop location for all of my PLNs.

Other reasons for educators to blog? Here are some quick ones off the top of my head...

• a place to think aloud
• to share ideas and beliefs
• to promote what you believe
• to be reflective of teaching practices
• to connect with other educators
• to collaborate 
• to house resources (This will be my next BIG step on this blog)
• to dream 
• to vent
• to toot your horn (important for those of us in librarian world)

I'm sure that this list will be more extensive as I continue along the journey. If you are interested in reading more in depth about why educators should blog, just Google it....there are thousands of results.

Speaking of the journey...I'm not planning on trying this out alone, so I'm on the prowl for willing coworkers to start blogging along. So far we've got Christine (literacy), Tanya (science), and Rachel (dance.) Be on the lookout for their blogs soon! Anyone else want to join us? Please feel free to use and comment on our training outline - http://bit.ly/VFMS44 Coincidentally, another requirement of my internship is leading a staff inservice. Looks like this blogging group will serve more than one purpose!

To end my first official post, I'd like to ask for your input on my initial attempt at setting up a blog. Specifically, what about my format is effective or what needs tweaking? Whether you are a non-blogger or a power-blogger, or somewhere in between, I am interested in your honest feedback. Constructive tips are always appreciated!