Would you, could you, with a frog? Would you, could you, with a blog?

I am not so sure about the whole blog thing. I read the Richardson chapters. I read the example blogs. I GET it. However, I do not think I am INTO it.

I can imagine maintaining a website with links, resources, maybe even videos or games. This seems like a format that is multi-use, could have a blog on it, and would appeal to my viewers (students, parents, fellow staff) for a variety of reasons. So, if I were to maintain a blog, it would be in that venue. However, a site dedicated to blogging seems superfluous. I feel, for the many examples given for what a blog could be used for, that there are better ways to do almost all of those things. I understand that the sample provided in this course is not the BE ALL and END ALL of blogs, I am simply using the examples given as a discussion topic.

Sharing lesson plans is a good use of technology (email, webpage, etc). This would be a great asset to a website where files could be stored or linked to for all to view and perhaps comment on to add insights and extras. I have gathered many internet resources that assist me in planning my lessons and I email my weekly plans to my director, fellow teachers, and the parents of my students. However, I am not convinced that a blog is the best way to do this. I have viewed a few blogs that discuss lesson plans and I find them, overall, to be difficult to follow when they receive all sorts of comments and not typically organized very well.

Privacy and confidentiality are big topics in my school and I am sure plenty others. Discussing students is frowned upon unless in a formal setting, whether the stories are positive or not. I feel that a blog is not the place to share such information. Stories-of-old that cannot be tied to any current students may be acceptable however any story that could be viewed as less than positive should not be shared in such a public format. And, personally, I would not be interested in reading a collection of sticky-sweet stories that most parents would consent to having posted about their child(ren).

I can see (perhaps) using a blog for idea sharing, discussion of teaching techniques and the like. However, I feel that it may turn into a big, long list and not be well organized. I like discovering new websites and resources but I have little patience for sites that I find are disorganized or have too much outside content like comments. People like to share and I can see that a blog could be a very attractive device for low pressure sharing, especially for people who may be shy or uncomfortable sharing in a face-to-face format.

OVERSHARE is a word or phrase that has come about due to the very nature of web 2.0 and the social aspect of the net. I am guilty of it myself, sharing details that are not really worth sharing or that no one really cares about. I once shared a picture on facebook of my breakfast. I had cereal and fruit and it looked so good (like an advertisement for a well-balanced breakfast) that I took a picture of it and posted it. Why? Because I can! I have also posted my share of complaints about work, school, friends, spouse, and the very site on which I was posting the complaint! A blog could very easily turn into the digital equivalent of (what was described to me by a professor I had and was warned never to go) the evil lair that is…THE TEACHER’S LOUNGE. I was told that no good could come of spending time there. An innocent, newbie teacher could get sucked right in to the kvetch-fest that goes on there. And what is a person to do? Someone is complaining about (circle all that apply: administration, budget, kids, curriculum, parents, support, personal issues, staff, etc).

 Few options are to be had:

• Leave saying nothing and go back to your desk to eat your lunch.
• Nod (without comment) which may seem innocent but is seen as total agreement with the dialogue.
• Disagree *GASP* and potentially have some positive influence on the conversation but chances are, once you leave the room, *tsk* will be heard from the mouths of the klatch and the topic of discussion will turn to YOU.

A blog is not the forum in which to make complaints if confidentiality or resolution is what is desired. If frustrations abound and you just want to vent - talk to the guidance counselor, your spouse, or your shrink. If there are truly issues to be discussed, the proper channels (administration, budget committee, fellow teachers) should be addressed.

That said (and I know it was plenty), perhaps it is my newness to the idea of blogging that is causing my negative view. It seems that much of web 2.0 is addicting, what with all the sharing and photos and videos and constant streaming media straight to my senses. The instant gratification of it all can sometimes be quite pleasing. Through this course I will be writing a few blogs and perhaps it will be enough for me to get hooked, or at the very least have a more positive view of the idea. Stranger things have happened!