Between participating in the Blogging webinar with Sue Waters as part of #etmooc yesterday and a Lance King workshop today, I’ve been immersed in some great ideas lately. During the webinar, we were encouraged to blog about our learning and experiences from etmooc. Sue suggested we write for ourselves and not to worry about what our readers wanted to read. Today, Lance King’s declaration that “failure is just feedback” was a further push. “Just write,” I said to myself. Write and learn.
I have been working with teachers as they develop class blogs and eportfolios with their students and have done some blogging but I struggle with blogging consistently. Part of what stops me from sharing my reflections is that I work with teachers and not students. I feel torn between the desire to share my struggles, insights and reflections, and the privacy of the teachers I work with. Occasionally my role as an instructional technology resource teacher, and the “board office” policies that I am to represent, conflicts with my own beliefs and/or some teachers’ perspectives.
I have admired other bloggers who are administrators or other leaders who successfully blog and respectfully manage all these factors. For example, Erin Paynter is a vice-principal in Ottawa who has very reflective, respectful posts. Shelly Wright is a high school teacher and consultant from Saskatchewan whose teaching practice and reflections are inspirational. She pushes the envelope but is honest, thoughtful and respectful.
I hope to connect with many more honest, thoughtful and respectful teachers during etmooc and beyond. And I hope to write more. Write and learn.