Class blogs

Check out these blogs on a regular basis to read what your colleagues are saying about the readings, in-class discussions, and more!

Amanda's blog

Trista's blog

Danielle's blog

Megan's blog

Sarah's blog

Hiroki's blog

Caitlin's blog

Kate's blog

Shelby's blog

Why blogs?

What is a blog?

A blog (shortened from the original words web log) is a forum for you to express your ideas about a topic.  A blog also allows you to include links to evidence, research, images, and other websites in addition to your personal commentary. Blogs can facilitate communication with blog readers through comment features. 

In our class, you will keep a regular blog in which you will publish personal commentary on course readings and discussions. Your blog should also contain links to other research and websites, as well as an image (or more) to accompany your posts. Here are a couple of examples from last semester: Lesley's blog and Chelsea's blog.

Shouldn't we be writing academic papers? Why are we writing blogs? 

Check out this important post by Peter Smagorinsky about academic writing. Smagorinsky notes that those of us involved in education need to make our voices heard in public forums, and a blog is a great way to do that. A blog can be accessed by anyone: colleagues, parents, students, community members, administration. It's a great way to share what's happening in your classroom, post some of your philosophy about teaching, share research in the field of education with those who may not have read it, help the community connect with your school and your classroom, and simply keep communication open.

Sharing the research that informs your teaching decisions is incredibly important. Lots of teachers and teacher organizations have blogs, and some of them are really amazing. You can learn so much from your colleagues all over the world! Check out The Nerdy Teacher or Walking to School. Writers Who Care is one of many blogs sharing research in order to advocate for teachers and students. NCTE's Connected Community provides blogs and forums, spaces for teachers to ask advice, share ideas, and communicate about teaching. And TED has some really inspiring talks for teachers, like this talk by Rita Pierson. Even while you are immersed in a classroom filled with students, teaching can sometimes feel like a solitary endeavor. Make some connections now, and continue to reach out in the future.

While this blog will be written to discuss readings and respond to issues in the teaching of English, it's also a place to develop a public educator persona. Think about your future identity as a professional, and start cultivating that professional identity now. Use this blog to discuss what you are reading about English education, find links to other research, and connect with other current and future educators. I will post links to blogs shared by our class, and I encourage you to regularly read them and comment, especially in response to class-assigned readings and in preparation of class discussions.

I'm excited to have a chance to impact you as a future teacher, and I take that opportunity very seriously. I can't wait to work with you!