Excerpt from "Build A PLN" by Allison Petersen (@alcp)
htttp://alcp.weebly.com
Start a Blog Yourself
The most important element of having your own blog space: having a place to expand on your thoughts or share something more in depth. Reflection is the key to growth and finding a place to reflect on your practice as an educator is vital!
I often share ideas on Twitter with specific people and wish I could elaborate. But as we know Twitter is much better expressed short and sweet. A blog gives me the opportunity to elaborate on a specific teaching practice I mentioned, or a book I read, or a technology integration idea I came across, or a new professional development opportunity.
When I blog, I don't have a lot of faith that my ideas are particularly new or insightful, but I was reminded that "what may be obvious to you could be amazing to others" from this video (see below) by @sivers shared with me by @nikkidrobertson. This has truly changed my outlook about blogging and helped to motivate me to get writing!
Start your own space and use the blog to have others learn from you, just the same way you learn from them. This way you have the blog ready when you have something longer than 140 characters to share. You will be surprised how quickly you will find yourself using it because of the rich discussions you develop with fellow Tweeps. I've tried several website creators, but I am currently using Weebly and love it more than any other site I've tried. It is incredibly easy to use and quick to set up with elements to personalize your site, and Weebly also has a wide stock of templates to choose from to find the professional look you want. For some other website options, check out this post: "Classroom Websites and Blogs"
Find a focus for your blog. Nothing fancy or too elaborate is needed. At first, I set a specific goal because I needed some direction. The idea of "Try This Tomorrow" came from the practical types of information I most often share. This is also the type of information I seek out from others in my PLN. What is something that I can use tomorrow that might actually improve my teaching? I want my ideas to be relevant to a reader who jumps over here from Twitter and might be looking for a new idea to use tomorrow in class or to pair with an upcoming project.
Check out the useful resources below!
Just dive in and get going. Your #blogamonth PLN will keep your motivated and encouraged!
htttp://alcp.weebly.com
Start a Blog Yourself
The most important element of having your own blog space: having a place to expand on your thoughts or share something more in depth. Reflection is the key to growth and finding a place to reflect on your practice as an educator is vital!
I often share ideas on Twitter with specific people and wish I could elaborate. But as we know Twitter is much better expressed short and sweet. A blog gives me the opportunity to elaborate on a specific teaching practice I mentioned, or a book I read, or a technology integration idea I came across, or a new professional development opportunity.
When I blog, I don't have a lot of faith that my ideas are particularly new or insightful, but I was reminded that "what may be obvious to you could be amazing to others" from this video (see below) by @sivers shared with me by @nikkidrobertson. This has truly changed my outlook about blogging and helped to motivate me to get writing!
Start your own space and use the blog to have others learn from you, just the same way you learn from them. This way you have the blog ready when you have something longer than 140 characters to share. You will be surprised how quickly you will find yourself using it because of the rich discussions you develop with fellow Tweeps. I've tried several website creators, but I am currently using Weebly and love it more than any other site I've tried. It is incredibly easy to use and quick to set up with elements to personalize your site, and Weebly also has a wide stock of templates to choose from to find the professional look you want. For some other website options, check out this post: "Classroom Websites and Blogs"
Find a focus for your blog. Nothing fancy or too elaborate is needed. At first, I set a specific goal because I needed some direction. The idea of "Try This Tomorrow" came from the practical types of information I most often share. This is also the type of information I seek out from others in my PLN. What is something that I can use tomorrow that might actually improve my teaching? I want my ideas to be relevant to a reader who jumps over here from Twitter and might be looking for a new idea to use tomorrow in class or to pair with an upcoming project.
Check out the useful resources below!
Just dive in and get going. Your #blogamonth PLN will keep your motivated and encouraged!