MiddleView

I just realized that I have been an active blogger for 6 months!  I know you are not supposed to do these reflective entries for a measly 6 month anniversary, but it is the end of the year so here goes....

A friend of mine, Scott Elias, got me started in the blogosphere this past summer.  I started out reading blogs daily to see what other school based administrators were doing.  There is always a little more time during the summer so I was hooked.  I then decided to create my own blog.  Scott was instrumental to getting my blog set up as I often contacted him for tech support.  All in all, it was very easy to get started.  I wanted to take a moment to stop and think what blogging has done for me over these past 6 months.

1.  It has given me the chance to stay current in my field.  I often read publications (journals, daily emails, weeklies, etc..) dedicated to ed leadership, but blogs offer something unique--they are interactive.   They allow you to question someone to get more details or offer your own perspective.  If someone writes a post on how they do something and 10 people leave comments on how they do it--whammo you have 11 new ideas to consider.  I truly think this is the heart and soul of blogging.  Comments drive effective blogging.  If we are not being interactive and sharing ideas, what makes blogging different from any other media?

2.  Blogging has forced me to get many of my ideas down on paper.  We all have a million things floating around in our head (thankfully the Dolphins finally won a game so I no longer have to wonder about that!) and it helps to write it out.  It allows you to develop your ideas and see what others think about them.  As the old saying goes we know what we know, but sometimes it suprises you when you get it down on paper.

3.  It has opened up other opportunities.  I am far from a blogging expert, but I have presented on blogging at a district wide conference and will be presenting at the South Carolina Middle School Association's annual conference.  This gives me another chance to meet other people from my district and state.  It has also led to me contributing to this blog and getting to know some of the wonderful people here at NASSP.

Blogging has been a great tool to get connected with other educational leaders across the country.  I get to see how others are doing the same critical tasks that I am doing in South Carolina.  I can also share how I do things and ask for suggestions on improvement.  It does take a little time, but where else can you get so much practical information in such a short amount of time? If you are interested in becoming a more active blogger, go for it!