This week, I was supposed to find four blog posts that interested me. I filtered through a few, and was surprised to find that they were not all as boring as I thought they'd be! While a few were a little more ho-hum, business as usual, I was able to find four that I found interesting, thought-provoking, and even funny. Here's my list:
1. "Dangerously Irrelevant"- I found Scott McLeod's postings at first to be a little on the "blah, blah technology blah" side, but as I got more into his actual blogs, I was actually impressed. His angle is the same one this class is making me think about. Technology cannot be ignored in the classroom. It also reminds me that as teachers, we do run the risk of being "irrelevant" if we turn a blind eye to the technology at our fingertips. A letter he posted from a superintendent of a MI school district, asking the governor of his state to "turn his prison into a school" was disturbing, but made me think. The state ofMI spends 30-40 thousand dollars a year on a prisoner, yet only seven thousand a year on it's students. CRAZY!!!! Anyway, this blog is good for stuff like that.
2."A Passion For Teaching and Opinions"- This blog is great! I really enjoy his matter-of-fact way of writing, and his humor is apparent throughout the material. A lot of his blogs are CA politics based (he is a high school teacher in Ukiah, CA), but they are still relevant, as similar issues in education are popping up all over the country. His entries are down to Earth and personable, almost like you're sitting down with him, over coffee or a beer and listening to him talk about what he loves, teaching. Definitely a blog worth looking at.
3. "Bellringers"- Once again, personable wins my heart. The author of this one posts pictures, and feels relatable. As much as I read, she stays out of politics and stays in "this is my life" mode the whole way though. If I was a parent of one of her students, I would follow this blog very closely (seems like that's mainly who it's for), because she is very informative about things going on in her life and classroom. She posts links to other articles regarding education and parenting, making it a decent site for reading. Overall, I enjoy reading it because it reminds me that teachers are people too, and quite a few are characters too!
4. "Technology Fridge"- I figured at least one "useful" site was in order. But a lot of the blogs I went to were full of "Twitterings" (I really don't like Twitter. Very resistant to it...), and other not useful info. But this one had links and explanations of these links (what they were, what they could do, etc.) as well as personable entries about things going on in his district. As much as I appreciate helpful hints and sites that teach me something, I am really more of a relational learner. I learn by watching people, listening to the way they do things, watch how they handle situations. So a blog with a personal touch goes a long way. This one has that touch to it. AND, it's useful.
5. "Right on the LEft Coast"- I have decided to do five, because I feel this one is worth noting. While I personally try and stay away from political labels, I tend more toward conservatism myself. A lot of people tell me this is a counterintuitve stance as "most teachers are more liberal minded". I have met many teachers that would disagree with such a statement, and this blog represents one of them. While his stance is on the right, he believes that teachers are under appreciated and mistreated by the system as well. His thoughts are interesting and I like that he puts a trivia question in everyday (impossibly hard), along with multiple postings. Very thought-provoking stuff.
I have decided that the blog I am going to follow the rest of the summer is Tech Fridge. With useful information AND personable insights, I look forward to applying some of what I've learned this coming fall as I start my internship!!
