To Blog or Not to Blog

Blogging has opened many doors for teachers to disperse educational information online. Along with these opportunities arise responsibilities and consequences. Many schools have found it necessary to place ground rules for teachers and their blogging habits. In the article Blog Rules, David Warlick lists independent teacher bloggers, professional teacher bloggers, and instructional teacher bloggers as the different categories that educational bloggers fall within. The power that blogging has can be detrimental to a school and can hinder the overall mission. There is little a district can do, however there are legal ramifications that are related to blogging that teachers should be familiar with. According to Warlick, when dealing with these types of bloggers, schools should first understand what they’re communicating and set guidelines accordingly. Warlick also suggests providing teachers with specific goals for blogging to promote a positive atmosphere within the school site.

In addition, schools are not the only ones to carry the responsibility of blogging. In the article To Blog or Not to Blog, Jeanne Kimball outlines some safety tips for teachers to consider before posting children’s work or educational content. These safety tips provide beneficial information to assist those who plan to blog and give information to those who are weighing the importance of posting educational information online.

As a person who is not familiar with blogging, I have found a new appreciation for this technological tool. I feel that my profession as a teacher can be greatly enhanced by professional teacher blogging. Professional teacher blogging focuses on teacher’s abilities within a school setting or district. As a new incoming teacher I would have another resource for finding the right school for me and also have an outreach to help me with my problems I face as a teacher. Having a grade school focus I don’t really find it necessary to use other blogging categories such as, independent teacher blogging or instructional teacher blogging.