Comments on: Why Do You Blog: Then Vs. Now?

By: Internet Field Trip, June 14

Internet Field Trip, June 14 — Sat, 21 Jun 2014 09:04:26 +0000

[…] from Dan Meyer: “Why do you blog, then vs now.” If you’re not writing online, give it a […]

By: Laura Wheeler

Laura Wheeler — Sun, 09 Mar 2014 20:44:14 +0000

“What does good online professional development look like?”

Perhaps this book would be of interest to you then? I’m about halfway through & he writes a lot about effective online education / training programs:
http://www.amazon.ca/Teaching-Minds-Cognitive-Science-Schools/dp/0807752665

By: Leslie Dickason

Leslie Dickason — Thu, 06 Mar 2014 02:21:05 +0000

I’m a first year teacher, so blogging gives me an outlet for all my first year teacher feelings. Half the school year is over and I’m still trying to figure out the basics of this teaching thing. Amidst all the chaos, blogging gives me a chance to slow down and reflect on my teaching. Even if I’m ranting about how terrible a lesson went or how terrible of a teacher I think I am, there’s always a moment when I stop and realize how the day or the lesson or whatever could have gone better. Those moments are important to me because they help push me to improve.

Eventually I’d like my blog to be filled with great lessons and resources and other mathy goodness, but right now I’m ok with it trying to answer the question, “What the hell did I get myself into?!”

By: Kevin Hall

Kevin Hall — Wed, 05 Mar 2014 21:09:36 +0000

I blog, and comment on other blogs, because it gives me a sense of hope. Even if I could become the most amazing teacher ever, that would end when my career ended. But if we’re building a continuing community of practice together, then we’re potentially at a scale that can make permanent change for the better (or, since nothing is really ever permanent, at least long-lasting).

By: Sam Shah

Sam Shah — Wed, 05 Mar 2014 18:45:30 +0000

In 2007, I started blogging because I was about to enter my own classroom for the first time and I was nervous and excited, and had been getting psyched up (in a good way) by reading the math teacher bloggers out there at the time. I continued doing it because I found I wanted to talk about my experiences in the classroom and talk with others about theirs. Lots of reading and commenting. It was inspirational. (This is pre-twitter MTBoS days). I also knew at heart I’m an archivist and so I would one day want to see my evolution as a teacher.

In the past year and a half, I feel as if I’ve (not on purpose, but by practice) half taken my foot out of the online community compared to the two feet I had firmly planted on the ground beforehand. I have been trying to pinpoint exactly why that is so — and although I have a ton of conjectures, I suspect it all comes down to me feeling down about my own teaching, and too paralyzed (for whatever reason) to fix it. When I’m feeling good about my teaching, I feel inspired and excited to blog. To archive things, to share things. When I’m feeling meh or nah about it, it’s harder to bring myself to the table. (And like you, I never blog when I don’t feel like it… or out of guilt… I do it when I want, for myself!)

Sam

PS. I suspect that the best thing to do to come out of my teaching nadir is to spend a few hours reading my feedly links and getting inspired… Now only if I had the time and energy!

By: dy/dan » Blog Archive » Why Joe Schwartz Blogs

dy/dan » Blog Archive » Why Joe Schwartz Blogs — Tue, 04 Mar 2014 18:24:00 +0000

[…] Joe Schwartz: […]

By: Joe Schwartz

Joe Schwartz — Mon, 03 Mar 2014 23:24:36 +0000

I’ll echo many of the comments. Community, reflection, learning…all reasons that I find compelling. In addition I’ll say this: I’ve been teaching for over 25 years and this is the best way to document what it is that happens in classrooms. A friend looked at my blog and then said to me, “Now I get what it is you really do.” Of course we can never actually capture all the moments, both large, small and in between, but I think all of our blogs together can do that. And in the climate we find ourselves in today I think that is very important.

By: Dan Meyer

Dan Meyer — Mon, 03 Mar 2014 21:38:31 +0000

Bummer. It’s interesting to me how our blogging —Â its quality, frequency, enthusiasm, etc. — functions as a dependent variable of so many other variables in our day-to-day grind.

By: Chris Hill

Chris Hill — Mon, 03 Mar 2014 21:17:19 +0000

I used to blog because I felt like I was coming up with some innovative lessons and I was learning some new approaches.

Recently I haven’t blogged because I’ve been handicapped into traditional direct instruction lessons (through resources and student culture). Maybe when I’m not in a different school every year (or when I’m excited about the school where I teach) I’ll start blogging again.

By: Why Do I Blog? | Questioning My Metacognition

Why Do I Blog? | Questioning My Metacognition — Mon, 03 Mar 2014 19:34:58 +0000

[…] do you blog?”Â was the question thatÂ Dan MeyerÂ recently asked and I thought it was a really good one. I’m relatively new to the […]