My reflection on blogs

In class we were learning and discussing blogs and their potential use in education.  As I look at the history of the Grin and Bear I.T. blog  it has primarily been used for knowledge sharing.   I may stumble on a website or a piece of research and share information about the topic.  Sometimes the tool is so cool that you forget how actually BORING the blog is.   Yes, I said it – boring.

What is it that makes me decide – Hey this blog is worthy of being entered into my RSS reader?  I think it is the personal touch of the author.  The content may contain reflection or it may contain topics of debate.  Heck it might contain just plain ‘ol orneriness. (The venting of others is always a good read)  What I have come to realize is the blogs that I do thoroughly enjoy AND learn from have personality.

So this leads me to how I learn.  I learn from Blogs, Wiki’s, and Social Networks.  Many of the F2F groups I meet with have an online extension to one or all of these tools.  Below is an example of my personal learning network that I developed last semester.  What other online learning tools should I be using?  (click on image to enlarge it)

Jen's Personal Network

Jen’s Personal Network

What I have learned by subscribing to blog  or any of these other tools cannot be taught in any book, in any classroom.  It is instant knowledge.  If I disagree with the opinion of the blogger, I can comment on the blogger’s page and get a side conversation going.  Or better yet, I can voice my opinion on my blog and get my audience involved in the discussion.  At any rate – what I am accomplishing is a very deep knowledge into the topic that I have access to 24/7. This truly is critical thinking at its best!

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