Blogs, RSS Feeds and Professional Development

"A world of learners is waiting to connect and engage with you." So says Miguel Guhlin on his website Engaged Learners Corner. As educators we have to stay constantly on top of new ideas and changes occurring within our realm. The same principles that apply for why blogging is good for students, apply to why blogging is good professional development for educators.

The information available through edublogs is mind boggling. There is a world of professionals, all sharing their thoughts and ideas. They discuss interesting pieces of writing, reflect on their work and share their experiences. It is like attending on line pro-d workshops anytime you want on just about any topic you want.

Well written blogs provide countless resources involving up to the minute information. The BCTLA blog (BC Teacher Librarians) is full of information about upcoming events pertaining to librarians in British Columbia. It has links to best practice videos and a forum for discussion. I can see myself referring to it regularly in the upcoming year.

Blogs like Beyond School by Clay Burell where I linked to a great weblog rubric and a lesson idea on broadcasting, as well as Edublog Insights by Anne Davis, have countless interesting pieces I'd like to sit down and read. (and I will!) Davis' most current entry discussed a question asked by someone named Sara. "Can a blog that is mostly public be a space for the meaning making that happens prior to drafting a manuscript?" Davis answers with a resounding yes and goes on to add "blogs can extend learning and facilitate transfer of learned concepts." Isn't that what professional development is all about?

Writing your own blog, makes you reflect on your teaching and analyze what you are doing. Teachers who try new things in their classes and post blogs on their experiences such as Darren Kuropatwa and Stacy Baker, both mentioned in Will Richardson's Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, not only experience their own pro-d by reflecting on their teaching and their students' learning, but help others as they can read the posts and learn from their experiences. When responses are written, and a discussion ensues, the learning becomes that much more powerful.

Writing your own blogs will help you to reflect on your own practice. You are provided with an audience for your thoughts and you are able to interact with them. Sharing ideas and discussing with colleagues is what most teachers like best about pro-d opportunities, and it is available on line.

Blogging helps us to make sense of the internet world. Following blogs of technology 'experts' allows us to keep abreast of what is new, what tools are out there, and how they can help us in our schools. Stephen's Lighthouse has links to all of his articles written for his Multimedia and Internet @ Schools column. His recent entries list has numerous articles that look worth reading. Miquel Guhlin's blog, Around the Corner,  includes a lot of discussion on a wide variety of topics. His most recent discusses a Washington Post article on teaching and technology. I looked at others on Google Apps and wiki solutions. The part I liked most on his site was the interaction between himself and others. It was like listening in on a great conversation.

As a teacher, I am constantly asking my students to work on their reading and writing skills, but I get few opportunities to work on my own. Blogging improves reading and writing skills. It teaches us how to sift through information more quickly and easily. We have to read critically, evaluate for accuracy, analyze the work, reflect on it, and perhaps respond to it. Things we constantly ask of our students, but rarely have time to do for ourselves unless we are taking part in pro-d activities.

Blogging encourages us to be organized and clear. We have to deal with never ending information and we learn how to manage the enormous amount of information more effectively for ourselves and for our students. RSS feeds help us to keep the information organized, and help us to keep on top of current information. As John Evans states in his article, "What Are RSS Feeds and Why Haven't I Heard About It?" (Coming of Age, pages 25-28) RSS feeds are good pro-d because they are time saving, provide up to the minute information and are great for current events.

I joined Google reader when I created my blog, and put all my classmates' blog url's on it. I love the way the first few lines of each blog appear, so that I can read the start, and then decide whether to read on or not. It has made it very easy to follow everyone's writing.

I had not put any other blogs on my Google Reader, but decided to try moving some from my Diigo bookmarks. I did not have a lot of success doing this, but am slowly sorting it out. I did have success using the search in Google reader and then subscribing to the blog. I tried it with a keyword (bctla) and with a url (http://anne.teachesme.com) I feel far more comfortable with the Google Reader set up than with Diigo, and although I know they have different functions, can see myself using Google reader more and more, unlike Diigo.

Why are blogs and RSS feeds good professional development? They provide a medium for increased access and exposure to quality information. We become connected to a world of educators and are able to tap into their expertise. The connective nature encourages us connect with other educators and gain deeper insight through responses and feedback. Blogs encourage us to reflect on our own practices and learning and RSS feeds keep us organized. Only by reading what others think, reflecting on what we do, learning from our triumphs and failures and honing our skills can we continue to develop professionally. Blogs allow us to do just that.