I had an inauspicious beginning for a blogger. I’m generally quite skeptical about new technologies–simply introducing new technology doesn’t transform educational practice–and I tend to adopt new technologies later than some in my field. Further, I didn’t think blogs afforded a better kind of collaborative online discourse. I think a discourse database like Knowledge Forum has more features to support it. I am terribly curious, however, and I’ll keep testing ideas for probably a longer time than most. So began my relationship with the blog.
What I realized as I wrote entries and learned blog different features was that I grew to enjoy making the time to reflect. Of course, I also reflect when I compose KF notes. So much so, in fact, that multiple classmates would post their notes in the time I began composing a build-on note to when I actually closed & contributed it.
I’m no longer enrolled in courses as a student. I’m analyzing and writing on my own, somewhat isolated as an on-campus graduate student (I go into OISE regularly to see faculty and colleagues) who lives at a distance from campus (3-4 hours roundtrip). In my blog, I’m not necessarily working with ideas to advance others’ understanding. I mean, it would be great if a blog entry of mine did, but often as not, I compose entries on different things for me, albeit in a public space. That it’s public doesn’t bother me; if it did, I wouldn’t post it. I’m not afraid of putting ideas out there, but I don’t expect to have a huge readership, and that’s fine with me. I don’t mind getting comments now and then, though!
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