After setting up and experimenting with a number of things related with the Blogger website I have found a few things that are different between mine and the professional ones listed for us to read.
The first, and most noticeable thing, that is different between my new blog and a professional one is the layout. While we can still find the common features of the blog intact (Blogroll, Archives, Comments, etc.) there are more advanced features that make a blog appear to be a fully functional website. These simple things are the navigational bars at the top, header banners with an image and text instead of just a blog title, and custom images or links to partners going down the side. While graphics are not everything (as a few of the linked blogs showed us with white pages and black text) they do help hold attention as well as attract.
Second, while not as noticeable as graphics and layout but much more important, is content. There were a few blogs that were focused on a specific topic of either teaching or technology there were also blogs that posted random bits of information that, while interesting and informative, did not hold any common ground with each other. People do not go to any website if there is not content that they want to experience. The things that we post should be informative or probe questions into their minds that help to create conversation and thus allow the blog to flourish with content in comments and newer posts.
I reviewed Will Richardson, David Warlick, Clay Burrell, and Clarence Fisher's blogs and found that even in such a small sample of blogs to look at these four were incredibly different. No site looked anywhere close to one another and their content was in-depth. The random information blog was the only one to not post much content but the content that they did post probed you to learn more about what they were talking about. It allowed you to learn on your own instead of having someone research it all for you and blog about it. A creative way to educate.
While ours may never reach this level of professional web development we
should look to incorporate a few of these elements. Linking to other
writer's blogs is an amazing way to get recognition and in return it may
also happen to your own blog. Blogs are meant to be read but how can
they be if they are not ever shared? Be sure to note and link to your
friends entries if they are helpful in writing your own.
Well, I was hoping for a bit more on content, but visual appeal is important. OK, for a first blog. For the future, I will be interested in your focus on matters concerning education as the most important thing - and yes, visual appeal is part of education, but there is more. :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks!
I understand. After spending years studying technology sometimes it's just habit to talk about it and what it does. I will keep the rest of my posts educationally oriented. I do understand the practical uses for blogs concerning education for both teaching and collaborating with other teachers. The biggest issues that this helps to address is finding a solution to a problem that someone else has already had happen, not reinventing the wheel, and a "home base" for your students and parents.
DeleteSorry for the off topic post and thanks!