To blog or not to blog?

That is the question.

You’ve probably heard the term blog over and over again, but what is a blog?

Well, a blog (short for weblog) is a tool used to tell stories, to connect and collaborate with colleagues, peers, influencers, like-minded folks, and can also be used to express ideas and be reflective on a specific topic. Blogs are intended to be interactive and resourceful. We can use blogs to (i) submit new ideas to improve the way we work and serve our clients; (ii) share our ideas and their progress with the community; and (iii) show support for other people's ideas.

Some blogs are excessive, others make great use of the technology for learning (not to mention those that take extreme pride in their ingenuity). Blogs have become intriguing to learners as a method of learning because of its social media, and social media is a part our daily lives (Powell et al., 2012). So many people use social media in their personal lives and while some feel it’s’ better not to mix business with pleasure, the majority find academic benefits to (Chen & Bryer, 2012).

Why not encourage engagement by allowing learners the opportunity to share in an informal setting where comments and honest, authentic remarks are shared, without bias. This encourages a more interesting and fun learning environment (Friedman & Friedman, 2013). We all know that it takes engagement to encourage a positive learning environment. Using blogs brings new information and thoughts about a wide range of subjects.

While blogs can boost careers, and if used wisely can be profound in personal and professional development, its purpose is to share ideas, engage with the content, reflect, ask questions, and respond, enhancing learning!

Let’s answer the question – to blog or not to blog? Yes, is the answer! Go for it.

Resources

Here is a link to a website with great suggestions for educational blogs:

https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/education-blogs-you-should-follow-teach-com-list

Here is a link to many other blogging tools that can be created for all formats:

https://buffer.com/library/blogging-tools/

References

Powell, D., Jacob, C., & Chapman, B. (2012). Using blogs and new media in academic practice: Potential roles in research, teaching, learning, and extension. Innovative Higher Education, 37(4), 271–282. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10755-011-9207-7

Chen, B., & Bryer, T. (2012). Investigating instructional strategies for using social media in formal and informal learning. International Review of Research in Open & Distance Learning, 13(1), 87–104. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v13i1.1027

Friedman, L. W., & Friedman, H. H. (2013). Using social media technologies to enhance online learning. Journal of Educators Online, 10(1).