Thing #4

I commented on:

wilson1999--Thing 18
Roger's Science Spot--Thing 21
Amelia Bedelia Crotzer Becomes a Teacher--Thing 24
Miranda's Blog--Thing 14
Joradan's Space--Thing 19

I also commented on a couple of other blogs earlier in the project but I couldn't remember which ones!

As far as outside blogs I have commented on:

www.cookiemadness.net
www.cuteoverload.com


To me, the essence of why commenting is important in blogging is that it is the only thing that separates a blog from an online diary. Blog posts are about the viewpoint of the blogger but they're also about the interaction of that viewpoint with the rest of the world. Commenting can help steer the direction of future posts and comments that link to other blogs help create a network around a particular topic. Comments are what can make blogs feel like a community bulletin board or a notebook passed between friends in high school. I agreed with what CoolCatTeacher explained in her post about commenting when she said that comments like

"'Yeah' or 'Right on' may make the author feel good, but of more interest to conversation participants is 'Why do you think it is right on?' If you don't care, don't comment, but if something truly resonates with you and you have something to share, do it!"

I can't tell you how annoyed I get when I go to read the comments section of a blog post and see a 3 foot tall column of "yeah" or even worse, "first." It really defeats the purpose of blogs to gunk everything up with useless comments. I only ever comment on a blog if I genuinely have a reaction to the post, and I would hope visitors to my blog would do the same.

I also enjoyed the discussion of blogging etiquette from Drape's Takes: Edublogger Etiquette. The comments section of the post had some interesting observations from subscribers that I agree with. In the post, the question was raised about how much a blogger should comment back to comments on his own blog. The author felt that it was important for bloggers to comment on comments. A few subscribers felt that when they read comments and see that the blogger has responded to many of them, they feel that the blogger is stalking their comments and being defensive. I agree with the subscribers. I am less likely to comment on a post if I feel that the blogger is going to read it and respond to it right away. It makes me feel self conscious and it is a little like pulling the curtain back in the Wizard of Oz. Part of what makes the internet appealing is the ability to be anonymous and when a blogger responds immediately to comments it's a bit like having an awkward IM conversation with a stranger.

Thing #3

I can definitely see some applications for blogging in my classroom--especially considering that I intend to teach high school U.S. Government which is typically a 12th grade course. Most teenagers are certainly aware of blogging and probably have a few that they read daily, albeit more in the vein of dlisted or bestweekever. I could use a blog to introduce topics before we begin covering them in class to encourage discussion among students through commenting. I could also use the blog for online assignments by having students post links, pictures, etc. relating to the blog post I put up. I could also use the blog to keep parents informed and involved in what we're learning in the classroom. I could post homework assigments along with links to other resources students could use to help them complete their work. It would also serve as a place to keep standing links for things my students might need frequently like the MLA citations website, grammar/dictionary/thesaurus help, and applicable government sites. I would also love to have students keep a semester or year-long blog in addition to or instead of a journal. At the end of the unit/semester/school year they could revisit old posts and evaluate how they have changed as studetns and how their political opinions might have changed over time.

Thing #2

My posting name is surfergirl13. My husband and I are obsessed with all things Beach Boys and Brian Wilson. My husband and I kept what we had engraved inside each others' wedding bands secret until after we walked back down the aisle (to "God Only Knows" I might add) and took off our brand new rings and read them. He had "Forever you'll be my surfer girl" engraved in my wedding band and it refers to a couple of our favorite songs. The number "13" refers to the age that we first started dating each other. We took an 11 year "break" before getting back together at age 24, but we did honor our 8th grade romance by getting married on our original anniversary date.

The name of my blog is "juice box" which is a reference to the pronunciation of my last name--which sounds exactly like a delicious childhood juice box drink that I'm sure we all remember. (psst..it's Hi-C. Fruit Punch was my favorite)

...moving on...

Creating the blog, as I said in my first post, was pretty easy. I'm looking forward to exploring the site further and adding pictures, videos, links, etc. as I go along. I really like to "get into" these kinds of tools. I'll click on every button to see what it does. I have a very particular aesthetic sensibility so I can't wait to try everything out until I get it right. I read blogs all the time online and I have stopped reading many of them because they were so user un-friendly. I can't stand a blog with a billion components and sections and buttons and blinky things and blah blah blah. When I come across a blog that's too hard to navigate or messily put together I dont' even want to bother reading the first post because I know I won't want to bother with exploring the site. I'm hoping that I can create a blog that is easy to use and at least somewhat interesting.

...oh avatars...

I have to say I'm not a huge fan of the avatar. I had fun creating it and thought the process was super simple but I just really have a preference for photos. I'm sure some people aren't comfortable posting their photo on the front of their blog but I think it's much more pleasing to the eye. My husband and I have an inside joke about avatars that goes something like this: "Honey, did you leave your cereal bowl in the sink again?!" "No baby! That must have been my avatar!"

I sort of tried to make my avatar look like me, and pick at least a semi-cool outfit for her to wear. I'm a big leopard-print person (Although the way I just phrased that makes it sound like I'm a big person who is, in fact, leopard printed. That is definitely not the case but I think it's kind of funny so I'll leave it that way.) I'm not sure that I would advocate a leopard scarf and leopard shoes, but it was the most "me" outfit I could find. Since I come to class in sweats every week I'm sure that doesn't seem like it makes any sense but in my real life I do actually wear real clothes.

Thing #1

As I was watching the "7 1/2 Habits" tutorial I immediately identified with the "setting goals" habit. I am good at setting goals and pursuing them even if they seem ridiculous. I'm the queen of making insanely detailed to-do lists of every single component of a goal. As an undergrad I actually made an hour-by-hour schedule for myself for the final two weeks before my senior thesis was due. I can be incredibly motivated and organized when I have a clear goal and a day marked on the calendar. Right now I'm training for the Country Music Half Marathon and every thing I do and every meal I eat is geared toward accomplishing that goal. I'm also attending grad school full time during this semester, over the summer, and in the fall so that I can attain my goal of finishing my coursework by the time my husband returns from Afghanistan in December 2009.

That being said...

I'm absolutely the weakest at having confidence in my ability to learn. Even though I set lofty goals for myself, I tend to set goals within my spheres of expertise. I feel amazingly comfortable, even cocky, about learning more about subjects I feel confident in already. There's no book on political theory I can't understand. There's no fitness goal I don't think I can reach. I would never question my ability to cook a new meal from scratch. BUT...once an impromptu trip to the driving range with my dad paralyzed me with fear. I acted like a 3 year old. If someone asks me to try something I've never done before, or do something that *God forbid* I'm not sure I'll be good at I cannot deal. As a kid I was super dedicated to certain things and I excelled in them. I got so much praise for being good at things that it never occurred to me that there might be merit in trying anything new--what if I couldn't do it? Thankfully I have an amazingly adventurous and supportive husband who has encouraged me to start trying new things. Since we've been together I've become a sushi fanatic and zip-lined through the Costa Rican rainforest. And...here I am in grad school learning new things every day.

I actually found the process to set this blog up pretty straightforward. I'm looking forward to figuring out how to use the blogger tools and personalizing my blog. I'm pretty excited about learning how to do all of this. I've secretly always wanted to set up a blog but didn't want it to be amateurish--see above description of my fear of trying things I don't know how to do. I think this can be a great personal and professional tool and I am looking forward to the next 22 things!