Sunday, February 13, 2005
AHA Redux
Where has the first part of the semester gone? We haven't had much winter here - it's been in the 50s and lots of rain - if all this rain had been snow, it would have been a record year. Anyway . . .
During the H-Net Editor's workshops at the AHA, I presented a session about academic blogging. The PowerPoint I created was meant more to foster discussion than to be an exhaustive survey of the academic blogging world. In fact, the next even at dinner, I met more bloggers, including members of the illustrious Cliopatria, and it reminded me that any presentation on academic blogging could only scratch the surface since there is no official list of academic bloggers. The range of historians (and similar academic types blogging) goes from those who are expanding their lectures topics they teach and/or current events to those who primarily blog about their personal journeys through the job interview process, the tenure process, or other journeys that seem a bit too personal although the internet may be the perfect place to find kindred souls facing similar challenges. My personal preference is the individual blog in contrast to the group blogs.
Blogger is the easiest software portal to use to post a blog. But Typepad from Movable Type is also worth exploring. More experienced computer types like Liz and Paula use Movable Type. Along with lots of other people, I'll be watching the blogosphere develop. Still less than half the people understand what a blog is but I imagine those figures will change drastically a year from now. I helped my dad set up a blog to show pictures of all of his collections after attending the SXSW conference.
Students in my teaching methods class are blogging their analyses of classroom management situations and then their student teaching experiences during their professional semester. It's must more of reflective practice exercise than the papers I used to require. That is what I consider the biggest success of blogging - besides the other bloggers I've met, that is!
During the H-Net Editor's workshops at the AHA, I presented a session about academic blogging. The PowerPoint I created was meant more to foster discussion than to be an exhaustive survey of the academic blogging world. In fact, the next even at dinner, I met more bloggers, including members of the illustrious Cliopatria, and it reminded me that any presentation on academic blogging could only scratch the surface since there is no official list of academic bloggers. The range of historians (and similar academic types blogging) goes from those who are expanding their lectures topics they teach and/or current events to those who primarily blog about their personal journeys through the job interview process, the tenure process, or other journeys that seem a bit too personal although the internet may be the perfect place to find kindred souls facing similar challenges. My personal preference is the individual blog in contrast to the group blogs.
Blogger is the easiest software portal to use to post a blog. But Typepad from Movable Type is also worth exploring. More experienced computer types like Liz and Paula use Movable Type. Along with lots of other people, I'll be watching the blogosphere develop. Still less than half the people understand what a blog is but I imagine those figures will change drastically a year from now. I helped my dad set up a blog to show pictures of all of his collections after attending the SXSW conference.
Students in my teaching methods class are blogging their analyses of classroom management situations and then their student teaching experiences during their professional semester. It's must more of reflective practice exercise than the papers I used to require. That is what I consider the biggest success of blogging - besides the other bloggers I've met, that is!
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