If five years ago I looked into my crystal ball, I would have said that in 2016, all staff and students would have blogs. These would be spaces of reflection and also for portfolios. I would have said that they would be text based, but increasingly have video content. I would have said that we would be increasingly wired to comment on each other’s work and have gained skills in giving public, constructive feedback and commentary.
While blogging isn’t dead, its fate in the schools of 2016 is not what I envisioned. It seems like a lot of people have tried blogging, and while some continue the internet is littered with abandoned education blogs. I would like to agree with fellow educational blogger Martin Weller that “the future of blogging is blogging.”
I have written several times about my experiences during the 2010 Winter Olympics. During the Games I worked with a group of students who served as student reporters covering the action through their blogs. It was defining for me in my thinking. I saw students producing content for the real-world, getting immediate feedback and saw the quality of their writing improve as they felt the pressure of writing for a public audience.
My colleague Gary Kern, who joined me on the Olympic project, was the architect of our work in West Vancouver that saw every student get a blog. And led by Cari Wilson, we got students, classes and schools blogging across the district. We had blog challenges, and we had adults highlighting student blogs, and we grew the community.
So here is a (somewhat random) collection of things that has happened in the last five years which has led away from all blogging, both for students and the adults in our district:
- we have moved to collaborative spaces like Google Docs that allow multiple thinking outside the blog format
- instead of seeing blogs as “home base” for videos, photos etc. we have seen the growth of Instagram and YouTube and sustained presence of Facebook and Twitter which are often used as blogs – social media engagement is fragmented across various platforms.
- once everyone started writing, people began to comment less and less on other people’s writing
- the theory was that adults would model how to comment on blogs and then kids would learn and follow – unfortunately adults have been terrible models . . . one only has to look at the number of news sites that have shut comments off because of the immature and often hateful commentary
- some of our blogging tools we used were cumbersome and have not adapted as quickly as our other digital tools
- it is hard to sustain momentum – with ‘Hour of Code’, robotics, FreshGrade, Google Docs, there are a lot of digital tools and initiatives looking for our attention
Dean Shareski tweeted, “Blogs are like rock and roll and jazz. A one time popular genre, now a niche.” Maybe. We had the boost from the outside this past week working with George Couros, and at least for now, some of the excitement is back.
I no longer say things like ”Everyone needs to have a blog” but I still would hope that people would see the powerful value of owning a digital space of their own.
I love blogging. It gives me a voice. It is a place for me to work through ideas. It is a portfolio. It is my home base. The jury is still out if others see it the same.
cultureofyes.ca 
Yes, you struck this one squarely on it’s nose!
I think what most of us are doing and seeing now, is the importance of blogging as the diving board into long writing, both fiction and non-fiction. Publishers continue to actively mine the blogosphere (sp?) for new talent to convert to print.
Some have seen book deals.
I just wish I had the time to ‘blog’ more!
: )
Anna
Thanks Anna – I agree that the blogosphere is a great place to gain audience and it is often an entry point into traditional media – whether it is newspapers, magazines or books. I am always struck by the idea of “having time to blog more”. What that still really says to me is that we don’t have time to blog more is because we haven’t yet found enough value in blogging to make time to blog more.
Hi Chris
You’ve expressed a malaise I’ve felt with blogging, in particular edublogging in the last few years. Just because blogging is a medium I enjoy and find useful doesn’t mean others will. I like what one of my online buddies said last year – attach yourself to people, not apps. Kids will know their platforms and which ones they value for the purposes of collaboration for different purposes.
https://rebekahmadrid.wordpress.com/2015/03/09/attach-yourself-to-people-not-to-apps/
Stephanie
Thanks Stephanie – what a good addition to the conversation. There is no doubt that one of the best things about blogging is the people that you get to connect with because of engaging in the space. The beauty of blogging over some of the other tools, is that it allows for extended thinking and ideas in a way you can’t with many of the others.
Almost feel you were speaking to me Chris… 🙂 I think like most things, they come in waves and in our fast paced technologically driven society, the waves are faster and more frequent. I used to write weekly and that was consistent for about five years then I came to my current role in Vancouver. It got complicated to be able to speak freely about some of things I am interested in, the workload can be insane, and I ran out of ideas to some degree that I cared to write about. Mostly, I lost the passion to write. One day I’m sure it will return but until then, there’s mountain biking, chillin’ with Shelley, visiting, travel, oh and work! Good post – you got me to comment, something I haven’t done in years. Cheers.
Thanks for commenting Brian. I loved reading your blog posts every week. I wonder if some of the excitement we all felt was the novelty of blogging. And although we kept encouraging more people to blog, once others joined us, the space became more crowded the novelty wore off a bit. And maybe as digital has just become normal for most people know, we don’t feel the responsibility to act as pioneers in the space.
I am probably romanticizing the blogosphere of 5-8 years ago . . . but it seemed like such an exciting times of new ideas, people pushing each others thinking, and community building.
Good to connect again – at least for one day. I guess I will have to look for you on the local mountains 🙂
To be honest Chris, I’m not sure if it matters if “blogging” becomes embedded as common practice in education… As you say, there are now so many platforms that allow students and educators to share and collaborate. Like you, I love blogging. But although writing is a powerful medium for me, it doesn’t work for everyone. So, what are the essential elements that I would like to see permeate all aspects of education? Ongoing reflection, opportunities to include a variety of diverse and sometimes marginalized voices, a sharing of thoughts, best practices, inspiration and support, and opportunities to connect and collaborate, both within our school communities, and on a global scale. For me, I don’t particularly “care” how this happens, as long as it’s happening! I particularly “care” how we get “there”, as long as we’re continuing to move forward. So, blogs, Twitter, Snapchat, chats over coffee…whatever works. Yes, it’s somewhat “fragmented”, but if the alternative is isolation and stagnation, I’ll take it. 🙂
Good thinking Sarah. It is strange,I really thought we would be less fragmented, not more fragmented. The way my brain works is that I want to gather ideas in one place, but it seems like we are doing just the opposite.
Blogging as a home base! Works for me.
I say this knowing what may be true for some is not true for all. One size rarely fits all, something we’re repeatedly bumping against in education. Whether it be self-reg practices, reading, math, music, etc. the important piece for me is providing opportunities for students to discover their niche. While they may not blog, it may be valuable for them to know what a blog is.
Connectedness and relationship are foundational in building opportunities. Be it via twitter, facebook, instagram, google docs, Real-Live-Face-to-Face, or what is new this month, let’s be sure we facilitate ways and means of authentic communication.
Great post!
Carol
Thanks Carol – I agree all this is true. The beauty of the blog over some of the others you list is that it is public and you can have a greater influence than just over those you are regularly connected with and you can grow your network.
Chris,
As someone who has ‘started blogging, then paused’, I have grown to appreciate the consistency in which you blog. As others have mentioned, it doesn’t seem to matter so much where educators communicate, just that they find community, feedback, dialogue, and support in the process. I am not sure whether we are headed toward more or less fragmentation in the digital world. I am leaning toward better connectivity, regardless of which avenue people choose to communicate. Social media itself is full of ways to connect blogging to facebook to Twitter, etc, so things should be more seemless over the next five years…but who knows?
I am glad that you have found a ‘Home Base’ in blogging. Culture of Yes finds its way into my digital world one way or another. And for that, I thank you. Although I rarely comment on blogs (your point about so many blogs to read is true), your post today is a good reminder that part of what makes blogging successful is the opportunity to join the conversation, provide an opposing viewpoint, further the thinking, or simply say thank you to the author. So, Thank you Chris for sharing with us.
Thanks Don for the note and reconnecting. I think our relationship points out the power of the blog format. I know about you and your work because of your blog. As you write less, I feel less connected. I would be interested – so, why did you pause? Was it now what you expected? You are an excellent writer and your ideas should be shared widely. Hopefully you return from your pause.
Thanks Chris for your encouagement. I used the word ‘pause’ instead of ‘stopped’ or ‘quit’ because I will resume blogging. In fact, your blog on blogging has inspired me to blog about my reflections on pausing in the blogging process.
Very insightful post, Chris!
I completely agree – the platform has to be authentic. Just as we don’t all spend our time communicating through music, drama, academic writing, mathematics, or handiwork, we won’t all be drawn to blogging as a medium.
This post is particularly a propos as a UBC teacher candidate where we all were first told we were required to, and then told we were merely encouraged to blog our year. The power of blogging, as has been mentioned by previous commenters, is the power to connect with authenticity across previous divides – teacher candidates to school superintendents, for example. This is a very powerful tool, but stripped of authenticity as part of a ‘checking the box’ activity or a call for everyone to blog, it cuts against the grain of the pedagogy on individualized learning: blogs are best as reflective and communicative spaces, but we don’t all reflect or communicate in the same way and some flexibility about the medium will help us develop sustainable reflective practices rather than ones we drop as soon as the box is checked.
And so, while I personally love engaging in blogs, I appreciate that the blogging community can recognize that it doesn’t need to be for everyone – and that that’s part and parcel of the celebration of human diversity.
Thanks for the note Stephen – you raise another wonderful power of the format . . . it is about ideas and not one’s role in the system. And I think student teachers are crazy to not build up a positive digital presence with blogging being one of the key elements. When people are competing for jobs I know I am looking for those who models the skills, attributes and attitudes of our modern learners and you have to be engaged in the digital space.
This is something that I have been struggling with for about 2 years now. I was part of the original heyday of educational blogging. I think my classroom was one of the first in the country to be connected this way. At the time, I couldn’t imagine teaching without blogs. Now I’ve only written about a half dozen posts (if that) in that last 2 years. But I’m missing it and starting to think more deeply about what I’m missing and what the kids in my class are missing out on. What kind of education do we value for our students? I’m believing more firmly these days that things like making and coding and 3D printing are all important, but they are not the most valuable components of education. What is most valuable is helping students to evaluate complex issues, make connections with others, and build a better world. Even a 3D printer can’t do that ;). I need to take more time to think over where this is going to take me, but your post helped me to see the journey more clearly. Thanks for that.
Thanks Clarence. The landscape is definitely not what it was a decade ago for educational blogging. In some ways, though, I think it is even more important. As more traditional media sources disappear, we need to be the channels of conversation on big ideas in education. I appreciate you connecting.
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You have definitely pointed to some of the problems that blogging has faced, but I think there are other matters that have gotten in the way as well. The overwhelming emphasis on testing has made many teachers put blogging aside. The number of “other” programs in many schools that are pushed by administration also over shadow blogging. I think when we look at a book like “Leading with Focus” by Mike Schmoker, we can see the value blogs can have in putting reading and writing back at the center of education. But it seems that many people read the book and think that Schmoker is calling for less technology, but that is not the case. He is simply saying that the technology should focus on developing better reading and writing, something blogs can certainly do. As for my own blogging, I have slowed down this year, but it is because of things happening in my personal life. Once I’m through the transitions I’m currently facing, I will be back to blogging at least once a week.
Thanks for continuing this discussion. I think you are right that when it seems like our school days are full with testing and other “mandatory” activities, blogging becomes a luxury. I also think you are absolutely right we need to come back to the important point that blogging encourages students to read and write more, and it leads to improved reading and writing.
I love blogging too. I guess we’re part of the niche, which is OK. I’d like to everyone creating, whether a blog or something else. Lots of possibilities…
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