Why Don't All Teachers Blog?

 by Travis

Why don't all teachers blog? It seems reasonable to think that a great many do. Teachers like to share and the internet allows for such ease in sharing. However, I wonder how pervasive teacher blogs are.

I don't have an answer. Ultimately I am looking for an answer or a better phrased question to describe a situation that I have seen. I see schools of teachers each week, each with mastery of their content and a certain skill in delivery that comes from experience and the dedication to the skill of teaching (art). 

Why don't these teachers blog about their experiences, sharing them with others as a way to create a community. Is it fear? Is it that they are unsure of how good they are? Is it that there is just not enough time in the day to do so?

For me, the act of blogging about my teaching context provides an opportunity to reflect on current issues as well as invite in thoughtful discussion. 

What do you think? Why do you blog OR NOT blog? What is the catch? Include your blog URL in the comments so we can see what teachers around the country are doing.

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Comments

[Rena]

Patti,the situation sounds very sad. Does the administrator have something to fear? Personal time and conversations that could lead to improving education need to be allowed. There are so many important topics that need to be discussed and people find comfort in sharing at times.

[Luann]

Patti, you pointed out a very sad situation. Playing on semantics, you said specifically "blogging about his or her work at the school." It would be very easy to write about something so specific that even without names or identifying information, identities would be obvious. Blogging in generalities and situations unrelated to specifics at school would be pretty hard to control, so long as the work was found to be within bounds of the public concern test. Blog posts related to political, social, or other public community concern is protected. Discussing internal affairs, people, conversations intended to be private, and certainly anything vulgar or pertaining to students would not be protected.

I'm more concerned about the admins and teachers who don't understand the value of communicating and sharing with appropriate levels of openness. How can we educate them?

[Nancy Flanagan]

Simply threatening the teachers is probably enough to keep them from sticking a toe into blogging waters for a time. I think we're probably in a transition phase with blogging right now. Only a principal who didn't truly understand the power of blogging--or social networking-- would think that threats would shut down virtual communication. Inevitably, schools will be forced to deal with the fact that anybody can say anything, with some impunity, and the schools who try to get out ahead of the transformation rather than resisting will be doing the right thing for their students and teachers.

Back in the 80s, calculators were forbidden at my school. Any kid caught with a calculator was assumed to be cheating--the calculator was confiscated, and the kid was punished. Now, of course, at the HS, kids are expected to provide their own $100 graphing calculators--the teachers pass out a list of acceptable calculators on the first day of class. The shock-resistance-capitulation--adoption cycle applies to almost every innovation that's come down the pike.

[Travis A. Wittwer]

I am sure it is not something that can be enforced. However, the idea behind it is frightening.

[Mark G.]

I'm curious how this is enforceable. I wonder what part of the collective bargaining agreement sacrificed teachers' personal freedom of speech outside their contract day?

Has this administrator followed through on his threats?

[Patti]

I hate to say it, but some administrators frown on virtual sharing. I know one administrator who has threatened to punish any teacher he finds blogging about his or her work at the school. Even if no names are named or any identifying information is used, if he can prove they were blogging about their work they get reprimanded at the least. Using Facebook and Twittering, even at home, are forbidden.

So, while I agree that blogging is very helpful in improving teaching practice, not all people involved in education see it the same way.

[Travis A. Wittwer]

RW, "inappropriate" by definition has a connotation of "wrong". Can you shed some more light on what you mean by inappropriate sharing? Thank you kindly.

[RW]

I don't have a personal blog, but I have a lot of niche websites in the fields I work in - mostly reading, test prep, and tutoring. I think that telling all teachers to get a blog might lead to a lot of possibly inappropriate sharing - makes me think it's better than relatively few teachers do have blogs. Also, technology holds many back. As an aid, tutor, and supporting educator, I get to work with lots of teachers, and it amazes me how few of them know how to do anything other than opening word documents.

[Travis A. Wittwer]

Clix, I think your statement of teachers know thinking that they have anything about which to blog is more true that we would expect. But it is just this shared experience that leads to a discussion and reflection.

[Clix]

Heh. Travis, I got here via the Carnival, so I can definitely vouch for how helpful it is!

I've been communicating online for years - you know, back when people you met online were automatically assumed to be psycho stalkers. (I'd like to apologize to anyone I terrified.)

Sometimes it was hard to find what you wanted online, mostly because topics were often intermingled on personal pages, or links were dead. Now? There's even more out there, and the amount of stuff-you-don't-want has likewise increased. Sorting through the chatter can be a daunting task in and of itself.

And for those who are tech-savvy but not integrated into an online community, I think it's a matter of worldview. I know several teachers in my building who are great at finding what they're looking for online, but don't really participate. To them, the internet is like a dictionary (you find what you want, then put it away) rather than a magazine subscription (you can return to topics & writers you enjoy).

OTOH, the teachers I have known (in my admittedly limited experience!) DO have "rich professional conversation over time." It's just that it's very contained - usually to those who share a lunch or planning period, or those within a department or grade team.

Finally, I think blog snobbery is part of it. I bet WAAAY more teachers do some kind of personal reflection on their teaching practices, beyond just those who do so online. But let's face it - if you're posting it online, you're presuming an audience beyond yourself. And a lot of times, online communities aren't very welcoming. I think a lot of people who don't blog feel like they have nothing "worthwhile" to say, and that they'll be scorned for posting something banal or redundant or otherwise less-than-brilliant.