To blog or not to blog? That was MY main question

Back in the mid 2000's, I started to see a proliferation of blogs and was interested in creating my own. My biggest concern or inquiry was how often I would have to update it--and the thought of it made me stay away from initiating the project. I would often equate writing a blog with keeping a personal journal. When I was a teen, I kept my journal but I didn't write on it often so I felt I was leaving something out and I didn't like it because I felt "guilty". If I felt I would have to keep up with my blog on a regular basis and be concerned with what to post to keep it updated, the task was going to become a burden. Knowing myself-- the project was going to end within a month. As predicted, I started a blog that had one post and never resumed it until today (the original post was deleted by the system).

I found answers to the question of the title of this post to blog or not to blog in a gradual basis when I started reading resources about about PNL and PLE. An excellent ebook, in Spanish though, is called Entornos Personales de Aprendizaje: Claves para el ecosistema educativo en red by Castañeda and Adell. Ebook about PLE (In Spanish)
Steve Wheeler is also big on PLE and I learned a lot from his tweets and blog entries, this is just one of his entries Steve Wheeler's blog
I have just finished reading the book Digital Literacies by Dudeney Hockly and Pegrum.
Finally, one of the most illuminating insights I got came from reading Greg McVerry's blog entry about PNL in this week's discussion of learning event#2 from Walkmywoldproject . What I like about this post is that he clearly explains the uses and relationships between Twitter and Blogs in a way I have not seen before. That is, a Twitter is a medium to share ideas and to get to know what others are discussing. A Blog, on the other hand, is a place to reflect on what was collected so as to take a pause on what was posted, receive feedback and interact with others through our writings.

I am happy to say that I understand the reasons underlying the use and practices of keeping a blog. I am thrilled to start a new year with this project that will gradually strengthen my PLE and PNL.

A ride in an amusement park: a reflection on the dimensions of learning

I recently visited an amusement park and one of the attractions was a 5-D cinema. This meant that I needed to wear 3-D glasses while I could watch a movie and feel my seat adjusting to the motion of the film, my heart sped up as the velocity increased and there was even some water drops sprayed when the scene was under the sea. Wow! It was not just the visual but other senses that were involved in the experience. Younger generations play online games, and use X-boxes that contribute to their lively experiences. I left the park thinking about the learning process and about the audience that enjoyed it. Am I engaging my students with all or most of their senses when I teach (or just the visual and auditory)?

This is one example of the innovations that technology can bring to a classroom. I may not need to have seats that move while my students learn. Yet, I feel that my teaching needed to evolve to introduce changes that ensure students are active while they learn. I have made baby steps towards that direction.

Family Enjoy Movie Ride by ThrillfxRide CC BY-SA 3.0