Teachers and librarians are using blogging professionally and in the classroom as a tool for learning. You only have to take a quick look at Will Richardson’s blog Weblogg-ed to see how truly innovative teachers are harnessing Web 2.0 technologies to expand the traditional classroom. But, as Chris Harris mentions in his article Five Reasons Not to Blog, “unfortunately, some educators should have thought twice before answering the call to post.” Here are the five reasons presented:
- “I want to give them a piece of my mind.”
- “Oh, the stories I could tell.”
- “I think I can find some time at school …”
- “Nobody will find out that it’s me.”
- “It’s OK, I will keep it private.”
Sarah Needleman, author of How Blogging Can Help Get You a New Job, mentions a few of the same instances and states that while blogging can help you be seen,“indiscrete bloggers can derail job opportunities.” For instance:
“Job seekers who blog increase the odds that a potential employer will find information online that the candidate wants to be seen, says Debbie Weil, a corporate blogging consultant in Washington and the author of "The Corporate Blogging Book," which was published last summer. "Everybody has an online identity whether they know it or not, and a blog is the single best way to control it," she says. "You're going to be Googled. No one hires anyone or buys anything these days without going online first and doing research." (Needleman, 4/10/07).
Rebecca and I discussed these topics before beginning this blog last summer. It was important to both of us our bosses were made aware of the endeavor and that we had a few general rules in place for what we would present on the blog. While the blog is a great option for professional discussion, it should definitely not be the “teacher’s lounge.”
Tags: School Library Journal, Five Reasons Not to Blog, Wall Street Journal Online, How Blogging Can Help You Get a New Job
