Blogging about Blogging

What I want to do: I love blogging.  The summer of 2011 I started this blog in hopes to share my art journaling ideas.  Here's my first post ever.  I hope I've gotten better at blogging?  I loved having a platform to share my work.  The fall of 2012 I studied abroad in Costa Rica.  I used my blog to share my travel stories and adventures with my family and friends at home.  Now, I have graduated from college, and I am pursing a teaching career.

I could have made a different blog separate for teaching, or my study abroad experience.  BUT I want this blog to show my evolution, not just as an art journaler, or traveler, or teacher.  I want people to see my growth as a 20-something trying to find my way in the world.

Blogging has really impacted my life, and I want my students to be able to blog.  It is a great way to practice writing skills, and it gives a real, live audience.

While scanning teacher blogs (which seems to be all I've been doing lately) I found THIS amazing video: Jujitsuing Reality.  I watched it in bed this morning and cried multiple times.  The power of writing is pretty freaking amazing.

This video from David Theriault talks about the importance of blogging.  He wants his kids to do amazing things NOW.  He wants the audience to be the world.  He wants his students to have a community no matter where they are.  He talks about using REFRAMING to have them connect their student passions with what's going on in the classroom.  One quote I loved from him: "You don't cry unless you are invested."  Here is a post about blogging from his own site.

I'm trying to figure out how to incorporate blogging into the curriculum for next year.  Theriault has his kids use whatever frame they want to view and connect what is going on in the classroom.  I've also been thinking about doing a Genius Hour or Passion Projects with the boys.  Blogging could be a neat way for them to set goals and reflect on the process.  So many neat ideas.  Now it's just figuring out how to incorporate the best practices for my students...