EduBlog Insights

helps me reflect and challenges me and my youth work practice,” he

says. “It’s a good way to build useful relationships. At youth work

conferences people will come up and say hello, which is why it’s good

to sign your name instead of remaining anonymous.”

So goes a  quote from Ian Macdonald, a diocesan youth adviser at the Anglican Church. He started Youthblog,

which is aimed at youth workers and ministers. The objective of the

blog is to share experiences and discuss issues. He continues by

stating the following:

“People get overwhelmed with

emails, but you can mix pictures and content with a blog. There are

also a number of ways to engage with blogging. It’s about personality,

because there is a forum for a voice and it’s more dynamic.”

is another  blog created to find out exactly what young people

think of their schools and issues such as bullying, physical education

and new technology.  It was created by the Every Child Matters

project at the Liverpool City Council. Check out the front page of this

blog. It has links to the

issues, a blog help guide of safety rules, a getting started page,

house rules, and guidelines for use.

All the comments are anonymous. They ask adults not to use the blog for

commenting. It’s very clear on the guidelines and can give educators

blogging that it is even encouraging schools to incorporate it into

we love to hear some of our local organizations encouraging blog use

like this Liverpool council has? How about a school board?

The article, Internet: World of Blogs, also lists another blog, Making Music.

It is a new blog created to list ideas about how amateru music groups

could get more involved in their local communities. The article came

from Young People Now.

I like this continuing focus on the “ups” of blogs. More ideas for classroom use are brewing in my mind…….

knows how to blog a conference.  I bet I am nowhere

near as exhausted as Steve must be at the end of each day but then again I’m not getting to be a part

of the up close and personal learning conversations that always occur at

conferences. However, it’s so cool to be able to “attend” thanks to

presenters are so accessible to the attendees. At NECC, the odds of me being

able to talk to Joel Barker were about 1 in 1000 (unless I stood in line to

posts in great detail the sessions he attends PLUS he gives you his

thoughts, makes connections to his previous learning, posts relevant

links, shares ideas and the fun.  Plus he writes in such a way

that his personal voice comes through loud and clear. This is blogging

at its best!