mguhlin

#Rockstar Blog Your World #Meme


The RockStar blog meme–which I kicked off due to a presentation I was doing yesterday and thought it might be valuable for others to reflect on their experiences with others–continues…answering the question, how has blogging “rocked your world?” It’s a deceptively simple question. Here are some of the responses so far that I thought I’d highlight:


  2. Dave Mesiter (@phsprincipal –  PCHS Director Blog) – Read Dave’s Contribution!
  3. Matthew “Mr. Foteah” Ray – Read his contribution!
  4. Joan Young’s video response (The Gift of Blogging) – which appears above as a thoughtful, reflective video that I encourage you to watch.

One of the recurring themes is summed up by Dan Oestreich’s contribution:

What I did not imagine when I started is that it also would connect me to such great people. Although we may never have met in person, I feel the kinship of spirit and perspective with any number of folks anywhere in the world.

Matthew Ray also expresses his surprise as he found his voice through blogging and the satisfaction he derives from it:

It amazes me that so many people care about what I write, that I am generating debate and discussion among people much smarter than me, and that I am inspiring others to try new things with their students and themselves. It is my great joy to be able to impact the lives of others...I never expected blogging would open up a network as vast as mine. 

Dave Mesiter (PHPPrincipal) also makes this point:

When I was challenged to write a blog (by my school librarian), I had no idea that participating in the world of education blogs would lead me to joining a learning network that includes some of the brightest minds in education today.

If there is a dark side to blogging, it is that blogging accelerates our expectation of positive changes we expect to see in the world around us. Dave writes something that I have observed in our blogging community over the years:

In a way, writing here has led to a lot of frustration.  I think the online network of educators that I interact with are primarily progressive types who long for meaningful change in the way we do our jobs.  The lack of true change is very frustrating especially for an educator like me who has children currently in the system.

I still remember when I realized that other education bloggers were actually LEAVING the classroom and education altogether because they were so frustrated with change. If one were to look at many of the popular voices in the edublogging community, some of them would undoubtedly be frustrated educators.

At times like these, I’m reminded of Spiderman 2 movie and the words of Aunt May:

Everybody loves a hero. People line up for them, cheer them, scream their names. And years later, they’ll tell how they stood in the rain for hours just to get a glimpse of the one who taught them how to hold on a second longer. I believe there’s a hero in all of us, that keeps us honest, gives us strength, makes us noble, and finally allows us to die with pride, even though sometimes we have to be steady, and give up the thing we want the most. Even our dreams.

Given the choice between being steady or being a rockstar or hero, which would you choose?

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2 comments

  1. Mr. GuhlinI really enjoyed this post. It really got me to thinking. I much like you before my EDM310 class at University of South Alabama I did not really understand the full advantages of blogging. I am finding it very beneficial and I know in my future as an educator will use these connections to further my resources. I want to answer your last question even though I realize it may be a rhetorical question. My answer is STEADY.

    Reply

  2. Mr. GuhlinI really enjoyed this post. It really got me to thinking. I much like you before my EDM310 class at University of South Alabama I did not really understand the full advantages of blogging. I am finding it very beneficial and I know in my future as an educator will use these connections to further my resources. I want to answer your last question even though I realize it may be a rhetorical question. My answer is STEADY.

    Reply

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