Where Have We Been, Why Are We Here, and Where Are We Going?

[Darren Draper]

To begin, it's great to be here and to be a part of such an exciting community. The energy is palpable and the potential is great. But great for what? As members continue to trickle in (we're pushing 60 in the first 24 hours - all with very little advertisement), we will need to decide as a community what we hope to accomplish.

Personally, I hope that EduBloggerWorld will function as an asynchronous "think-tank" - not a replacement of the blogs that we create, but rather a place where we can communicate about issues affecting blogging and education in general. As a result, I hope that if you ever have a question that you feel might be best addressed by this community, then you don't hesitate to ask. Remember what you tell your own students, "25 other students in this class probably have the exact same question."

I'll begin the trend today by asking a question I have been struggling with lately. Now, I realize that this is an EduBlogger (Educational Blogger) community. In my experience, the term edublogger usually connotes "one that writes about how technology can enhance (or detract from) education". Hence, my question (increasingly important as I invite teachers to participate in the blogosphere):

What does this community have to offer to educators that want to blog about other educational fields?

Along a similar vein, is there a repository I can visit that will help me find blogs about teaching science or math or language - that really have nothing to do with technology?

[Julie Lindsay]

Darren, a very big thank you to YOU for initiating the idea to start this new Ning...and of course to Steve for actually saying, hey, we need a Ning!
Now, to business, i think we should be taking a very broad view of what 'blogging' is and can do for education. I do not agree that edubloggers just talk about technology and how it enhances and supports best practice in the classroom or for PD etc. This new Ning offers educators around the world a chance to connect and interact on topics and areas we probably haven't even thought of yet. I have added a 'groups' section to the Ning so that interest groups can be set up according to need and focus. I can see this Ning has such wonderful potential. Consider how we can set up groups to support educators in all areas so they can find their own kind(s) e.g English, Mathematics, just to list the obvious curriculum areaqs...but there will be a lot more. We are really talking about information literacy and using digital tools to support that. This is SO important and vital for all educators now.

[Russ Lauber]

Ahhh...Guagin...or Gaugin...I forget which...but 'Calvin and Hobbes' most certainly..."I've been out in the yard, I'm here to check out the kitchen, and I'm going back out into the yard...". I may miss a parphrase or two, but that's the jist of it...
Thanks for the welcome...I'm running, as fast as I can, to stay at least to stay UP with the curve, hoping I can bring as many on board as possible as I can...I'm hoping I don't run out of steam in the interim...

[Darren Draper]

Julie, can every user create a group? If so, good (IMHO). I have a feeling that groups will soon act like "tags" that describe where bloggers see themselves.

Russ, you're doing great! Don't give up. Keep hanging on!

[Carolyn Foote]

Users can create their own networks and/or groups, I believe. In several of the other Ning networks I'm in, people are sorting themselves into groups.

Also, have you seen the globaleducation Ning? It's focus isn't blogging but there are quite a few members there posting about international projects.

As for finding blogs for various "fields" of teaching, you can search in Google Reader, with "teaching x" or "high school x" but it's somewhat hit or miss. Yahoo directory has a list as well. For example, I searched Yahoo Directory for "teaching history blogs" and it had a directory section for that.
http://dir.yahoo.com/Arts/Humanities/History/News_and_Media/Blogs/ ( I noticed one of the links took you to a comprehensive list of history blogs.)

It'd be great to have a "clearinghouse" though, as none of that is very straightforward. Maybe there is one....more experienced blogger types know of any?

I know there is a schoollibrary wiki that tracks that for libraries.

[Steve Hargadon]

I think this community could profile the edubloggers in a different country/area each week. We could post a list of the countries, ask someone for each country to spread the word and organize a list for their country. Then have them talk about what education is like in their country, and what impact edublogging and "web 2.0" are having.

Maybe the way to do it is to have folks start forum posts on "Edublogging in ABC..." Others can chime in and make themselves know, and then all of us can ask questions about what life and education are like there.

Who wants to start? :)

[Mario Asselin]

That is a great idea Steve. I could probably initiate a «Canadian edubloggers forum» on that issue, but not at this moment. We should wait at the end of august to do so... Only the «workaholics» are on duty at this moment ;-)

Another thing Steve; we would have to be careful to not hold a conversation between us, as Canadien or as Australian, etc., and then received questions of the other members of the large community. I'm not so sure that it will be easy to make consensus in our «big picture» between us... Is-that so easy for you folks to do this in U.S.? I'm not sure, but a list of topics and a moderator for each could be a way to go... If we make sure that each country will have a voice on an issue, maybe we can start something... Well, I just reacted, I still open to your proposition...

[Steve Hargadon]

Just trying to brainstorm a way to encourage spotlighting blogging communities that are outside the US. Not sure it needs to be in the format I proposed. I guess I wasn't expecting consensus views on anything, but just a chance to learn more about what educational systems are like in different countries and how educators are responding to the new collaborative tools. Thoughts from anyone?

[Durff]

I like this Steve. I too am concerned. I guess we just need to start looking. Those from New Zealand and Australia are weill represented. Europe is starting, but not Eastern or Central. Julie, Kim, and Jeff would know more about their parts of the world. So what is the roadmap, Steve?

[Tom Hemingway]

That's a nice idea, and actually there do seem to be several countries well represented in this network. But as for me, in this network and several others where I'm a member, I'm the only one from Turkey, and I see that there are many others who are the only one from their country too to join a network. Unless (thinking out loud) we started a thread for Lone Bloggers?

[Darren Draper]

Tom,

Because (at the moment) you are the only member of our network from Turkey, I think that your voice is particularly important to our community (as well as the voices of those other members that are currently the only ones from their particular countries). I think it's vital that we (all of us) get a well-rounded view of all educational trends and practices worldwide. Missing your input would be a great loss.

Consequently, I greatly appreciate your participation.

[Sharon Betts]

I agree with Julie that this is a community of educational bloggers - not necessarily techies (nor technology blogging). The Webhead group has some great foreign language blogs and also membership around the globe.
Most of their work is done through Yahoo groups and wikis, but they use all types of other tools. I know there are other members in this group, too. Could we start a list of member blogs with notation on "purpose".
Wish that wiki was already released.

[Darren Draper]

The Wiki's up and running now (http://edubloggerworld.wikispaces.com). I'll begin what I think you are envisioning as the page and add my entry. Feel free to modify my humble beginnings.