Thursday, January 24, 2013

Thanks to Comments, I Feel Connected-Best learning day ever!

Today, I opened my email account and yes there are comments to be moderated on my blog. I cannot begin to describe how excited I got! Still am! Wow, comments are a driving force and the pleasure you receive is odd to say the least. I think it goes with “I have been acknowledged”. I have hit a topic that others in the same predicament and the commenting was amazing as was the advise and knowledge shared with me.

Ok, so now to the next task, thanking everyone, replying and reading the wonderful links sent to me. I have received great advice and I have made new connections. I have learned and shared. Ah, the joy of the comment cannot go without heed any longer. This is awesome, I want to write great blog posts everyday now, join more mooc’s or communities where I can learn and share more more... I wonder if that is what makes “us” different, this intense need to share, to get suggestions, to learn an open online format. So you may wonder when I say “us” but that I mean those of us who joined a mooc, have a blog, like to wiki and most importantly love to find new software/applications to help us embrace our main love which is education.

I will be honest about one more feeling today, a little fear,. What if I do not have another good blog post? What if I am not an eloquent writer? What if my point doesn’t make sense? I know many of you must be feeling this way as I have for years (I just never admitted it). Are my thoughts and finds good enough for a good blog post? Should I write about…..?? Can I add more aspects of my personal life?? For the first time since I my blog started, I no longer am willing to let these insecurities hold me back. So for you beginners and those new to blogging or etmooc, congratulations and blog away. We all feel lost in blog land sometimes. …

So there it is, my best online learning day in a long time.

My question now is how do we turn it around and give it back? I want everyone willing to blog and share to have such a great day. Can we all resolve to comment on 2-3 blogs a day? Would you do this if it was asked of you as a condition to participating in this particular #etmooc?

And I need to pay it forward, look at this great post from a fellow etmoocr that I can Please take a moment to read …Lisa Sanderson’s blog at http://abbtechtuesday.edublogs.org, she has a great post on connected learning and crowdsourcing.

8 comments:

  1. So true! I blogged about the connections that come from commenting as well. It is thrilling. Just remember, you blog for you. If others read it, that's a bonus.

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    1. Thanks for keeping me grounded. Blogging really does help me put my thoughts into perspective. It's about what I love, not what my reader's love. I blog for me. If you can and want t share than I am grateful. Thanks, I think we have a title for a great blog post :)

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  2. I too realised that I haven’t been practicing what I preach this year because I have asked my students to blog as a way of improving their writing but have not been blogging myself. I have found that connecting with other classes to leave comments on my students blogs has greatly increased their motivation to blog. The same can be said for recieving my comments on my blog! I will resolve to comment and blog!

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    1. I think that is why I am so glad I joined the #etmooc, It has helped me to reflect and realize I was not practicing what I preach. It also made me realize that my PLN can grow when I comment back to others, it is time consuming but I cannot tell you how much I have learned from all of the blogs, I have been commenting on. My social booksmarks have increased two folds in two days. Thanks for the comment!

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  3. We become better writers by writing. Some days we feel more inspired than others. Comments are a bonus.Blogging helps to clarify our thinking.

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    1. I couldnt have said it better. Thanks Sue, I'm still a stickler and hold my posts for edits etc.. Does it made sense?? You are so correct, blogging truly does help me clarify my thinking and help me explore more than I would alone. :)

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  4. Quite insightful. You mentioned 2 things that particularly moved me: 'little fears' and 'privacy'.

    As for the first one, this week I've been asking myself several times what is worst: to get no comments at all or to get more than 5 comment a day? If I don't get any, it means I need to find out what I'm not doing well. But if I get several comments in a row, will I be able to reply to all of them in due time?

    As for the second one, I must confess I've always felt rather awkward if within the context of a course in which I play the role of the student/learner I'm asked to talk about my relatives, friends and that kind of private stuff in front of my peers. I'm a bit of an introvert and I need time to get used to new goups, you see.

    Anyway, I think you're completly right when you say we should leave all our insecurities behind and sort of just be ourselves.

    Really enjoy reading your thoughts :)

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  5. Thank you for the great comment. It's always nice to know someone feels the same way. Me, insightful, no, I just think too much. lol. Little fears have stopped me for years and I just can't do it anymore, to write and not discuss what I am actually thinking about well then I'm really not being true to me. Why? I'm too worried about what blogland will think. I've decided to me more me, and more honest in my blogs and while I blog for me, I am besides myself with joy if someone enjoys and comments (ok, I admit it, comments motivate me to share more). I'm a connected learner so I need small connections. Thank you for yours as I really did think more about who we are when we are on line. A friend/eductor, wrote a great post I think you will enjoy "Who are we when we are online"?? The personal you vs the professional you. It's odd, I've got three blog posts in the works, as I edit and critique before I hit the publish button. I did notice that as I am blogging more, I am more comfortable being me (online).

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