To Blog or not to Blog...that is the question!

I have been thinking about blogging for some time now, and frankly, I have gone back and forth about it. To blog or not to blog, that is the question facing many educators in the 21st Century, and it has been staring me in the face for about two years now.  Although it may seem like a no brainer for many, for those of us that grew up without FB, Instagram, or Twitter (or any number of other social media platforms), it isn't so natural to share personal images and thoughts with dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of people- instantly!  For me, there were many questions to consider like, “Why should I share my thoughts publicly and is that even safe? What is worthy of a comment from me, and who would even care?”  (and that's just a few of them).  I know, I know...I sound cynical, but I am telling you the truth.  For me, it had to make sense. I had to have some answers.  I needed to know “the why?”

I decided to go back and reread parts of @simonsinek “Start with Why.”  I remember reading that “people don’t buy what you do they buy why you do it.”  I knew that if I wanted to secure a following of sorts I had to be able to articulate my why, and I needed to do it in a charismatic way that inspires and allows people to connect.  I also read other articles about blogging and most recently finished “The Innovator's Mindset” book by @George Couros. I kept reading, learning, and working to develop my thinking about blogging and social media use; particularly from a school administrator’s point of view.  I asked myself many questions like, “Is there some branding opportunity that I am missing?  Do I need a digital footprint?  Could blogging help me become a better leader? Could this help my students?  Do people need or even want to hear MY voice?”  It took me some time to come to a sincere answer, but simply put, the answer is YES!

I don't know why this process took so long for me, but it was one of those things that I would think about, put down, and come back to later.  I wanted to get past the obvious reasons to blog like personal branding and networking (although I completely recognize these benefits and their importance).  That said, I am glad that I took the time to develop my “personal why” and I would suggest any person considering blogging to do the same.  The work and time that will come with blogging won't be as laborious if your why is driving your sharing.

My “why” currently has three main points of interest.  The first starts with a personal opportunity to grow; specifically the chance to develop my literacy with different mediums.  Obviously, I plan on writing to share ideas, but I also hope to push into SoundCloud, YouTube, and other “21st Century” mediums.  I want to stay relevant, so for me, this experience, at least initially, will be more about learning by doing and making mistakes.  I read an article that described blogging like “live TV” in that it is less polished, unfinished, and work in progress.  This description sounded perfect to me, and so my blogging experience will start as a place to experiment with ideas and new mediums.

Second, George Curios said, in the Innovator’s Mindset, that “Innovation doesn't happen in isolation.”  He’s right!  Today, professional learning networks allow educators to share ideas and experiences globally.  It’s like professional development gone wild or should I say, worldwild!  It took me some time to fully buy into it, but I have accepted the notion that I am a contributing member of this community.  Specifically, I am an educational thinker, and I have many valuable experiences and insight to share with my peers around the world, and more to the point, other professionals can learn from me!  My twenty years of unique experience with students and teachers, best practices, and innovative approaches to learning should allow me to comfortably engage others in discussions about topics that matter to me, and I will be approaching these conversations with the attitude that I have something to share- because I do!  Talk about empowerment!  

The third point of interest connected to my “personal why” takes on a leadership aspect associated with blogging.  I see blogging as a leadership opportunity that allows you to influence and push the thinking versus reacting and managing it.  Blogging provides you with the opportunity to move past “responding” to conversations by “initiating” them!  Further, I want to use this experience to model my learning for both students and teachers, and as a way to display my growth.  I can even archive my learning, creating a repository of content, so that I can come back to it at a later date.  Think of it as a digital portfolio that is readily available to support future learning.

I have been told that “It is okay to be where you are, but that it is not okay to stay there!”  That statement has served to push and empower me to embrace the challenge and share my thinking with the world, and it is my hope that this first blog is just the beginning of great conversations and learning to come.  Feel free to subscribe and come along for the ride!  All learning is welcome!