You may be asking yourself that question, as everyone seems to have a blog about something these days. What exactly is a blog? And why should you have one?
Lee Lefever of CommonCraft explains blogs in his usual straightforward fashion in the video "Blogs in Plain English." Lefever notes that in the 20th century, news was reported by professionals through mainstream news outlets such as newspapers, radio and television. But in the 21st century, news has become "both professional AND personal" with specialized content that may target specific audiences. In this way, blogs allow anyone to be a reporter and publisher (often for free).
It strikes me that this is yet another way that the Internet has opened up our world to a more democratic view. Like wikis, blogs allow many people to communicate and comment on the news, as opposed to being simple recipients of whatever news a select few decide is worth reporting. This gives people like YOU incredible power. You can blog for family, for friends, for colleagues, for parents, for your students.
If you want to know more about it, take 2 minutes and 59 seconds to watch this video:
Blogs in Plain English
Then, get started blogging! And if you need help, let me know... I'm
curious about your blog, too!
