Do you blog? Perhaps you should because – and I say this with complete certainty, blogging helps you learn. Blogging can help you become a more creative, more precise, more evaluative and more confident, communicator. Imagine how this will improve your studies.
Last week I wrote about developing creativity and I promised to offer a specific strategy this week.
Well, here it is…
Start a blog!
Make a commitment to yourself and begin to write regularly. Write about what you see, write about what you feel and, if you want to improve your study skills, write about what you are learning. Question your attitude toward content, question the creators of the content and, question your thoughts and feelings toward the evidence presented. Then, compare your new learning to your past experiences and current values. Be curious, be courageous. Have an opinion.
How will this help you become a more creative person?
How will this help you improve your study skills?
Blogging unlocks ideas lodged within your mind. As you write you may notice the patterns formed by an intricate network of thoughts and feelings. These patterns form the foundation of what is loosely termed ‘knowledge’. As these paths become familiar, your confidence will grow and this is where creativity thrives. In essence you will begin to stride along mental paths you have created yourself. These are the ah ha moments – the times when ideas seem to ‘click’ into place.
Yet this is not the only benefit of blogging. If blogging becomes a regular activity it also acts as practice – a practice that refines your study skills. Put simply, the more frequently you write, the better writer you become. This is especially true when writing for a ‘real’ audience about ‘real’ things that interest you. Additionally, since you are writing for ‘others’, you begin to appreciate the importance of expressing yourself clearly and coherently – after all you want your audience to understand what you are saying. Similarly, your vocabulary is likely to improve as you seek new ways to engage your audience.
You don’t have to trust me, look at the research. Many have seen how blogging in the classroom supports collaborative projects, is a vehicle for engaged dialogue and improves critical awareness.
So, are you ready to start?
First, choose a platform. I like to use wordpress (because it is easy to use and personalise) however, you may prefer something like edublogs, tumblr, weebly or blogger.
Next personalise your blog. Play with the settings and create a blog that reflects you and your material.
Then you’re ready to start posting. If you wonder what to write about, click here to find some useful suggestions. You could also look at the class blogs linked to this site. They offer questions for you to think about before writing a response on your own site.
Although your initial posts may be short, make sure you write regularly. Set aside a time to write each week. This is important, your writing, creativity and evaluative thinking will improve as a result of focused discipline. Thinking about it is not the same as doing!
Oh, and remember to have FUN. This is your opportunity to have a say about the issues you care about.
Welcome to a World of Expression
Similar Posts: Why Blog
If you enjoyed reading this post you may like to subscribe to our newsletter or read Nicole’s book, Is This MyStory (available in full or as a four part series)