Teachers Challenge

I am just finishing up my first calender year of blogging.  I initially modeled my blog after metsblog, a blog about the New York Mets.  I enjoy Matts writing and his style.  He posts short easy to read posts that get to the heart of what is important at that time.  That is what I wanted my blog to be, short posts about what we were discussing in the classroom and what I was teaching to students.  I came across this post in Free Technology For Teachers, "How to Optimize Your Blog."  So I am going to see how I am doing....

1. Sign up for a blog - Ok I did that  
2.  Blog URL - OK I used Blogger and they assigned me a URL that was unique to me.  Design and optimize, designing your blog is tough.  Yes Blogger has a bunch of templates to choose from but the hard part is placing all of the widgets and other elements in the right spot.  I am using Google Adsense on my blog.  Something to take into account when you place your elements.  You want your blog to be appealing and encourage return visits, this for me is a work in progress.
3. Write Comments - Ok this is something that I am awful at.  I need to get better at writing comments on others blogs.  Why?  Comments are a way to virtually network with others, if you comment on their blog they will comment on yours.  Comments = traffic.
4. Do the discussion questions
   I went through some discussion questions and enjoyed reading others responses.
   What was hard and what was easy about setting up a new blog?  What was hard was trying to find the time to write my posts.  Blogger makes it easy so I can update via email.

   What do you need to remember to share with students or fellow educators who are setting up their own blog for the first time?  I had a chef in college who taught us that when you graduate find someone who you respect, take what you like about that person and imitate it while at the same time make that person you.  I did that with the blog.  I looked at the other blogs I follow, and imitated them but at the same time made my blog my own.
   If you have had your blog for a while, what do you wish you would have known when you were starting out that you know now?  How hard it would be to be consistent with posting.  It is work to post everyday =)
5. The Extension Activity - Ok so that's what I am doing now.  Why did I join the 30 day challenge?  I want to be a better more consistent blogger.  Why do I want to learn more about blogging?  I want to network with peers in other areas.  Technology is only growing and I want to grow with it.  What have I struggled with? Consistency.  Consistency in posting and commenting on others blogs.

I am going to try and keep up with the challenge.  I like the idea and it can only help.