Transcript Jessica Balsley K-5 Art Educator, Ankeny, IA Art Department Facilitator Founder, The Art of Education.

Jessica Balsley
K-5 Art Educator, Ankeny, IA
Art Department Facilitator
Founder, The Art of Education
WHAT ARE BLOGS?

A blog is like an online journal, a place for
anyone to share his or her thoughts with the
world wide web.
WHY I STARTED A BLOG
“When teachers participate in traditional staff development
their attendance does not ensure their learning. What
they learn may not be meaningfully applied in their
classroom practice” (Scanlon, Gallego, Duran, Reyes,
2005).
“….current work suggest arts teachers should be given the
opportunities to participate in learning experiences that
address specific arts-centered issues” (Lind, 2007, p.3).
“The teachers truly treasured the opportunity to collaborate
with other teachers in the same discipline. The arts
teachers had a shared set of ideas and a vocabulary that
allowed them to understand one another (Lind, 2007,p.
8).
STATIC PAGES
POSTS
A FEW OF MY FAVORITES!
SO MANY BLOGS… SO LITTLE TIME!
FOLLOW 100 ART ED BLOGS AND STAY SANE
WITH GOOGLE READER
Watch out for Information Overload!
CREATING YOUR OWN BLOG
What is the purpose of your blog?
 What will you provide to readers?
 Who is your audience?
 How will your blog help you become a better
educator?

CREATING A POST IS EASY!
BLOG EXTRAS- WIDGETS
BEHIND THE SCENES
GETTING READERS TO YOUR BLOG
8 TIPS TO GAIN READERSHIP
Comment and view other blogs
 Feature and refer to other blogs on your site
 Share your link with parents, teachers, put in
your email signature and newsletter
 Add yourself to blog directories
 Generate good content
 Consistent Posts
 Be yourself and be patient!
 Don’t be afraid to have an opinion!....

ATTENTION GETTING POSTS
MAKING TIME FOR BLOGGING
TIPS TO MAKE TIME FOR BLOGGING
Pre-Schedule Posts
 Make a goal for yourself for x amount of posts per
week
 Post about what you are feeling right now or
what you are interested in right now
 Make it fun not a chore
 Short posts are ok!

WHAT BLOGGING HAS DONE FOR ME…
Passion
 Fun
 Connections
 Professionalism
 Fights Burn Out
 Reflective Teaching

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS?