EDGE 2010 Panel – Academic Blogging and Tweeting: Connecting People, Ideas And Research

In about a week and a half, the EDGE 2010: e-Learning – The Horizon And Beyond… conference is being held at Memorial University of Newfoundland begins.  While I’ve already posted the list of sessions related to K-12 Online Learning At EDGE 2010 (and I’ll be posting a reminder a day or two before the conference), I wanted to prepare readers for the next five days and my participation in another aspect of EDGE 2010.

Academic blogging and tweeting: Connecting people, ideas and research
Dr. Mark Bullen  (British Columbia Institute of Technology), Dr. Dale Kirby (Memorial University), Dr. Mary Stordy (Memorial University), Dr. Michael Barbour (Wayne State University)

Blogs are an avenue for educators to innovate and explore new ways of teaching, conducting and disseminating research, and offering community service. The applications of this on-line communications tool provides opportunities to re-evaluate, rethink, and reshape traditional educational models, and possibly even re-configure certain aspects of traditional academic culture. Panelists will share their experiences and discuss how they have used blogs to enrich their teaching, share ideas across disciplines, and connect with a variety of audiences.

In case you aren’t familiar with everyone’s blogs and tweeting, they are:

• Dr.  Mark Bullen  (British Columbia Institute of Technology) http://netgenskeptic.com & http://bcitltc.com / @markbullen
• Dr. Dale Kirby  (Memorial University) http://post-secondary.blogspot.com / @dalegkirby
• Dr. Mary Stordy (Memorial University) http://criticalissues2010.blogspot.com & http://munmatheducation2010.blogspot.com / @marystordy
• Dr.  Michael Barbour (Wayne State University) https://virtualschooling.wordpress.com / @mkbwsu

As a part of my participation in this panel, over the next five days I will be posting two entries a day.  The first entry will be posted at 8:00am and will focus on one of these five questions that we have been asked to discuss.

1. Tell us about your blog and its content. How did you get started and who is your audience?
2. How do you use your blog in your academic work? What is the relationship to your work?
3. Do you have any advice for faculty and staff who are interested in starting a blog?
4. What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of academic blogging?
5. Do you have any trade secrets that you are willing to share?

The second entry will be posted at 1:00pm each day.  This entry will be guest blog entries from a variety of individuals involved in different aspects of K-12 online learning.  Each of these guest bloggers have been asked to write an entry focused on these two questions:

What do you see as the value of a blog like Virtual School Meanderings to the K-12 online learning community?
What value do you see in a blog like Virtual School Meanderings for you personally, as a [insert role] in the field of K-12 online learning community?

The individuals that have been asked to contribute, along with their role in the K-12 online learning community and the order in which their entries will appear are:

• Monday – Cathy Cavanaugh (a senior faculty member and leading researcher)
Tuesday – Leanna Archambault (a junior faculty member)
Wednesday – Abby Hawkins (a doctoral student)
• Thursday – Matt Wicks, on behalf of the International Association for K-12 Online Learning (the main professional association)
• Friday – Mickey Revenaugh (a practitioner with Connections Academy)

Note that from Monday, 04 October to Friday, 08 October these two entries per day will be the only entries that are posted on this blog.  I will resume my regular blogging on Saturday, 09 October (with what I suspect will be a busy Saturday and Sunday as I get caught up on all of the entries I would have normally posted during the week.

For long-time readers of this blog, you’ll recall that I participated in a similar session at the 2009 Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences.  My participation in that panel can be reviewed at:

• Congress 2009: Academic Blogs – Connecting People And Ideas
• About This Blog
• Academic Blogs – Blogging And Academic Work
• Advice For Academics
• Advantages And Disadvantages
• Trade Secrets
• Round-Up – Congress 2009: Academic Blogs – Connecting People And Ideas

Over the course of this week you’ll notice that I have tried to be more systematic and include specific literature in my responses to the questions this time around.