I decided to start 2017 off with a new challenge…a blogging challenge! I want to get better at posting consistently and Edublogs started a weekly blogging challenge just when I needed it! I’m hopeful that it helps me making writing a more regular part of my week and that I can do a better job of reflecting what wonderful things are happening in our school and in our library.
To begin with, this is not my first blog. I have tried blogging a number of times over the past 5 or so years. My most successful attempt was in graduate school when we were required to blog. Since I was in library school, it was great because I was blogging about books I was reading for my class and I was happy! This blog challenge will stretch my writing to include lots of different topics.
I read many other blogs, but none on a regular basis. I tend to go to blogs when I need them, but there are many that I enjoy reading. I really enjoy reading Mrs. Readerpants and was just checking out her new podcasts today. My sweet friend Cynthia runs a fantastic blog at Librarian in Cute Shoes that was a wonderful resource when I was an elementary school librarian. I really enjoy reading Nerdy Book Club also. Always such fantastic book suggestions. Shannon Miller has an amazing blog called The Library Voice that I enjoy reading for more “back office” library information. To keep up with these, I do follow them all through Feedly so I can see when a new post is shared, but often I just visit the sites when I think of them. Maybe this blogging exercise will help keep it in the forefront of my mind and I’ll make more of an effort to check those sites more frequently.
I do have some goals for myself during this blogging challenge. My main goal is: consistency. As I’ve said, I want to make blogging on a regular basis just part of what I do during the week. Wonderful things happen at AHS every day and I want to share those things. I use Twitter for that also, but blogging will give me a platform to go a little further in depth. I also want this blog to be a record of the library’s school year. A place to go back and read about what worked and what didn’t.
No better time to begin then now! Happy New Year!
Your blog URL caught my attention first and foremost because your initials are the same as the high school library I work in/for/at. We’re Albany High School! We use our mascot, the falcon, as part of our URL.
Hi Albany High School! We are the Eagles! Look out for the Eagles and Falcons!
Hi Mrs Montgomery
I love how you set yourself some goals for the blogging challenge. Participating in a challenge is a good way to help build consistency.
I would also encourage you to set a goal of commenting on some posts by other participants. Commenting Is an important part of blogging and a great way of getting ideas for topics we might want to write about.
Lyn Hilt talks about commenting in her blog story post and has added a goal for it “I also appreciate that I will be introduced to a number of new educational bloggers and will strive to comment on three others’ posts per week.” – http://lynhilt.com/my-blog-story/
@suewaters
Thank you Ms. Waters! And you’re right…commenting is an important part of the blogging process isn’t it? I like the idea of a goal to not only blog, but comment on others’ too. Thank you!
G’day Mrs Montgomery,
Some great librarian blogs you are following there. I have one that you might like to include – Julie Hembree and she has lots of book trailers created by students on her library blog https://bellbulldogreaders.edublogs.org/
Thank you! I’ll definitely check out the blog you suggested. Can always use new ideas!!
Looking forward to hearing more from a fellow librarian! Glad to connect through the Edublogs Club.