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February 19, 2008

In December 2007, Technorati reported more than 112 million blogs on the internet and the number keeps growing. Our BlogJam features just five promising blog posts each week, selected as worthwhile examples of the “educational blogosphere.” We hope this manageable number will encourage you to sample new possibilities as you develop your own short personal list of blogs that speak to you.

Some blogs are useful as annotated links to more detailed information on a given topic. Other interesting blogs can help you find things you never would have found or give you ideas you never would have come across anywhere else. My favorite blogs are personal diaries of talented teachers who share keen insights, tidbits, and reflections on the teaching life. Some classroom blogs function as useful teaching and communication tools with students.

Here’s an overview of posts in this week’s BlogJam.

Facing Up to Social Security by B.Hallowell is a roundup of information, links and non-partisan advocacy to confront the future impact of social security on today’s young people. It is from Facing Up to the Nation’s Finances a blog publishing information, resources, and news about the non-partisan public-interest project of the same name, supported by the Brookings Institution, Heritage Foundation, Public Agenda, ViewPoint Learning and other foundations.

Emotional Engagement in Education, Part Three: Take It to the Streets by Jim Moulton is about opportunities for connecting students with service work: “a young person who contributes to his or her community is less likely to behave in a way that hurts that community — and apathy is a hurtful behavior.” Jim Moulton is one of 8 regular contributors to the Spiral Notebook Blog from the George Lucas Education Foundation’s Edutopia a magazine and web site supporting innovative teaching in K-12 schools. I’m a longtime fan of Edutopia since the late 1990s, and read the Spiral Notebook blog regularly, but no one assumes the road ahead is easy.

Safer Internet Day by Kerrie Smith marks Safer Internet Day on Feb 12, 2008 in Australia. Interested schools participated in a week-long blogathon to generate world wide discussion with young people on internet safety issues to improve understanding of the online world and people’s attitudes and behaviors when using the internet. Kerrie Smith is author of the blog You are Never Alone one of a dozen bloggers who blog at Education.au blog We can learn a lot from these clever Aussies!

New Skype Movie from Learning is Messy by 5th grade teacher Brian Crosby contains a must-see video of Brian using standard technology to enable his home-bound student, undergoing cancer treatment, to participate meaningfully in daily classroom activities. Using Skype and a home computer, the student was able to watch classroom presentations, ask questions, converse with Brian and her 4th grade classmates, and keep up with her lessons until she was well enough to return to school. I like Brian’s matter of fact approach and can-do spirit. I also like the name of his blog -like other good things, say democracy or real life, good education is messy.

The Reality of NYC Schools by teachingsmarter from Teaching (smarter):Trials and tribulations of a history teacher in the Bronx is community spirit tempered by irony, seeing clearly but not ready to give up. These bite-sized posts remind me of why I became a teacher. Get well soon teachingsmarter, whoever you are!

Do your read any blogs regularly? Please let us know. We’d like to include your favorites in future BlogJams.

In Peace,
Brian

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