One topic of discussion this week really caught my attention, and that is what kinds of topics to write about on one's blog. The title of our session is Blogging4Educators, so many participants create a blog that has something to do with education. However, there are numerous topics to blog about, including art, sports, culture, travel, family, and other hobbies. What is the important consideration when choosing a topic for a new blog?
In my opinion, blogs should be about topics that interest the blogger. No, not just something interesting to the blogger, but something the blogger is passionate about! For if a blogger blogs about a topic because he or she is "supposed to" the posts will perhaps not reflect the authentic, true voice of the blogger. I have seen this phenomenon in many cases in the classroom. A student writes a paper something like, Well-I have to write a paper about that tells my opinion about ...fill in the blank...
In the same way, when beginning a blog, bloggers should carefully consider what topics are going to inspire them to write, and in turn if that topic and the writer's passion for it will inspire others to read. Writing is two-way communication, yes, but the writer has to have something to say if others are going to be motivated to read and listen. Teachers HAVE to read students' assignments, but other audience's can give up reading and move on to something else that interests them more. Therefore, both the writer and the readers' need to be taken into consideration.
For example, a friend of mine created a blog to practice her Japanese writing. She was really dedicated to improving her language skills and passing the next level of the Japanese Language Proficiency Exam. After she started writing, she invited her Japanese-speaking students to her blog, and they left her comments and gave her feedback on her use of certain Kanji. Although at first the blog may have seemed like it was going to be a blogger writing for herself and her own practice (similar to keeping a journal in another language), in fact, it is read by her students, and perhaps by other language learners too.
There are so many different reasons for writing a blog, so many purposes, and just about every topic has an audience. My advice for new bloggers is to write about what you're passionate about, and the readers and conversations will start to flow! In my case, this blog reflects my deep interest in online professional development and communities of practice. I began it as a place to reflect on these experiences, and I have been so thankful for the comments and conversations that have started here.
How did you choose the topic for your blog? How did the topic, audience, and/or purpose evolve over time?
