Making Great Blogs: Tips and Tools to Keep your Blog Active

What makes a great blog?

According to the eSchool News, the group who manages the ‘Best of the Education Blog’ competition, the following traits make a great blog.

1. Personality: Is there a clear personality? Do you feel like you know the writer? Is there a feeling of intimacy that might be missing from mainstream media or other forms of communication?
2. Usefulness: Is the information useful or enjoyable to read? Did it make you think, or laugh, or click? Are there handy links to other places?
3. Writing style: Is the writing in the blog snappy, crisp, and engaging to read? Or is it long-winded, dull, convoluted, or sloppy? Worse, is it a sales pitch disguised as a blog? Or just news briefs or bullet-point items without any fresh perspective, analysis, or insight?
4. Usability and design: Is the typeface easy to read? Can you find links to archives? Is the writing concise and easily skimmable? Are graphics limited to what’s useful or fun?
5. Frequency: Is the blog updated regularly, and with sufficient frequency?
6. Relevancy: Does the blog stay on topic, and is it relevant to the category in which it is being judged?
7. Interactivity: Does the blog incorporate video or audio in an engaging, interactive way? Does it offer a forum for readers to respond, or use other features to help develop a sense of community?
8. Fulfillment of purpose: How well does the blog fulfill its intended mission?
9. Appropriateness: Does the blogger use language and etiquette that is appropriate to a professional educational setting?
10. Would you revisit: Is it useful or engaging enough for you to visit it again someday?
Look for these traits in the blogs you use…. or create!
Blogs for Principals

So how does all of this relate to your role as an administrator? It appears that many major organizations and individual administrators are starting to produce blogs. It is worth a few minutes of your time to review a several blogs that might be relevant to your role as a school leader. They may also provide some models that you might consider.

Writers Block?

Your new blogs can revolutionize communication in your school but they have to remain active. If you're stuck and not sure what to write, check out the examples below. Remember you can add authors to your blog to ensure that a regular posting is made: assistant principals, coaches, parent coordinators, etc...

Announcements / Calendar of Events / Reminders:

• http://rmhs5.blogspot.com/2007/08/1st-school-leadership-team-meeting.html
• http://insidecsi.blogspot.com/2007/08/stay-tuned-for-csihis-on-abc.html

Informal education / Best Practices:

• http://rmhs5.blogspot.com/2007/08/what-is-aris.html
• http://techomnivore.blogspot.com/2007/07/prime-example-of-how-blogs-can-be-used.html

Article reflections:

• http://insidecsi.blogspot.com/2007/08/teacher-grows-disillusioned.html
• http://techomnivore.blogspot.com/2007/08/distance-learning-galactic-record-set.html

Soliciting feedback:

• http://insidecsi.blogspot.com/2007/07/new-start-time-for-school.html
• http://techomnivore.blogspot.com/2007/08/note-to-self-take-more-pictures.html

Communicating expectations:

• http://rmhs5.blogspot.com/2007/08/why-rubrics-rule.html
• http://rmhs5.blogspot.com/2007/08/brilliant-bulletin-boards.html
• http://rmhs5.blogspot.com/2007/08/what-do-i-look-for-in-satisfactory.html

How to:

• http://rmhs5.blogspot.com/2007/08/what-do-you-do-to-quickly-learn-names.html
• http://rmhs5.blogspot.com/2007/08/power-of-pop-culture.html
• http://techomnivore.blogspot.com/2007/08/how-to-get-igoogle-on-your-mobile-phone.html

Public acknowledgment:

• http://rmhs5.blogspot.com/2007/07/good-news.html
• http://insidecsi.blogspot.com/2007/08/as-of-august-27-2007-jennifer-zinn-will.html
• http://insidecsi.blogspot.com/2007/08/fully-staffed.html