Blogs
What else is a blog good for today? How to use it, and where to start?
Blogs are a medium that is probably past its prime, at least as far as the existence of regular blogs is concerned. Having a blog is no longer a sure sign of modernity or good manners. Still, at the same time, it is gradually leaving the narrative of a specific pejorative tool for teenagers. It can be an exciting tool for personal self-presentation, to work with new developments in the field or to serve for personal growth and creative writing.
Blogs can be set up very differently, and it is up to you what you decide they should be used for. Here we offer some inspiration:
A blog for learning a foreign language: one of the relatively good methods to learn a foreign language systematically is to write a blog. Even if only for one's use, it sets a periodicity scope, forcing one to write something. This is a suitable method in the case of a study circle or group, as other students or the lecturer can provide active feedback, point out mistakes, etc.
A blog to gain writing competence: many people write a blog to learn how to write. In this case, there is usually a clear genre, scope and topics, and one is supposed to "write out" in this space. The blog then serves as a portfolio of texts created as a platform for developing creative writing. For these blogs, often having a limited time existence, it is advisable to choose fixed parameters to which one adheres.
Opinion and reflective blog: this is a traditional blog in its sense. The author wants to read and formulate his opinion on different areas of human life. Here, we recommend working with clearly defined genres, i.e. a gloss, a critical essay, a review or perhaps a feuilleton, which give the text a clear structure and meaning.
Professional blog: if a person decides that they would like to do something, they can start blogging about this subject. It doesn't matter if it's the study of variable stars or the history of architecture in your hometown. Such a blog should have a clearly defined topic a readership and can become an exciting source of information for other readers. Very often, an issue that is underdeveloped or can be approached initially. Even if one does not consider oneself an expert, one's research and work can inspire others.
Per party's blog: this is a writing format for writers who don't like to do extended writing pieces but want to see their work's ongoing and regular results. This could be a novel-in-progress published in instalments every Sunday at six, a thesis that a student writes for a year, or anything else. This is an excellent motivational method to get potential readers' feedback, spot mistakes before submission, etc.
As can be seen from the very selective set of ideas on how a blog can be used in education, its possibilities are extensive - from languages to creative writing. What is interesting from a collectivist perspective is that blogs can serve as a self-presentation tool or a site for collaboration. A blog does not have to have only one author. It can gradually become a place of systematic publishing, research, and collaboration.
A blog is one of the easiest ways to write using technology so that you can look at the results of your work from some distance and track your progress. Most blogging platforms also allow you to set visibility - you can write purely for your use, and no one will see your content, or you can share it with a particular circle of people (friends who motivate each other, a teacher,...) or you can keep it public.
From a technical point of view, it is possible to use various blogging platforms for blogging - probably the most famous are WordPress, Blogger, Tumblr and Medium.
Consider whether blogging in written form is proper for you. If your goal is not to write but to reflect on the world around you, other similar concepts, such as video blogging or working with photographs, can also be considered. Writing, on the other hand, is a skill that blogging is very well suited for practising.
Although blogging is a very loose topic, let us conclude with ten notes for successful blogging:
- Establish a clear target audience, i.e. who you want to reach, and keep this in mind when writing.
- Set a clear theme - unless one is a celebrity, purely personal, all-encompassing blogs are not followed. Determining the topic also increases the pedagogical potential.
- Be clear about the regularity - almost all projects of this type go through a phase of initial enthusiasm that moves into a gradual decline phase. Even if you don't enjoy it, keep to a realistic initial plan for some medium-term horizon.
- A great feature is the release schedule - if you're not in a hurry or have a glut of ideas, you can queue and schedule texts for release.
- Use social networks. It is probably the best possible source of readership. That is if readership or community engagement is what you need and want.
- Writing a blog is not limited by age. You can register at twelve as well as at ninety. But it's good to consider your context concerning the topic, the form and the target audience.
- Try to stick to a genre framework - the ideal blog is a blog of essays, reviews, scientific articles, or... but not all of them together.
- Try to write without mistakes. People are sensitive to spelling mistakes and may unpleasantly write back. But at the same time, you shouldn't let the fear of making a mistake or being criticized tie you down. It is better to write with errors for your own sake than not to write at all.
- Not only is the content essential, but also other things around it - the chosen medium, the graphic design, and extra features. You can test many skills on the blog, from graphics to programming.
- Don't worry about the spoilers - a few blogs have been filling up for years with regular content. Even a project that fails to meet its projected sustainability or readership goals doesn't mean it hasn't met its educational plan. But think about the fact that blogs make up your digital footprint, and if you don't want to brag about them, it's a good idea to either anonymize, hide or delete them.
