As an administrator in a private-independent school, it’s always a great idea to stay atop current trends in the education world. This is often easier said than done, considering your intense work schedule of 60+ hours a week. However, blogs have the potential to bring professional development right to your office without consuming too much of your time. The question is, which blogs are worth skimming in those few extra moments and which can be avoided.
Here are a few suggestions of blogs we find resourceful. We’re not saying we agree with everything these authors post. All we’re saying is, these blogs offer a nice variety of information and opinions.
Edublogs
This site offers a little something for everyone. Teachers, students, and administrators are all audiences for this blog. In total, 1,677,219 blogs are categorized and powered by Edublogs. You can even add your personal blog to the site’s directory and improve your personal traffic.
Free Technology for Teachers
The author of this site, Richard Bryne, has been a teacher for eight years. He is dedicated to sharing technology and information with fellow teachers to help make their classrooms interactive. He talks about everything from helping students create strong passwords to tutorials for teachers on creating a quiz using Google forms. This site has won Edublog awards for the past five years.
Darcy Moore
This blog tags itself with “explores learning, leadership, education, schooling, teaching, digital technologies, books, poetry, literature, music, photography & the impact of social media.” Darcy certainly covers all of them and more. It’s a clean site and easy to navigate. And, in case you’re not sold on visiting yet, it won the Best Administrator Blog 2012, 2011, and 2012 Edublog Awards.
Mrs. Yollis’ Classroom Blog
Classroom blogs always seem like a grand idea. They start up, everyone is excited, and then just a few months later the passion fades and they tend to be forgotten. This is not the case with Mrs. Yollis’ classroom. This site is for second- and third-grade learners, but there is something everyone at any age can take away from this resource. And it’s also another repeat Edublog winner, winning various awards since 2010.
Nerdy Book Club
If you love to read, this is the blog for you! Students of all ages, from 3 to 99, can log on to review books on any topic. This site won the 2012 IBBA (Independent Book Blogger Award) for children/young adults.
Teach From the Heart
This site was nominated for The Most Influential Post 2012. As the title suggests, this is site written by a teacher who wants to share her opinions and thoughts about her craft. Her articles are from the heart and are intended to strike a cord with readers.
A Principal’s Reflections
This is yet another award-winning blog. It covers everything from educational leadership to best practices to creating a student-centered learning culture. It’s not the easiest to navigate, but the author does a good job of frequently updating it. If you’re just checking in from time to time, you’re sure to find something worth skimming.
HipHughes History
History buffs and video nerds alike love this blog! Keith Hughes uses video blogging as his main delivery vehicle. His unique style and flare for history will draw you in, and his quick history lessons will keep you engaged and returning for more. He’s not an award winner, but his popular YouTube blog page has over 11,215 subscribers.
Edutopia
This is one of our favorite resources for news from around the educational globe. It’s packed with blogs, videos, and classroom guides that are aimed at all grade levels. Its clean layout and easy navigation make it enjoyable to spend time on without losing your way—or your patience.
Mighty Little Librarian
Again, for those avid readers out there, this is one blog site you’ll want to follow. Not only does the author review books of many different varieties, she also blogs ideas on how to engage students in their reading. From spring break reading challenges to poster ideas for your school library, she covers it all.
