C4T#3 - If it's a penny for your thoughts...What do you get for a "Pair-a-Dimes"?

For my C4T#3, I was assigned David Truss's blog, Pair-a-dimes For Your Thoughts.

His most recent post was called "Why Blog?" and it is a simple yet detailed presentation about the important aspects of blogging. David Truss begins by stating four questions, "what is the value to me?, what are some of the challenges?, where do I get inspiration from? and how do I make it easier for myself?" As a student in EDM310, I think these are four great questions to consider when being introduced to blogging and trying to learn how to write a quality blog.

David Truss responds to the first question, "what is the value to me?" by saying that the time he spends blogging is the time he spends learning. He has made meaningful connections with other educators, and through this, has found opportunities to challenge himself to improve. He finds inspiration from reading other blogs, Twitter, and following trends and events, whether local, community, or worldwide. Staying connected takes time and that is one of the biggest challenges one faces when blogging. It does take time to blog, so Mr. Truss has shared some tips on how to become a more efficient blogger. Warning, the first requirement may be disturbing to some readers:
1) Spend less time watching TV
2) Write about things you normally think about(as long as it's not disturbing)
3) If you enjoy writing, then it doesn't feel like work
4) Use tools to help you be more efficient (Blogsy, notepad memos, voice recorder, Flipboard, Twitter, email)
David Truss believes blogging is well worth the time. It is his journal, a record of his conversations, it is his "idea bank". I love the bank reference because it made me think about blogging as not only a place to make a withdrawal of ideas but where one must also make idea deposits. David Truss believes we all have something worth sharing. Start making contributions and connections. He encourages everyone to "loose the fear...take the leap".

As I revisit David Truss's site, a recent post, My 7th Blogiversary, catches my attention. After the assignment in which we read Mr. Joe McClung's reflections on his 4th year of teaching, What I Learned This Year-Volume 4, I was curious to see what reflections would be written by David Truss about his 7th year of blogging. What I discovered, was worth more than a pair of dimes. If you follow this one link, My 7th Blogiversary, you will have a collection of all the posts David Truss has written over the past year. By scrolling over each title, you can read a few more details about the post and then click on it if you want to know more. This is a great wealth of information for educators. It includes the five most under-watched TEDxEDU videos, points to consider about laptops vs. iPads/iPhones, a presentation about blogging, ways to transform your classroom, rethink learning, and a story about being connected. These are the posts I found most informative and thought provoking, but there are many others in the collection that may be of more interest to you. I will be storing this link in my PLN; one small withdrawal from David Truss's idea bank is one big deposit in mine. With a penny you get thoughts, but with a Pair-a-Dimes you get great insight and a wealth of information!

As I posted my comments to David Truss's blogs, I introduced myself and told him I thought his posts were a great resource to share with the rest of the EDM310 class. I felt that his presentation, "Why Blog?", provided information that helps reduce many of the fears about blogging and shows the value of the connections one can make as they properly use this tool. I thanked him for compiling all of his blogs from the past year into one spot. It's a ways to be more efficient as mentioned in the "Why Blog?" post; one stop shopping for resources. I shared that I look forward to reading his posts and welcomed any suggestions that will help enrich my journey towards becoming a future educator.