4 Blog Conversations

What are we learning this week?

Monday: Observation / Point of View
Tuesday: Slice of Life in Conversation
Wednesday: Conversation of Objects
Thursday: Conversation: Poem in Two Voices
Friday: Conversation: Blog Comments and Conversations

Important in our little community is our presence online and in our blogs. I've written about Blog Conversations on another blog. I'd like to invite you into this form of writing to connect with others.  Some ideas:

Good bloggers spend time reading and commenting on others’ blogs. We look for posts of interest to us and leave a comment expressing our ideas and appreciation for the topic information. Commenting is a form of conversation with the author of the blog.

As bloggers, we can do more to extend the conversation. We can add value to others’ ideas by extending the conversation into our own blogs.

When we read others’ blog posts. We enjoy, learn, or disagree with them. In our minds, we have a response. That’s what we want to capture, that spark of connection when we read the posts.

Read to find that spark, that connection — the place in the blog post you think, “Ah.” or “What?” or “Yeah.”

At that point, that’s your cue to add to the conversation. It’s your gift back from the value given in the post. Copy that part of the idea.

Then, with the best digital citizenship in mind, we write a post on our own blog about that idea, and your gift back: do you agree? disagree? learn something? have a different or new idea?

Go for it: Share their idea and your response — being overly positive as we always do so the author feels accepted and not disrespected.

Link back to the original blog.

Then comment on the blog with a link to your response post.

You’ve just started a blog conversation!
If you want to simply comment, here's a review of good blog comment guidelines:

Comment Guidelines

Important points:

Read the post and all comments first.

Use the author's name.

When responding to other posts, consider using the following openers as a guide 

• *  I noticed.....
• *  I liked.....
• *  I wonder.....
• *  What if.....
• *  How might.....

Think about what questions to ask.

Think how to be positive and helpful, even when disagreeing [see guidelines for tips].

Write well -- edit.

The Start your comment:

Use the author's name.

Compliment the author's ideas.

Offer your ideas about the topic.

Ask a question about the topic.

EDIT.
Thank the author.

Add your name / own blog URL.

Where do you find kid blogs?  Look here, a hashtag for kid bloggers:
#comments4kids

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The important thing about blogging is the connections:

• In order for what we are saying to make any sense, it needs to be a response to something. 
• Find places where you can add value rather than pursue a particular goal or objective 
• In almost all fields, connecting with others IS the work. 
• Connecting is all about adding value and flow (input, output, feedback, plasticity) 

Go ahead.  Try a blog post conversation or a comment conversation.

Write a post about what you learned -- about your blogging and learning, and about a topic.  Share your URL  to your reflection below.

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Photo: Sheri Edwards

Pretzel Art: Tony Stansac